The day began well: we had a lavish breakfast on top of Mark – on the 19th floor of our hotel. There were probably 10 more guests and about as many staff. The food was excellent! The view was stunning!
The city tour included a 3-hour bus trip and 1 hour long bay cruise. We were picked up from our hotel by a Russian driver Igor, who told us lots of interesting things about San Francisco. From the Fisherman Wharf we boarded a double decker – we chose to sit on the top floor – and viewed the city. Minor difficulties: behind us was a family from India, and the young lady constantly spoke on her cell phone in Punjabi; across the isle was a family with a toddler, who screamed non-stop unless they gave him a bottle or a cracker. I think next time I will opt for a private tour, may be Mr. Toad…
The city of San Francisco does not have a distinct down town and cannot boast an impressive skyline. There are virtually no interesting skyscrapers besides Coight Tower, only boring square boxes glaring here and there like an old man’s teeth. There is an abundance of Victorian 2 and 3 storied homes, but after you’ve seen a couple thousand of those, they grow stale. Everything is on a Lilliputian scale – homes, backyards, back alleys, grocery stores, cafés, parking spaces… It feels tight and somehow stressed out… The gloomy weather adds to the feeling! People we talked to all tell us that there are maybe 2 or 3 days a year when it is warm and sunny, but it is also never quite cold, so palm trees are doing quite well.
The cruise was the most interesting part of the trip – at least for me. We looked at the Golden Gate Bridge from every possible angle, we passed very close by Alcatraz, we enjoyed the sun and the wind on the Bay. And we were given a ride back to our hotel on a very cute old-fashioned bus.
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