Sights seen (1) Haight Ashbury: There's now a Ben & Jerry's and a Gap on the legendary street corner in this 60s throwback district. Thankfully the rest of the district is less commercialised, but it's still more hip than hippy. A potent mixture of alternative outlets, the whole area feels like Camden High Street done properly. Best shop names: Squat & Gobble (creperie), Off The Wall (alternative art gallery), Pipe Dreams (drugstore <ahem>). Sights seen (2) Coit Tower: High on Telegraph Hill stands a tall tower in the shape of a hospeipe. The tower was built in 1933 at the bequest of Lillie Hitchcock Coit (rescued from a burning hotel at the age of 8, she became the adored mascot of the local fire service). There's a great view from the top across the city and the bay (or else there's a great view of the fog - thankfully not today). A flock of raucous green and red parakeets rule the sky beneath the tower, soaring high above the exclusive homes lining steep wooden walkways down the sides of the hill. Fog index: The fog clung to the top of Twin Peaks all day, then rolled gently across parts of the city during the late afternoon, narrowly missing the sunshine where I was. I'm told I've arrived just in time for the first foggy day of the season. Jetlag quotient: Mild yawning around 4am 8pm. Seismic activity: still nil. Contours ascended: Lots. i) Walked up Corona Heights while the sun was still glorious (see photo taken on last year's trip here). ii) Walked up the steepest street in the city (Filbert Street, 1 in 3). iii) Walked up Buena Vista Park - a beautiful woody hill seething with huge dogs. There were so many dogs scampering around that it felt as if everyone in San Francisco must own one (or maybe it's only dog owners that go for walks). You can always spot a dog owner emerging from the undergrowth because they have a leash dangling in one hand and a plastic bag full of pooper scoopings in the other. Number of photos taken: 43
golden gate geezer (day 2)
