17 June

We are up early so we can book into a tour for this afternoon. We have breakfast and then head into town to have a look at the shops. I'm not getting into it, I can't seem to justify spending time shopping when I am on the other side of the world. I thought the shops would inspire me, but no. Fashion here is just as crap as fashion in Melbourne. Chris and I part ways as we are not interested in the same things for obvious reasons. I stroll casually around which is just lovely after charging around with Chris. I look at the buildings, the people and create my life in my surroundings. Soon I have had enough so grab a coffee and something "to go" for lunch and head back to the hostel.

A bus collects us for our tour to the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose which is about an hour's drive south. The bus driver is great giving us heaps of information regarding the city and surrounds. The AT & T building which is where they play baseball has a giant coke bottle that Coke had installed for $1million. The San Andreas Fault Line is filled with water that keeps the people quenched with fresh drinking water. The fog acts as a natural air conditioner for the valley. In the movie The Graduate, Dustin Hoffman is driving across the Bay Bridge and he is actually going in the wrong direction for the background!!!!!

We arrive at the house and start our tour with Molly. She is fabulous with just the right amount of corny attitude to her jokes. To describe this house would cause brain injury so you should look it up on the internet. It has staircases going to the ceiling, doors that go nowhere, cupboards that are walls inside and a seance room with secret exits. It is completely fascinating as a house that was constantly being built around the clock for many years and never completed. There is a movie called Red Rose which is based on the house. 4o odd bedrooms, 6 kitchens, 13 bathrooms and 1 shower. The number 13 is an auspicious number and features constantly throughout the house in various ways. The stained glass windows are exquisite Tiffany designs. I listen to every word Molly says and buy the book at the end of the tour.

We hit the road for home and part ways again. Chris goes off to the Castro to see a movie and I go down the street to Cafe Zoetrope. This cafe is in the Sentinel Building which Francis Ford Coppola owns and it houses his production company Zoetrope. I enter through the revolving door and the whole place looks at me. Do they recognise me from We Can Be Heroes? Oh, maybe it was my RACQ ad they saw when they were all in Port Douglas for the last film shoot. I feel confident but alone. That's okay, I have my journal, my book and soon I will have a glass of wine. There are some very loud people nearby and 2 guys in particular are talking at such a volume that I must listen to them. But wait, someone else's conversation is struggling for my attention. All I can hear is film talk and only half of it at that as the din of restaurant talk is blurry.

I stay here for quite a while, listening and looking around occasionally. Some men come in late and sit at the bar asking questions about Francis. How old is he, when does he come here bla bla bla! Well, when he is in town he comes in twice a day and once at night! This gives me good inside information for the next few days. I mention in passing that I will try to come in tomorrow for a coffee. I leave a good tip!!

I am to learn later that Francis was sorry that he missed me as he had an emergency on set that he had to attend to.