Brett’s Travelblog of Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, China and The USA

17/01/2006

So this update is rather  later but guess better late than not at all….

So we were all lucky enough to be given free accommodation by some of Cathy’s friends in the very cool area and slightly amusingly named Nob Hill.

   This is the night view from the roof of Cristina’s apartment.

 

San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge

  Sea Lions living at Pier 39

  Cathy, Nick and I about to mountain bike the Golden Gate Bridge and down to the town of Sausalito.

 

The Golden Gate Bridge ( not very Golden me thinks, more rustic )

 

Lombard Street is San Francisco– and America’s crookedest street.  What does this mean?  The steep, hilly street was created with sharp curves to switchback down the one-way hill past beautiful Victorian mansions.  The street is paved with bricks and is an amazing site to see as demonstrated by the photos below.

If not for the byzantine curves, easing out this treacherous slope, people would be killed rolling down. For an idea of how steep this street really is, go two blocks up, to Filbert Street and peer down over the ridge. Lombard is even steeper.

Some of the classiest and most expensive Real Estate in the city, exists on Lombard Street. This Russian Hill neighborhood, somehow possesses stately mansions, condos and townhouses, even with the endless array of tourists pouring down the street every day. In the spring and through the entire summer, Lombard Street is alive with color, as the chrysanthemums, and other well tended flowers are in full bloom.

Alcatraz was used as a federal maximum security prison from 1934 until 1963, when it was closed due to high costs and security issues. Allowing tourists to visit Alcatraz has proven far more popular and much more profitable.

Other places we visited include Union Square and drinking on Union Street, eating in China town.

 

Its a great city and was amazed how small it seemed compared to cities like New York, always thought it was going to be alot bigger

 

Tags: Alcatraz, San Francisco, Travel, Union Street

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