Wow, another full-on day, which started when the alarm (yes, alarm...on a vacation...it's unnatural) went off at 7am. We made our way down to a cafe on Market Street and had some breakfast and watched all those wage-slave suckers, of which I am usually one, make their way to work. After breakfast we hopped onto the F trolley to Pier 33 to catch the ferry to Alcatraz. The F trolleys are a little slice of San Francisco history, with most of them being at least 50 years old. The ride is not a smooth one, but it is a great way to see all the historic buildings along the Embarcadero, the main waterfront thoroughfare.
Once at Pier 33 we queued up with about 300 other people also making their way to The Rock. The ferry ride only takes about 15 minutes and is a relatively smooth ride across the harbour. (For those of us used to the turbulence that can happen on rough days on the Manly Ferry, this was a very tame ride). We disembarked at The Rock and prepared to be awed. Alcatraz did not let us down. The free audio tour of the Cellhouse is narrated by former prison officers and inmates and is a great insight into how life was when Alcatraz was a federal prison. The views from the island back to San Francisco and the Bay Bridge, as well as towards the Golden Gate Bridge were amazing.
After returning to Pier 33 Chris and I lunched at Fisherman's Wharf we visited the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) which is in the SOMA district (SFMOMA at SOMA....it rhymes!). SFMOMA had quite a few good exhibitions on and I was able to see some amazing art, including pieces by Matisse, Picasso, Warhol and Lichtenstein, to name just a few. My favourite was a piece by Frida Kahlo titled "Frida and Diego", a self-portrait of Frida with her husband Diego Rivera (http://www.frida-kahlo-foundation.org/Frida-and-Diego.html). There was also a very interesting photography exhibition that contained some exciting images. SFMOMA also owns an interesting Paul Klee collection comprising at least 12 paintings. A very edifying couple of hours.
After having our fill of art and kulcha we left SFMOMA and made our way back to Fisherman's Wharf in time to take another evening bus tour. This time I was able to get some great pictures of Grace Cathedral, an Episcopal church located in Nob Hill designed in the French Gothic style, and the "Painted Ladies", a series of seven Victorian houses located in Alamo Square (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Painted_ladies). They're quite famous so you've probably seen them before, especially if you're a Full House fan. San Francisco is full of Victorian architecture so anywhere you go you are gobsmacked by the beauty of these houses.
After the tour we were dropped back at Fisherman's Wharf. We mosied on up to Ghiradelli Square and had dinner at a cosy little Mexican restaurant before getting the cable car back down to Union Square and returning to our hotel. It's been a big day and we're both knackered so I'll sign off now. Tomorrow: Golden Gate Park, Haight-Ashbury and City Lights Bookstore, followed by a baseball game tomorrow night (SF Giants vs LA Dodgers). I know absolutely nothing about baseball but I'm looking forward to experiencing a quintessential American institution. I might even get one of those big fingers that baseball fans like to brandish...hmmm...maybe not.
Love,
Vxxx
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