I fell in love with the city the minute I stepped off the bus on Market street – it was just so alive. My hostel was just 5 minutes walk from Union Square so I was at the centre of everything. It was my first time in a dorm in about 6 years and I was nervous about what was in store; but in the end I was sharing with 2 Singaporean girls studying in New York and in SF for a holiday. They were hilarious and we promised to meet up when I get to New York. It taught me that even as I approach 33 (a moment silence for this shocking fact!!!!) if I force myself outside my comfort zone wonderful things happen ☺
My first day I set off to explore the famous Ferry Building and wandered amongst the wonderful array of fragrants coming from food stalls from all corners of the globe. As I walked down Market Street from the hostel to the Ferry Building I was amongst the high-rise buildings of SF’s financial district which is the second largest in the US after New York. Maybe I have been hanging out with too many planners but I have to comment on how much I actually loved this area; the pavements are wide and there is a lot of green space meaning that the buildings are not taking over the area. In contrast to other cities I have been in this financial area of SF did not seem to ‘die’ at night even it wasn’t the best place to be! After visiting the Ferry Building and the pier I took the California Street streetcar all the way up several hills to Lafayette park and its surrounding roads. It was a lovely area of small boutique shops and cafes and I of course felt right at home window-shopping my way along the street. I let the road lead me down to the Marina area and then turned back towards Union Square where I enjoyed a tea in the Macys overlooking the square. I ended the day by joining a pub crawl group from the hostel and ended up spending the time hanging out with a bunch of Quebecois tourists speaking French – got to love the diversity of travellers.
The following morning I had booked a tour of Alcatraz prison – a place that has always fascinated me and my fear of confinement; if anyone has not seen the movie the Rock watch it! The prison tour did not disappoint as we were taken across on a ferry and then given a audio headset but left to explore at our own place. It gave the sense of what a desolate isolated place the island is and why it was initially selected as a fort for defense and then as the sight of the infamous prison. Any strand within me that may have provoked me to break the law during my life vanished as I stood inside the cells and faced me fear and understood why I dislike the idea of confinement so much. After I returned to the mainland following an equally picturesque view of the bay and the Golden Gate bridge, I walked up to the Italian area where the local residents have managed to keep all chains out of the area. I had wonderful Italian pizza and once again found myself appreciating all the green space and people using it. I set off after lunch to wander my way to the Golden Gate bridge, it was a 2 and a half hour walk but the views along the way were breathtaking. Do not let anyone tell you that the Golden Gate bridge is not as amazing as you imagine it will be because it is! I took a bus from the bridge directly south to the neighbourhood of Castro where Gay Pride was born and is also home to the wonderful Castro theatre fully equipped with their own organist who plays before every screening.
On my third day I joined a historic walking tour of SF organised by the hostel and lucky me it was led by a landscape economist who in his spare time is a civil movements historian! There were a great bunch of people from the hostel also on the walk and afterwards I had lunch and afternoon tea in the Japanese gardens with Nickolas a former investment banker who packed it in to travel Canada and the US. I ended my third day wandering around the district called South of Market which is turning into the artsy area of new including all its ‘sketchy’ strips.
What a wonderful wonderful city I know why so many people I know hold it dear to them with its rolling hills, wonderful foods, origins of so much civil history and all this comes with an edge – this part I cannot put into words you will just have to go to see for yourself.
The bridge and I
Beautiful Golden Gate Park
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