Maybe it's this annoying yet evocative fog that makes San Francisco so unique; it seems to dance over the city, slowly revealing its unmistakable skyline and creating magical, unforgettable plays of light. Or perhaps it's the splendid bay surrounding it, where between the mountains the orange symbol of the Golden Gate stands out in the distance, the bridge that seems suspended in mid-air with its tall spans soaring above the low clouds. Or maybe it's its well-defined, multi-ethnic neighbourhoods: moving from one to another feels like discovering different worlds in a single instant, each with its own precise character, with breathtaking views from the steep streets that not even cars and buses dare to challenge, undisputed territory of the clanging Cable Cars, where, clinging on precariously, you feel you're living more a dream than reality.
The starting point for a visit to California is definitely San Francisco!
My guide to San Francisco:
Day 117 Jun 2007
Sunday 17 June, San Francisco
The British flight is on time and after purchasing the Muni Passport, a pass for all means of transport ($18 for 3 days) we head towards the Bart which will take us to Powell St.. It's the cheapest means that connects the airport to the centre ($5.15), as well as being extremely convenient. Our hotel, Mark Twain ($80 for the triple, special offer directly on the website), is a few minutes from Powell and represents a convenient and economical solution for visiting the city. Just the time to settle in and, heedless of the jet lag (it would be past midnight), we set off at once for a first taste of the city. First stop Union Square, a modern and spacious square that overlooks some of the busiest streets. We walk along Powell St to the terminus of the Cable Car, but we give up getting on given the long queue and take the historic F line that runs along the immense Market St.
as far as the Ferry Building where we get off and take a walk. Unfortunately it's Sunday and the area, frenetic on weekdays, is rather deserted. The skyline of the modern city recalls the classic American metropolises; we are in fact in the Financial District characterised by modern skyscrapers and futuristic architecture. Such is the case with the impressive atrium with exposed elevators of the Hotel Hyatt, and with the Transamerica Pyramid, the tallest and most singular building. Here, with no queue, we take the cable car that runs along the whole of California St crossing China Town and climbing up to the top of Nob Hill. These vehicles are truly characteristic, as they travel the city's breathtaking climbs ringing their bells continuously.
Little Davide handles the effort well (quite a physique for a 6-year-old kid...) so we get off near China Town and walk back towards Union Square in search of some place for dinner. We opt for Lefty O' Doul's, halfway between an Irish pub and a cowboy saloon, it's one of the few cheap restaurants in the Union Square area. It serves excellent meats cooked and carved to order, served on a single plate with spaghetti, rice and vegetables at around $10. After dinner we quickly return to the hotel when a biting wind starts to blow (in Italy it would be 6 in the morning!) and we've been on our feet since 4!! Not bad for the first day.
By bike towards Sausalito
Day 218 Jun 2007
Monday 18 June, San Francisco
The sky is clear, the temperature pleasant: an ideal day in view of today's intense programme. First stop at Nob Hill, where we visit the imposing Grace Cathedral, built on the model of Notre-Dame de Paris. We hop onto a Cable Car and reach China Town, the most characteristic neighbourhood of the city, to be visited very calmly, entering the various temples, the typical shops and the more touristy ones, and savouring the ethnic atmosphere of the various little streets. At the end, we reach Blazing Saddles where we rent bikes ($25) for one of the most beautiful excursions: crossing the Golden Gate to Sausalito, from where we then return by ferry ($8.50). The bike path is very pleasant, with splendid views of the city and the bridge. After a stop at the Exploratorium, we continue to Fort Point, where the clear sky suddenly turns into a fog that surrounds the whole Golden Gate.
The climb up to the bridge is rather tiring but the views are splendid, as are the feelings you get from crossing the legendary orange bridge. The wind is very strong and freezing, but as if by magic, once we reach the opposite side, the fog disappears to make way for a beautiful warm sun and a magnificent view over the bay. The long descent to Sausalito is decidedly more pleasant than the climb and the little town appears as an oasis of peace where you can pleasantly spend a couple of hours. We take the ferry to return to San Francisco, admiring the fog that seems to swallow up the Golden Gate and Sausalito, truly evocative, as is the Financial Center seen from the sea.
In the evening we go to dinner at Original Joe's, a refined Italian restaurant but with not prohibitive prices, from first courses from our homeland to the classic main courses including scallopine, salmon or ribeye in perfect American style. Dishes between 10 and 17 dollars.
Financial Center
Day 319 Jun 2007
Tuesday 19 June, San Francisco
In the morning it threatens fog, rather chilly, but within a couple of hours out shines the sun for a very pleasant day. First stop the Civic Center where we enter the City Hall, truly elegant. We continue to Golden Gate Park, where we visit the enchanting Japanese Garden. Heading back towards the centre, we first stop at Haight Ashbury, splendid streets with Victorian houses and eccentric shops, then at Alamo Square, one of the most beautiful corners of the city, a delightful balcony over the bay and the skyscrapers that form the backdrop to the "Seven Sisters", a row of Victorian houses with snow-white facades surrounded by a quiet park.
Back on Market St, we queue for about twenty minutes to take the Cable Car on the PH line, one of the most evocative routes, a continuous up and down along the very steep streets, as far as Lombard St, the most winding street in the world which we walk down on foot. We are close to Fisherman Wharf, where you can admire a colony of sea lions occupying a pier. Last stop a walk in Castro, where the city's gay community resides.
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