SF Day 1 - Sep 12

We were a lil worn out from the early morning flight and the plane ride so we didnt really do much on the first day except to check into the hostel, unpack our stuff, do laundry, and collapsed into bed.

SF Day 2 - Sep 13

Where oh where do i begin? To tell the story of how great a love can be? Of my favourite city in the world. 3 times there and not sick of it still. The Golden Gate Bridge, the steep running hills, the crookedest street in the world, the land of the Ghirardelli chocolates, the mardi gras parade... I would go back there anytime anyday if I had a choice.

And so, we decided to have a very leisurely tour of the city. Stopping in at an Italian cafe for afternoon espresso while walking to Fisherman's Wharf/Pier 39. WHICH isn't really far away from our hostel la. Though it's like about a half hour walk haha.



People just lazing on the field outside of St Peter and Paul church, some
having a picnic, some reading a book, some just sun-tanning, some walking dogs. The pace of life is like so laid back and chill it screams my name. Haha. Best place for retirement.

Anyways after lunch at Fisherman's Wharf, we walked down a few blocks to Ghirardelli Square, which really is the headquarters of the Ghirardelli Chocolate Company.

And all the girls say...Zap me there.


Like how Pat Yap did herself. And so, we ate (AGAIN). Ice-cream, chocolate bars, hot chocolate, coffee. What's not to order? That would be so unlike us. I think we thrive on the endomorphines that the desserts inject into our system and then go into some kind of PMS withdrawal without it. Like seriously. We'll bicker and all from the lack of sweet stuff but come chocolates and cakes, we juz get too busy stuffing our faces and making peace comes just about naturally.

We took a leisurely walk back to the hostel from Fisherman's Wharf after the lunch AND dessert at Ghirardelli. Ended up at Lombard St between Hyde and Leavenworth, the famed street with its twists and turns. I think it's like the most crookedest street in the US of A (besides Wall Street of course =P) Anyway it isnt really clear from the picture but the houses, walkways and gardens are really old century quaint looking.

Even the houses one street away from Lombard was so nice that we couldnt resist taking a photo in front of it. Again, not really obvious from the picture.

But seriously one apartment alone would typically look like a small little high quality inn, that is to say, sub-countryside hotel standard.

SF Day 3 - Sep 14

We did some sightseeing on this day. Took a ferry from Pier 33 across to Alcatraz island, which was formerly a federal prison holding famous convicts like Al Capone. The former prison has zero records of any successful escapes (probably because of its distance away from the Bay area is enough to kill the strongest swimmer + the cold and strong waves) Anyway now the island is listed as a National Historic Landmark and it's just next to the Golden Gate Bridge. It was really freezing cold the day we were at Alcatraz. Mr Sun wasn't doing much of a help because the wind was really damn strong I swear I thought I lost my footing while walking.

The only photo for the day. Ms Yap behind bars in what was actually Al Capone's cell before.

As the days go by, we kind of took lesser and lesser photos. Think there is like a limit to our camera-whoring, i mean, there's only SO MUCH we can take...

SF Day 4 - Sep 15

You gotta go on a wine tour, or at least visit a winery when u'r in California since 90% of America's wine production comes from the region. Wine production's come a long way now in the sunny state - having survived Prohibition in the 1920's, undergone the wine revolution of labelling wines by varietal (Riesling, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, etc) rather than regions (Burgundy, Alsace, etc), and also the San Francisco earthquake.

Therefore Miss Patricia Yap and I had the honour of embarking on one of these wine-tasting-but-really-entertainment-for-the-retired-in-disguise tours. We were the youngest and only Asian lot in the tour, which was only about like a handful, perhaps say 20 grandpas, grandmas, daddies and mummies.

The bus took us to the other side of the San Francisco Bay Area and we alighted so that we could take nice pictures of the San Francisco Bay horizon.

Taken at the 1st winery we stopped in Napa Valley. The Madonna Estate vineyard - Mont St John Inc Cellars. First stop and we've already bought a bottle of wine. The Muscat Canelli was so super refreshingly fruity and sweet we just had to chug it back.

As usual, I turned lobster red from a mere half glass of wine. It's the hypersensitive liver (or kidney) working in overdrive mode. Is there a cure? I hate it when ppl think I'm like some teetering drunkard even though I've ONLY just drunk a few drops of alcohol.

We picked up a few wine-tasting tips. Like checking the cork to see if air's gone into the bottle, checking the wine in the glass for clarity, swirling it to release its aroma, sniffing it, assessing its acidity, body and finish, yadda yadda... Twas indeed very interesting.

The bunch of tiny lil wine grapes are really so super sweet it almost gave me a toothache.

We so didnt get it.

So at the end of the wine tour, I must have drunk like 15 different wines and in conclusion, white wines suit my palate better than the reds. Especially good if they're of the sweet types like the Muscat Canelli that we bought, or riesling, or zinfandels.

SF Day 5 - Sep 16

We went to walk around town one last time since it was our last day in the city.

Did some last minute shopping as usual at Old Navy, Forever 21, Gap and Ross Departmental Store.

And look what I caught on camera - some random band just busking along the roadside in the cold. Kewl. I just love it - how everything seems so spontaneously laidback and shoes-off atmos.

So there, my favourite city in the world. Bid you adieu, so long now, till we meet again.