San Francisco, Day Seven: Wednesday, November 16, 2016

Our final full day in San Francisco, and we had two neighbourhoods that we still really wanted to check out: the Mission and Castro districts. So off we went to explore what turned out to be two of the most vibrant areas of the city that we'd experienced during the trip. 

Located in east-central San Francisco, the Mission exudes a wonderfully colourful feel, and the culture that the Spanish missionaries who came to the area in the late 18th century brought with them infuses this neighbourhood and its architecture, shops and restaurants with a distinctly Latino flare. The Mission San Francisco de Asis, or Mission Delores, includes a beautiful basilica which initially overshadows the original adobe mission building. The mission (the smaller adobe building on the left) is, according to Wikipedia, the oldest surviving structure in San Francisco, while the basilica was completed in 1918.

 

 

The colour continued to spill forth as we reached Clarion Alley and its famed Mural Project. Spanning the length of one block between 17th and 18th and Mission and Valencia Streets, the Clarion Alley Mural Project is an artists' collective and highlights not only great talent and creativity, but also gives voice to social and political issues on the minds of its artists.

This air of social activism not only permeated Clarion Alley, but the neighbourhood in general, and reached its pinnacle as we witnessed a peaceful demonstration in the form of hundreds of people - men, women and many children - marching in a political protest. The march was completely orderly and exuded messages of love, peace and understanding. I felt surrounded by kindred spirits, and while I supported them from afar, there was a part of me that wished I'd followed my heart to join them in their march.

And just to make me feel even more at home, look at who I saw peeking out at me from behind a shelf of books in a great little bookstore that we visited!

Following are just a few more shots that capture some of the colour and vibrancy of the Mission District.

Walking just a few blocks we made our way to the Castro district, passing some more beautiful painted ladies along the way. "The Castro was one of the first gay neighbourhoods in the United States . . . (and) remains one of the most prominent symbols of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) activism and events in the world," states Wikepedia. The vibe in this area is one of openness and acceptance, and of course, colour and passion! I absolutely loved the rainbow flag colour pedestrian crosswalks and banners strung up from the light standards. Those flags say to me, "All are welcome! Be proud to be your truest self!" We saw the famous movie palace, the Castro Theatre, and Harvey Milk Plaza, named after the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California.

We took a wonderful time out at Thorough Bread and Pastry, a fantastic French bakery and cafe where we could watch the bakers kneading dough while we enjoyed our lattes and pastries. Mmmmm!

Heading back towards Union Square, we jumped off the streetcar we were riding in order to see San Francisco's City Hall in the city's Civic Centre, a grand space which boasts numerous impressive structures, including the headquarters of the Supreme Court of California, the Asian Art Museum, and the Davies Symphony Hall, to name but a few. City Hall features a dome that is taller than that of the U.S. Capitol Building, and the building's interior is a lovely backdrop to continuously revolving groups of wedding parties having their photos taken. The sad reality of homelessness, so tragically common in large urban centres, was largely apparent in San Francisco, and was particularly highlighted on the lawns stretching out before City Hall. We saw a great many homeless people curled up asleep on the grass, and we could only hope that the institutions surrounding this space are housing minds and hearts working on ways to help solve this dilemma.

We wrapped up our final afternoon and evening in San Francisco with a walk through some of the Financial District and China Town, and enjoyed Italian for dinner in North Beach. 

Our trip to California was fantastic, and while I very much missed my family back home, I so loved sharing this time together with Mom. This for me is so much of what I wanted this year to be about: relationships. I feel beyond fortunate for this time and these opportunities.

H and I are heading off to New York City later this week, and I'm so excited to spend this special time with her for our birthdays. While I have been to NYC several times before, this will be her first visit, and I'm so looking forward to sharing some of my favourite spots while discovering many new ones with her. I hope you enjoy this wonderful time of year with your loved ones as the festive season gets underway, and I will share some of the details of our trip upon my return.

My wonders: Have you ever been to New York City? If so, do you have any special tips or favourite spots to recommend as we head off to the Big Apple?