Climbing Hills

The last two days here in San Francisco flew by, days packed with sightseeing, checking out neighborhoods, waiting for busses or streetcars, climbing hills and walking many miles, and always being amazed about the geography (and the views resulting of this fact) and the colorful variety (and, also, the huge contrasts) this city has to offer. Alone the many distinct ethnic neighborhoods - chinese, italian, latino, japanese etc. - are unique for San Francisco.





Saturday morning is "market day" around the Ferry Building and that was where we got fresh baking goods, freshly pressed juice and coffee for breakfast. Farmers sell their local products, but it's not only veggies and fruit (right now a lot of green asparargus, see pic), but also delicatessen like cheese, smoked fish, hummus and olive oil, oysters, baking goods, honey and jams and much more.

Also, since it is a popular gathering point for locals on a Saturday morning, there are always bands playing and cooking demonstrations taking place. A pretty fancy, not inexpensive market, but impressive in regard to variety.

A bus brought us up to Haight Ashbury (see pictures), the former "hippie neighborhood" - now more of a "hip neighborhood". Closeby Buena Vista Park (pics below) offered, after a steep climb, great views of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge, and is a lush green park with interesting flora and fauna; to our surprise, there was a "coyote warning" sign set up!.

We took the bus back to Union Square (right picture), another main tourist hub (besides Pier 39 and the waterfront) in town. In the meantime the weather had turned to sunny, warm and just gorgeous and it seemed like everybody was suddenly outside. Around Union Square it's mostly large (chain) shops, department stores and designer shops as well as expensive, luxury hotels lining up.


After a short break in the sun, we walked through the famous elaborately decorated gate (pic) into Chinatown, which is two-parted: a touristic, kitschy strip along Grant Street and a busy, more authentic Asian shopping strip on Stockton Street. Chinatown borders North Beach, the Italian neighborhood, with popular pizza places, cafés and deli stores. On Washington Square we rested for a little while - the lawn was packed with people - before we took the bus back to the hotel to get ready in time for our 7 pm dinner reservation in the Westfield Shopping Center on Market Street, the main axles of downtown.


Wouldn't have expected such a great place in a shopping center, though Westfield is an upscale, nice mall. In "Tap 415", rather, more of a brew pub on the top floor, the atmosphere was vivid, with TV screens showing basketball, an open kitchen and a long bar. The menu was modestly priced, portions generous and in the kitchen mostly local produce is used. They offer great cocktails, beers and "adult malts" (milk-shake- or ice cream float-like drinks with alcohol, see last pic). We got a sample of different favorites of the pub: pretzel bites with cheese fondue, tuna tartare, tap burgers, shrimp poboys and their home-made pickles, paired with cocktails, beers and malts.
In my "second life" I would sure love to become a food (and perhaps hotel) critic!