San Fran...

After a bit of an ‘iffy’ flight from Las Vegas – Firstly we are confronted with the captain telling us there is a crack in the left wing and maintenance need to look at it. Just what you want to hear before taking off (especially when you are a wee bit of a nervous flyer!) So, after almost 2 hours of sitting on the plane, awaiting take off (There is only so long complimentary drinks and oatbar nibbles will appease people) we were on our way. Well, people aren’t kidding when they say that the Nevada heat can make take-off kinda tricky (appologies to Andy who possibly has a broken hand after my clinging on for dear life) Fortunately only a short flight and a nice landing into San Fran airport.
We almost managed to lose our rucksacks, as some clever person decided to put the wrong carousel number on the screen, then take our rucksacks off and leave them lying on the floor! After managing to work out the transport system, we got the BART railway to Powell Station and began our walk to the hotel. Those steep roads aren’t so easy to tackle when you are carrying your ‘home’ on your back. After much puffing/panting/swearing we arrived at the Grant Plaza. Right in the heart of Chinatown!
After dumping our things, we headed straight out for some grub – “Uncle’s restaurant” just around the corner , for some yummy chicken chow mein and sweet and sour chicken. (creatures of habit indeed)
We headed back for a short afternoon siesta – then woke up at 9pm. Oops. Time to re-charge the batteries, and attempt exploring the next day!

Day 2 – We indulged in a little retail therapy (very very controlled retail therapy for us – we now live by the motto – you buy it, you carry it. That is quite a deterrent!) After picking up a couple of essentials in Old Navy we made our way to Union Square. Amazed by all the top end shops – we managed to spot The Cheesecake Factory @ Macys and decided that would be our destination for lunch! We took a trip to Alamo Square, a beautiful little park – with an amazing view of the old Victorian style buildings.
After a ridiculously large lunch at the cheesecake factory (we had even chosen off the lunch menu – supposedly smaller portions.) We would PAY to see someone polish off a regular portion! We had to take a raincheck on the famous cheesecake - we’ll cash that in tomorrow!

Our entertainment of choice for the evening was a baseball match between the San Francisco Giants and the Arizona Diamondbacks. We soon realised at the AT&T Ballpark that everyone else seemed to be dressed for the depths of winter. Hmm...I have a thin fleece on...Andy has a thin hoody...we’ll be fine, right?..WRONG! As soon as that freezing mist starts to descend – we could appreciate why some people even had extra blankets with them! All in all, a great experience though. (Unfortunately most ‘proper’ Giants fans wouldn’t agree – their performance was dismal to say the least...I just don’t get it – how hard can it be to catch a ball with a giant glove on?? And hit a ball when you practice it all day every day?..)

Day 3 – A trip to the rock!
We had booked ourselves in for a 9.30am tour of Alcatraz (thanks for the advice about booking in advance!) So worthwhile!! We watched a 15 minute video when we arrived about the history of the island and then did the audio tour of the prison. Really interesting! The weather was absolutely glorious – which made it even harder to imagine just how harsh the conditions were for inmates.
We then made our way along to pier 39 – such a great atmosphere with street performers and people bustling all around. We chose a little cafe on the pier to have lunch. Andy had the traditional red clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl – “Delicious and unforgettable” in his words. I chose the traditional fish and chips – amazing! So fresh. We knew we couldn’t miss out on having some shrimps too – all in all a fantastic meal. Our next bit of entertainment came in the form of....sea lions!! So funny to watch – they’ve got the right idea...eat, sleep...sunbathe (oh and push your fellow sea lions into the water for a laugh) Next up - street breakdancers...Brilliant!! (and doing it in support of an anti-drugs campaign – worthwhile cause)
Next stop Ghiradelli square and of course, an ice cream in a hand made waffle cone. Again – what a portion!!! They did provide the necessary energy to walk upto Lombard Street though. The steepness of the streets is absolutely breathtaking – you cant help but wonder what would happen if a cars brakes failed/it was icy/there was heavy rain? So many hazards! Lombard Street (the crookedest street in the world!) was amazing! You feel dizzy just looking down it. So after taking numerous photos from different angles, trying to capture the ridiculousness of the angles we headed back towards the hotel...

An action packed day – and still lots to do. A dinner in little Italy beckons...and tomorrow, we ride the Golden Gate Bridge. We definitely heart San Francisco....xx