San Francisco, Day Two: Friday, November 11, 2016

Our second day in San Francisco began with a walk through Chinatown, centred on Grant Avenue and Stockton Street. This vibrant neighbourhood truly made me feel as though I'd been transported across the ocean, the culture and language rolling over and around us as we passed shop fronts, restaurants and the people who live in this area. According to Wikipedia, this neighbourhood is "the oldest Chinatown in North America and the largest Chinese community outside Asia." On this morning we were merely doing a walk through on our way to further explorations, but we returned to explore it further later on.

Being largely lead by our stomachs which were in search of breakfast at this point, we came to Washington Square, over which the beautiful Saints Peter and Paul Church presides. The lovely square with its mature trees and rolling lawns spread out in front of the church offers the perfect setting for playing children, strolling couples, and pracitising Tai Chi groups.

Tai Chi practitioners in front of Saints Peter and Paul Church.

 Coit Tower as seen from Washington Square.

Seeing us checking the maps on our phones and looking around to get our bearings, a man approached us and asked if we needed help. Telling him we were in search of a breakfast spot, he immediately told us to go to 'Mo's', and proceeded to tell us exactly how to get there. And it was this brand of kindness that I remember most about San Francisco when I reflect upon our stay there. For this was not a solitary occurrence. This was the kind of thing that kept happening to us, time and again. People who were obviously on their way to conduct their own affairs during their own busy lives would see us studying a bus map, pondering a sign, simply stopped in the middle of the sidewalk looking perplexed, or even stumbling up a curb, and offer, of their own accord, to help us with genuine care. They gave us directions, told us which bus numbers would get us to our destination, even walked us to a bus stop so that we could better see the map and how to proceed. Some chatted with us at length about their own lives and families. Several shook their heads while commenting upon the deplorable state of the nation's political situation, and we never failed to tell these kind souls that they were welcome in Canada :).

'Mo's' on Grant Avenue in North Beach.

Rolling streets and hills of San Francisco.

Now that our stomachs were full, we were ready to get to our next destination: Coit Tower. Standing at the top of Telegraph Hill in Pioneer Park, the tower is also named the Lillian Coit Memorial Tower after the woman who left a portion of her estate to the city for civic beautification. The inside walls of the ground floor rotunda are bedecked in murals depicting segments of San Francisco's history through agricultural, industrial, social and financial lenses, to name a few. And from the tower's top, we were treated to incredible 360 degree panoramic views of the entire city and bay.

Lombard Street, "the crookedest street in the world", as seen from Coit Tower.

The Transamerica Building.

The Golden Gate Bridge and Bay as seen from Coit Tower.

We headed towards the Wharf and Pier 39 after enjoying these lofty views. Along our way, we saw a "safe surrender site" sign on a fire department's door. I've since learned more about this program. The safe-haven laws are, according to Wikipedia, "statutes in the United States that decriminalize the leaving of unharmed infants with statutorily designated private persons so that the child becomes a ward of the state." My Mom's and my mood changed noticeably after seeing this sign. While certainly an incredibly important program, my heart ached thinking of the parents who might surrender their babies at that very spot, and all of the factors in a life that might lead them to that moment. I felt that mixture of sadness, hope, and utter gratitude that tends to overwhelm me at such times.

A San Francisco fire department offering a "safe surrender site".

At the waterfront, we found both another San Francisco heart, and the famous sea lions of Pier 39. Their barking song brought smiles to our faces, as the memory of them still does today. We were also able to see Alcatraz Island from the shore, the federal prison made famous in countless movies.

Pier 39
 

The sea lions of Pier 39.



Alcatraz



Mom and me with Alcatraz Island in the background.

 

After walking through the ultra-touristy shopping area at Pier 39, we left the wharf and strolled through North Beach, eventually landing at a great little cafe for cappuccino, biscotti, and good conversation. 





And then we stumbled upon the gem of gems, City Lights Bookstore & Publishers! I'd been hoping to be able to spend some time in the independent store, founded in 1953, and spend some time we did (thankfully my Mom enjoys bookstores as well, and indulges my obsession happily enough). We steeped in the wonderful smell of papyrus on all three floors, and came away with some treasures as well (you can expect a future 'Worthy Reads' post as a result).





All-a-blur as we ride the cable car.

After a little break back at our hotel, we headed back out through some of the neighbourhoods we'd walked through earlier, but now we experienced them by moonlight. Chinatown was one such area, and we had so much fun exporing many of the shops along the way, finding countless curiosities as we did. We continued on back to North Beach where we'd spotted some great Italian restaurants in the afternoon. We chose 'Calzone's', where we were able to sit outside at a fantastic sidewalk table, enjoying delicious food while watching the world go by before us. The perfect ending to a wonderful day, indeed!

Dining outside at 'Calzone's'.

Please stay tuned for details of our third day, which saw us leaving San Francisco to travel south along the breathtaking coast.
The weekend ahead is a busy one for us, so my next post may be a few days' wait away. Thanks, as always, for reading!

My wonders: Coit Tower in San Francisco provides an increadible panoramic view of the city, and I was reminded of being at the top of Hallgrimskirkja this summer and enjoying the sights of Reykjavik from on high. What buildings or towers have you enjoyed some of the loftiest views from?