We got up, bright and chipper at 6 AM to pack and head north to Napa Valley for the final phase of our little sojourn.

Our first stop was Sausalito where not much could be seen because of the fog and rain—uncharacteristic for this area at this time of year. At least traffic was light, and the rain didn't dampen our spirits.

We stopped at the St. Helena tourist information office, where Nick encountered a helpful and informative guide, who made wonderful suggestions.

Our first stop in the valley was Castello di Amorosa, recommended by Joe Ursino and Cy Taghavi, Carol's husband. A vintner named Daryl Sattui spent more than $30 million dollars importing bricks, stones, and iron work for Tuscany and Austria to build a grand castle in Napa. We took a full guided tour of the castle, from turret to dungeon, ending up in a tasting room where we tried 12 wines from ordinary to extraordinary.

Off on the Silverado Trail. We were reminded of the peacefulness and tranquility of the Tuscan countryside. We arrived in Yountsville. Rachel Seltzer and Veronica Schoenen recommended we eat at Bouchon, and the meal did not disappoint. The French bistro reminded us so much of eating at Taillevent, in Paris, about 35 years ago.

Our B&B was two doors away from the restaurant so we had an easy checkin. After a brief rest we followed up on the tourist office to go the Mumm Napa Valley Vineyard. There we were charmed by the waiter, who served us glasses of their best sparkling wines as well as pleasant conversation. We bought a little chocolate to go with the sparkles. Locals at the next table chatted with us, and then gave us their wine glasses, a souvenir of the tour. Wow! What a pleasant experience.

Barbara loves champagne, so she was very happy!