| There are lots of things
to see when you step off the ferry but this statue immediately opposite the
ferry building was the first of many art pieces to catch our eye. |  |
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They believe in urban transport in San Francisco. They just aren't sure what
type. So we have the biggest collection of varieties of system we have seen
anywhere. This is an electric tram which runs on rails. |
| Next is one of the famous
cable cars. These go up the steep hills through Chinatown pulled by steel
cables hidden in the road. They are very old but a real tourist attraction. |  |
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Somewhat newer is the trolley bus, electrically powered using overhead wires
but ordinary road wheels. I'm pleased to see my old friends the Muppets
still going strong. |
| A slightly newer version
of the tram. They have been collected from all over the US as other systems
have closed down. One thinks of California as rich but they are old
skinflints really. |  |
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The business district architecture is very impressive with huge skyscrapers
in metal and glass. Most of the glass is tinted and treated to reduce solar
gain. |
| It looks like a knife
edge on the outside. This must be an interesting building inside especially
in a gale. And I don't even want to think about an earthquake. |  |
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This is perhaps the most striking and futuristic building on the skyline. It
goes with most of the other art in the city. After all this was the place to
be in the 60s when many of these were conceived. |
| But there are older
buildings which are just as impressive. Many public buildings in the US date
from the 30s and have their own distinctive style and Art Deco interiors. |  |
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There are small architectural touches like this clock, but you have to look
for them (upwards mostly!). |
| Another stylish mid
century building. San Francisco is an unusual city with some major highways
not following the square grid pattern. It makes for some interesting
building shapes. |  |
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Not all buildings are architecturally interesting. Some just have the
artwork as with this mural covering the 2nd to 4th floors. You can barely
see the windows. You have to just ignore the trolley wires. |
| You can eat any style you
want in San Francisco, one of the most cosmopolitan cities on the planet.
I'm not sure about this one..... |  |
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The rocks climb very steeply from the shore. This was the view from the top
of one of the alleyways. (You park your car at the bottom!) The houses
aren't remarkable but I suspect they fetch good prices - two minutes walk
from the city centre! |
| Another view of the
centrepiece of the business district better showing its distinctive shape. |  |
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Houses built into the side of the rocks - with extensive Bay views - any
offers? |
| One of the major
attractions in the Bay is Alcatraz - an unescapable prison (despite Steve
McQueen). Now it's a major tourist attraction with significant queues for
the ferries to get there. |  |
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A WWII submarine moored on the waterfront which you can visit. USS Pampanito
is a 311ft long BALAO submarine which had a crew of 80. |
| Behind it is the Liberty
ship Jeremiah O'Brien. These ships were built by the thousands by 'Rosie the
welder', eventually only taking 60 days to complete. |  |
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There is street entertainment of every sort - although this was one of the
more imaginative and fascinating to his audience. |
| Many of the more
traditional musicians are very good and play a wide variety of styles. This
guy was pretty cool (especially the whiskers!). |  |
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The place to have a party in San Francisco - the whole paddle steamer can be
rented. |
| OK so someone has a sense
of humour! |  |
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