mymidlifegapyear: The streets of San Francisco...

My first view of San Francisco from Aeromexico flight AM664 is of a sparkling light filled city. It is no less beautiful on the ground, fog and all.

For those of you old enough to remember, San Francisco was the setting for a 70’s TV detective series starring a young Karl Malden and younger Michael Douglas. Watching the car chases up and down the hilly streets lined with gorgeous terraces, the rugged and handsome good guys fighting evil, I was hooked. One day I wanted to go and visit that hilly place and today I did!

The last time I was so exited about a city was when I first saw New York. I was not expecting San Francisco to be as beautiful and interesting as it has been already, and I’ve only been here about 10 hours, five of which I have been asleep!

I’m sure it’s partly because I have been lucky enough to be put up by a local in a gorgeous apartment near Alamo Square, famous for its “painted ladies” a row of Victorian houses featured in movies and home to author Alice Walker for a time.

From Richard’s apartment (thanks so much Malcolm for sharing your friends) you can easily walk to Buena Vista park for a view of the city or to the famous Castro area. A bus just outside his door took me downtown, full of shopping and attractions including the cable car, fisherman’s wharf, art galleries and museums and you can easily get a ferry to Sausalito or Alcatraz (make sure you book as there are big queues).

I find the most wonderful café called Mojo on nearby Divisadero St, read the NY Times over a coffee, and have a toasted sesame breakfast bagel, a mouthwatering concoction with avocado, egg and cheese. Bliss!

The San Francisco I have seen is a mature, sophisticated, gracious and open city with many attractions and distinct areas and “villages”, all with their own atmosphere, colour, culture and energy. There is a huge “China Town”, “Little Italy”, “Russian Hill”, Gay Area (Castro), Financial District, inner city Tenderloin area which you are told to avoid after dark, the Mission area, home to a huge Latino population, and the Haight Ashbury area, with its 60’s hippie feel even today.

The local bus makes announcements in English, Chinese and Spanish, a testament to an acknowledgement of multiculturalism as a reality, not just lip service to the idea.

I take an open bus tour that goes over the Golden Gate bridge (the whole circuit takes about 2 and a quarter hours and the 35 USD ticket is valid for a full 24 hours and you can get on and off as many times as you like). It was well worth it and the commentary is relevant, interesting and gives you a good introduction to the history and culture of this fascinating city.

Later, on the back of Richard’s bike, I get a bird’s eye view of the city from the top of Twin Peaks lookout where the rolling fog creates an ever changing and surreal eerie painting.

A Thai meal, red wine and some chocolate later and I can’t believe what a great day it has been.

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