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Crabs on Fishermans' Wharf

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Sunday 14 January 2007(still) – Having gone back almost a full day between New Zealand and San Francisco we calculate the day to be 45 hours long!

Our hotel is on Fisherman’s Wharf – a real tourist trap and yet so many people like it and I have to say that we agree despite having to dodge all those touts trying to separate you from your money. We particularly liked Hyde Pier which is chiefly a maritime museum that is free except for entry to the many vessels and this only costs $5 (about £2.70). We did not go on board on this occasion but may return on another day. Two of the ships were built in the UK – one in Glasgow and the other in Sunderland (but registered in Newcastle). On another quay there are two World War 2 US vessels –one a submarine and another is a Liberty vessel (what is called a supply ship, or auxiliary, in the Royal Navy).

Golden Gate Bridge in sun

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This is a holiday weekend (including Monday) to commemorate the birthday of Martin Luther King and many Americans were around and the Wharf was buzzing with all the fresh seafood, in particular the crabs and the clam chowders. This was not just for the tourists, you felt, as it also represented what the locals got involved in at such times.

Monday 15 January 2007 – Today was definitely a tourist day as it is the best way of seeing the maximum in a short time. First on the agenda after breakfast was to purchase a City Pass which gives access to a number of attractions and 7 days unlimited travel on the MUNI transport which includes the world famous cable cars. Even though we are only here for a further 2 days it was easier than paying as we go and we would not lose money. It is a bargain if you are around for longer. Our first excursion was on the bay cruise which was excellent if a bit corny. The narration is an actor pretending to be Captain Nemo but the detail is very good. We got an excellent view of the Golden Gate Bridge from all angles including underneath. We also got to get to go around Alcatraz Island but did not land but that is an option on another excursion for those who want it. We also learned that there is another major bridge over the bay – the Bay Bridge. In fact there are 7 bridges in all.

Paul Hayward signing CD for Tony

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It was lunch then into the Aquarium, also part of the City Pass, and this was also excellent with a wide variety of fish and coral to see including some sharks. Most of them are not captive and come into and out of the Bay.

There was a singer, Paul Hayward, performing on Pier 39 and he is very good. I bought one of his CDs which he signed if for me.

To cap a busy day we took the cable car into the city and coffee in Macys on Union Square looking out at other famous name stores. The cable car is now mainly a tourist attraction but is a great way to get around the central part of the city and down to Fisherman’s Wharf. Dinner was at Pompei’s Grotto and looked very 1940s, with music to match. The staff were very friendly and we had some good chats with our waitress. The bill came with a suggested 18% tip on it which is alien to us from the UK but wages are very low in the catering industry so they rely almost entirely on tips and this does encourage them to provide a good service. It is necessary, therefore, to build this into you costs as well as the 8.5% tax that is added to the bill. What you see on the menu is not what you pay!

Cable Car

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Tuesday 16 January 2007 – Today we were both very tired which is probably due to the jet lag. Even though we were travelling through the night New Zealand time I, in particular, found it difficult to see. We started by visiting Ghirardelli Square which is undertaking renovation work so was not up to the standard we had expected. It is registered as a national heritage site and is where the chocolate factory of the same name used to be and the chocolate is still sold there. From there it was on the cable car again to Union Square and we spent a few hours in the city looking around the shops and having lunch.

Wednesday 17 January 2007 – Today was our last day on holiday and our flight home was at 1645. We had arranged the shuttle to the airport for 1315 and so decided to spend a leisurely morning on Fisherman’s Wharf. We spent most of it on Pier 39 where there are many shops but we generally ignored these in favour of searching out all the heritage information boards. These are very interesting and easily filled the time.

We got to the airport in plenty of time and the flight home was straightforward until we reached Heathrow some 35 minutes early. It was not the best day to return as the storms in terms of wind gusts were the worst encountered in the UK since 1990! We were asked to circle for 5-10 minutes and when the pilot finally got the go ahead he aborted the landing quite late. It was a bit hairy for a while but on the second attempt he made a brilliant landing.

We were met by Ruth (our daughter), her husband Andy and our grandson, Jacob who had been delayed by the weather. They had been looking after our car and came to the airport separately, one in our car and the other in theirs. After coffee with them we set off in our separate directions and we encountered some closed motorways but as we had listened to the radio we were able to work our way around them by going through villages. We came across much tree debris on the roads and laying water from the heavy rain but we made good time, only taking 30/40 minutes more than would be the norm.

We have had a great trip but it is good to be home. When we have had time to reflect and have sorted ourselves out we will post one final entry providing our views of the trip and pick out the highlights.