Sausalito: California’s Little Italian Riviera
The first thing that struck us about Sausalito was the feeling that we had somehow wandered into Italy… except that, instead of the Mediterranean, a sparkling blue bay stretched before us.
Colourful buildings lined the waterfront, while beautiful homes climbed the green hills, gazing across the water.
The whole town seemed to have mastered an art we are often too busy to practise: taking life slowly.
Often called California’s Italian Riviera, Sausalito charmed us with its relaxed elegance.
We had lunch at Scoma’s, perched right on the waterfront, with the bay stretching before us.
I later discovered that this little building, dating back to 1904, had once housed a boat company, then a colourful haunt for artists and jazz lovers.
In 1968, it was even moved 25 feet farther into the bay!
Not bad for a place where we had simply come to enjoy a meal.
The town’s name has a story of its own.
Sausalito comes from the Spanish sauzalito, meaning ‘a little willow grove’.
A fitting name for a place where small willows once grew beside freshwater springs.
Then came more surprises.
Colourful floating homes looked like storybook cottages resting on the water.
A narrow strip of land stretched across the blue, with a cyclist making his way along it.
Nearby, a seaplane rested on the water as casually as a car parked by the roadside.
I found myself slowing down, not because there was less to see, but because there was so much to take in.
Sausalito didn’t demand our attention.
It quietly won it.
Some places take your breath away.
Sausalito makes you want to linger.
