6. Fine food and sore feet

Sometimes I get some really stupid ideas.  Today was no different and I set off uphill by foot.  The good thing about my hour long walk was that I did heaps of people watching and saw things I haven't seen before.  The end of my walk was at Union Square where breakfast came in the form of an espresso (in paper cup) with a yummm cinamon bun from Boudins.  My feet were sore from yesterday and this mornings walk didn't help. But so I walk on, checking out Bloomingdale's and Macy's as I go.  Fortunately I'm not in. shopping mood.

Sick of walking I grab a bus and go for a ride through the Golden Gate Park and then through Haight Ashbury where to the music of San Francisco wear some flowers in your hair I was transported back to the 70's.  The Hippies of old have been replaced by homeless people but the smell of marijuana in the air was still the same.  Maybe that's why I had such a great afternoon.   I had booked the bus before I left and it seemed like a great deal and although the tours themselves were really informative the idea of hop-on, hop-off was lost because some of the loops were not regular enough to be able to stop off and explore and then catch the connecting bus.  But I did rest my feet and got to have a chuckle at one of the signs on board!

Continuing back to Union Square I then wandered through China Town unbelieving of the number of shops all selling the same Chinese junk for stupid prices.


Enough, and Im hungry.  As I get to Embarcadero I see in front of me the Waterfront Restaurant. Yes that's me.  Good move.  A perfectly grilled piece of swordfish with a crab mash on the side was divine.  My choice of wine, and Estancia Pinot Grigio from the Napa Valley was perfect.  Tick, tick, tick.

Again I return to Fisherrmans Wharf, smell the crabs and bread, smell and hear the sealions and carry on walking.


Ice Cream at Pier 39 was my next delicacy and then I walk off to check out the Americas Cup base at Marina Green.  An hour later I get there to find it was just closing.  I checked the site last night and no mention of a 5:30pm close.  But there was no buzz, no people.  After the hype we had in NZ it seems so sad.

And so I walk, this time to my hotel in Van Ness.  I start wrapping my clothes, bit by bit, in plastic so keep the cat pee smell out and pack my bag.  And then its time.

Months ago I found out about Helmand Palace, an Afghani Restaurant virtually next door to my hotel.  Tonight I had my first ever Afghani meal.  Koufta Pallow, meatballs cooked in tomato with peas and beans atop spiced baked long grain rice.  Yummmmmmm.  Well worth waiting for.

And so now I sit on my bed writing my last post from San Francisco.  Tomorrow I get to meet the family I haven't met and the ones I haven't seen for 40 years.  I cant wait.......