SAN Francisco-Sun

Sunday 26th January 2014. Another unseasonably warm and sunny day. We picked up our tour guide at 9.30 and headed off to see the sights of SF. Of course like countless others we just had to drive down the “crookedest street in the world” down Russian Hill. Luckily it’s one way! I must say SF was immaculate for a city. Well done!. The other thing in SF, the richer you are the higher up you get to live so the rich all live on top of the forty or so hills that make up SF.

The Russians travelled down from Alaska and tried to claim SF in 1806 an it wasn’t until the US declared war on Mexico in 1846 that it became part of the United States.

On the Crissy Field beach, which used to be part of an old airfield, it seemed everyone was talking the dog for a Sunday morning swim. This is right next door to Yacht Club with I understand the America’s cup.

From the top of yet another hill called Twin Peaks there was a great view, this time of downtown SF and out over the bay. The Oakland Bay bridge with the tall Transamerica Pyramid.

Back in Colourful Chinatown where the Chinese settled in the 1850’s there was a Sunday Street market and festival being held however we managed to withhold buying souvenirs….again!

Walking back to the ship we climbed up Telegraph Hill to find the Coit Tower closed! However I did manage to catch a good picture of the mist rolling in over the bridge.

It must be thirty years since I was last here in SF and the thing I liked about it then, when I was backpacking, still applies now. SF is one American city you can walk around as a tourist. They look after their old buildings, it’s clean, and the people are relaxed and friendly. It has everything a tourist wants even free Wi-Fi downtown…but it’s very expensive for us poor Brits.