Carina, her apartment and her family were all a delight - though I only had a brief taste! Due to a delayed flight I ended up only staying for one night and was at a work conference for the duration of the next day, but for that one night I was as comfortable and welcome as I've ever felt. Lovely, airy room that stayed cool on a warm night, bathroom just across the hall and easy to get in and out of the house at any point. It's also only 5 blocks away from the centre of town, accessed via a walk along lovely leafy streets. Also worth mentioning are Carina's son's oatmeal cookies - out of this world. Hopefully next time I'm in Palo Alto I'll be able to stay longer than for just a night...