DAY 5 - San Francisco - last day in SF!

Today was another early start - up at 7.30 for breakfast at Lefty O'Douls followed by another bus tour through Golden Gate Park and Haight-Ashbury. We set off from Union Square on a beautifully sunny but chilly day through the city to the entrance of Golden Gate Park.  The park itself is a green wonderland, an oasis in the city, and various other cliches.  But seriously, it was verdant and gorgeous and a bit of a relief from the concrete and steel of the inner city.  We went past the Conservatory of Flowers which was a riot of vibrant colour. Following that we wheeled past the de Young Museum (currently hosting an exhibition on Balenciaga) and the Academy of Sciences, which on Thursday nights turns into a nightclub complete with alcohol and DJs.  Cool idea!

After leaving the park we cruised through Haight-Ashbury, the centre of the counter-culture movement in SF in the 60s.  It seemed to me the place is trading heavily on its hippie past - it kinda struck me as a facsimile of what it might have been in its heyday and an obvious attempt to fleece tourists of their money.  Sort of like how Newtown still trades on its grungy reputation in spite of all the self-consciously uber-cool and expensive shops catering to the yuppies that have moved in.  Like Newtown, Haight-Ashbury retains some of its former character in little pockets (it was easy to imagine stoners and free-love flower children hanging out in Buena Vista Park, for example) but it looked largely gentrified.  However, the lovely old Victorian homes lining the streets off the main drag were magnificent.

Back to Union Square and then onto Fisherman's Wharf where we caught the 30 Muni bus to Columbus Avenue and got off in Little Italy.  This was one of those quintessential SF moments I had been waiting for and the one I most regretted missing out on when I visited in 1996:  the City Lights Bookstore, the crucible of the Beat movement in SF.  To say I was excited to finally enter the Holy Grail of modern American literature is a gross understatement.  The place is not large but is completely filled with books which they encourage you to sit down and browse.  Upstairs is the poetry room which was bathed in a gentle light and had 1000s of books of poetry from all over the world.  Even Les Murray got a look in.  Back downstairs I found Chris engrossed in a book of artful photographs of Alcatraz.  I found plenty to take my fancy but ended up buying only one book as a gift for a friend.  How restrained am I??  As we left City Lights we took a right down Jack Kerouac Alley, which had some amazing murals and quotes from various poems set into the pavement.  We then walked through back up Columbus Avenue and stopped at an Italian cafe for coffee and cannoli - what else should one have when in Little Italy?

We then headed back to the hotel where Chris had a rest and I went out on my own to do a little shopping and take a few photos.  Both ventures were successful.  There is a Frank Lloyd Wright building just a block away from our hotel which I was excited to see.  When else am I going to be able to see an example of Frank Lloyd Wright architecture??  It now houses an art gallery, but the staff very graciously allowed me to go inside and take a few pictures of the amazing interior.  Glorious!

Soon, dusk settled an it was time to indulge one of Chris's fantasies - a baseball game.  (A segue from the sublime to the profane surely!)  It was windy and chilly when we arrived in a sardine tin (also known as the 45 Muni bus) at AT&T Park, the home ground of the San Francisco Giants, the current World Series Champions and the team Chris barracks for.  They were scheduled to play the LA Dodgers and it promised to be a thrilling game.  And it was certainly an experience:  40,000 fans of both persuasions packed into the ground in a state of high agitation.  On a Tuesday night.  The level of enthusiasm was beyond anything I have ever experienced - Americans are fanatical about baseball.  Prior to the game I had absolutely no knowledge of baseball, but thankfully it is a relatively simple game and I had the basics down before the end of the 4th innings.  The game went down to the wire, with the Giants winning 5-4.  We ate hot dogs, froze our asses off and cheered and jeered the players - very entertaining.  I think I could get to like baseball.

Back to the hotel to thaw out and prepare for our flight to LA the next day.  We are very sad to be leaving SF - it is an amazing city and we would love to come back one day.  Chris says he has the travel bug now so who knows???  Tomorrow:  LA!

Vicki
xxx