San Francisco - an actual city

I tried several times to plan a trip to the US west coast, that will include SF and I never succeeded from different reasons: I didn't know the city, I had no travel buddy, and I never had enough time.

However, this summer, Antoine – a French friend who I’ve met in Hawai`i – decided to ditch a PhD program in order to backpack on the west coast of South America from Baja to Chile and Brazil, for about six months or... until his money will run out. His trip started in California, and on the days that he passed through San Francisco I decided to catch a plane and join him. I was excited about this trip and extremely animated. Absolutely everybody that I've met and have lived or traveled there loved the architecture, the people, the culture, the cleanness, the shopping experience... So much that, a couple who stays regularly at our hotel even emailed me a walking tour of the city.

The trip started great, because I flew Virgin America which is by far one of the most fun airlines: the seats are purple, the cabin is illuminated by black disco lights, the headphones are pink and supra-dimensioned, and the safety video is for sure one of the lasts that impressed me and made me laugh in a long time (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eyygn8HFTCo).

Arrived in SFO (San Francisco International Airport) I already felt that the people who live in this city are more educated academically, as well as culturally compared to the average American, due to the exhibits displayed in the public areas, to the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) technology, and the cleanness of the place which yes! is rare here, too. As soon as I've got into town, I met my buddy and started to explore. SF is known to have one of the best mass transits in US, therefore we took advantage of it, even though a ticket offers only one transfer. On the other side, SF is a city that deserves to be walked, so you need comfortable shoes and legs ready to climb all those hills and stairs.

First stop took place at Pier 39, famous for its sightseeing, and for the sea lions that started to arrive at the docks to sunbath after the massive 1989 earthquake, which measured 7.1 degrees on Richter scale.

Along with the romanticism of the fishermen's buildings and typical cuisine, from Pier 39 can be admired the on-shore – on-water play of the sea lions, Alcatraz island, the Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge and the skyline of the financial district.

Alcatraz, is as accessible as in the past, because tickets sell out weeks in advance especially during the summer, and of course I went there unprepared.

The Bay Bridge is "the other" bridge which crosses the bay linking the SF with Oakland. Part of interstate 80, the double-decked bridge was built between 1933-1936, has a total of 10 lanes, a length of 2822m, and a traffic of approximate 270,000 vehicles per day which makes it one of the most busiest bridges in the world.

Golden Gate on the other side was the attraction of the day and the target of our very looong walking trip – there are 7km from Pier 39 to Golden Gate Bridge. Well, that wasn't the worst thing. In Mark Twain's words "the coldest winter I ever lived, was a summer in San Francisco". Sunny California does not necessarily describe the Bay Area. In August there were 15˚C, so our trip was garnished with sun and clouds, short sweats and brief coldness, which resulted in a red face and afferent repercussions.

On our way, we first deviated trough Fisherman’s Wharf where old ships can be seen and the famous clam-chowders in sour bread bowls can be eaten at its best. Then, on Marina Blvd we looked at houses that have over-dimensioned windows, pale colors paint, and beautiful views overseeing the Bay. What made me smile was not the fact that these residents have the fortune of waking up to such views every morning, nor that they had the (miss)inspiration of painting their houses as a newborn's bedroom, but the fact that absolutely all houses have a room, on the street side, with an enormous window that has no curtains or shades. If in the middle of the day I could see their undone beds and furniture, can help but wonder what can be "admired" early in the morning or in the evening before bedtime!?

I left behind my puritan thoughts, and stopped at the next attraction – the Palace of Fine Arts – an open theater built on ancient Greek and Roman architectural style. This is one of the few buildings that escape demolition after the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition which celebrated the opening of the Panama Canal. The theater impresses with its architecture totally different from the rest of the city, with the romanticism of the time passed from the turn of the century, and with the history of this place. Next objective was of course the Golden Gate Bridge, who attracts thousands of tourists every year, but which from a short distance didn't impress me that much... However, I saw pictures; pictures of the bridge among heavy clouds of fog, typical to the Bay Area which look magical. Our day was clear and we could admire it in its fullness.

Back to the downtown we got a chance to visit SF MOMA – the West Coast sister of the Museum of Modern Art from New York. Every first Tuesday of the month it can be visited for free. Well, if the trip doesn't take place in that specific day, the museum lobby, shop and café are always open to the public. Across the street from SF MOMA we found the Yerba Buena Park. It doesn't have impressive dimensions, but it brings a breath of fresh air in a city drown in concrete, on the grass, under a tree, or in the fountains where I use to cool my feet. Next on the list was Transamerica – built in a pyramid shape in the financial district, the building dominates the whole city. Unfortunately it cannot be visited due to the 9/11 events, but it still remains a symbol and the tallest skyscraper in San Francisco.

Disappointed that we couldn't admire the view of the city from the top of Transamerica, we decided to climb one more hill, fairly steep, to reach the Coit Tower – the one which for many years, with its 64m, held the title of the tallest building in SF. The tower was built on the Telegraph Hill, in Art Deco style, in 1933, at the wish of some Lillie Hitchcock Coit, who donated a third of her estate to the preservation of the beauty of her beloved city. From its base can be seen the incredible panorama of the San Francisco Bay, including Golden Gate Bridge, the Marine National Museum Park, Alcatraz, Pier 39, Fisherman’s Wharf, Angel Island, Treasure Island, Bay Bridge, the city of Berkley and the financial district. Inside, the New Deal inspired mural which hides some surprising socialist details can be admired.

Going down the hill, somehow we ended up in China Town – first established in US. The crowd’s dynamic is exhausting at any hour of day, but the Asian fruits explosions of aromas and tastes worth the effort... From this point you can catch one of the buses that run on Stockholm Street and therefore headed towards downtown, after passing through the Chinese neighborhood, the Italian neighborhood, and the Russian neighborhood...

We got off on one of the streets that have the famous cable car - the symbol of SF – and with twinkles in our eyes we jumped in the first wagon that stopped at the corner of the street, in the same way they show it in the movies. We took it just for one stop, only to jump in another one which took us to Union Square. Later on we heard a driver charging a $5 fare.

Union Square, along with other symbols of San Francisco contributes to the metropolitan status. The square has the majesty of all great American cities, with its high, modern skyscrapers, but also with its massive, historical buildings that host now hotels, theaters, and especially shopping centers or department stores. Union Square in San Francisco rivals only Vegas on the number of luxury American, as well as European and Asian brands. Because of this place, SF can be named the Milan of the West Coast. The list includes: Macy's, Bloomingdale's, Barneys New York, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Dior, Chanel, Dolce & Gabbana, Burberry, Prada, Armani, Boucheron, Hugo Boss, Tiffany & Co., Piaget, De Beers, Bulgari, Polo Ralph Lauren, Lacoste, Salvatore Ferragamo, Cartier, Bijan, Marc Jacobs, Hermès, Ermenegildo Zegna, Old Navy, Forever 21, Anthropologie, Apple Store, United Colors of Benetton, Urban Outfitters, Abercrombie & Fitch, Gap, American Eagle Outfitters, H&M, Zara, MNG by Mango, Kenneth Cole New York, Guess, Juicy Couture, Tumi, BCBG Max Azria, Banana Republic, Coach … uff!

Ah… Christmas will look very well!