Tours of the Tales

In the middle of Washington Square is a statue not of George Washington but rather Ben Franklin.  A time capsule was buried at the base of the statue in 1879; it was opened in 1979. This was replaced with new capsule to be opened in 2079.  The current time capsule contains a copy of Tales of the City along with a pair of Levi’s and a bottle of cabernet.

Towering over the Square on the north side of Filbert Street is Saints Peter and Paul Roman Catholic Church.  During the time of Babycakes, Mary Ann attended an aerobics class at SS Peter and Paul.

‘What’s the question?’ asked the woman.

Edgar grinned.  ‘Gertrude Stein.’

‘I don’t think she said it, do you?  No one’s that clever on a deathbed.’

There it was again.

He felt a surge of recklessness.  ‘What would you say?’

‘About what?’

‘The end.  Your last words.  If you could choose.’

The woman studied his face for a moment.  Then she said:  ‘How about… “Oh, shit!”’

His laughter was cathartic, an animal yelp that brought tears to his eyes.  The woman watched him benignly, detached yet somehow gentle.

It was almost as if she knew.

‘Would you like a sandwich?’ she asked when he stopped laughing.  ‘It’s made from focaccia bread.’

Edgar said yes, delighting in her charity.  It was nice to have someone taking care of him for once.  ‘I’m Edgar Halcyon,’ he said.

‘That’s nice,’ she said.  ‘I’m Anna Madrigal.’  

(Tales of the City/28 Barbary Lane pp.50-51)

In the “Tales of the City” miniseries, Edgar and Anna do not meet here at Washington Square; rather, their chance meeting happens on a bench in Alamo Square with a view of downtown to the northeast over the “Painted Ladies” on Steiner Street.  This same view of Downtown and the Painted Ladies from Alamo Square is found on several different postcards of San Francisco.

In More Tales of the City, Brian spent a morning in Washington Square sunning himself for the benefit of the “Lady on Eleven”.  While he was returning to Barbary Lane, he suddenly decided to try to meet the Lady on Eleven and attempted to enter her secured apartment building.  He was rebuffed by both the building’s security guard and a female resident..

Also, in More Tales of the City, Mona was ticked off because she thought Brian was seeing someone (little did sheknow) the night following her dinner with him.  Calming down after talking to Anna, she and Anna went to Molinari’s to purchase food for a picnic in Washington Square.  While watching Chinese grandmothers performing Tai Chi, Mona informed Anna that Betty Ramsey was coming to town to meet with Mona.   In the “More Tales of the City” miniseries, Mona and Mrs. Madrigal are walking down the Vallejo Steps between Taylor and Mason street when Mona informs Mrs. Madrigal of Betty’s impending visit. 

In Further Tales of the City, after planning Mary Ann’s birthday party and previewing “Miss Stanwyck” (one of her many pot plants), Mrs. Madrigal and Brian wandered down Russian Hill to Washington Square where they continued to talk about Brian’s and Mary Ann’s relationship.  Brian was uncertain about the future of his relationship with Mary Ann.  He wanted nothing else as badly as having the relationship work out.  Anna assured him that he shall have it.  “My children always get what they want.”  In the “Further Tales of the City” miniseries, this discussion between Brain and Mrs. Madrigal occurred in Golden Gate Park at the edge of the fern trees on John F Kennedy Drive.

Thirty years later, in Michael Tolliver Lives, after a dinner rendezvous at Caffe Sport, Mrs. Madrigal and Michael shared a doobie in Washington Square. 

Washington Square (bordered by Columbus, Filbert, Stockton, and Union streets)

He sat down on a bench in Washington Square.  Next to him was a woman who was roughly his age.  She was wearing wool slacks and a paisley smock.  She was reading the Bhagavad-Gita.

She smiled.

‘Is that the answer?’ asked Edgar, nodding at the book.

Washington Square