I have not really gone downtown San Francisco in a very long time. I figure that living close to Serramonte and Tanforan shopping centers I can do all the shopping on the Peninsula. And there are several good restaurants there, too. Today I acutually took a Muni bus, the 14 Mission and showed my Spanish guest downtown. He was not impressed with Muni; too many stops! We got off at 5th and Mission and proceeded towards Market Street and I felt like a child in a theme park. The streets were crowded, of course, and there were lines to board our National Landmarks that move...the cable cars. Tourists, locals, workers, etc made today's experience a wonderful one. The weather was spectacular. Sunny and somewhat warm and occasionally a cool breeze. We walked up to Union Square, which was being readied for some gastronomic event. The St. Francis hotel was flying the flag of El Salvador, next to our flag. Lots of memories of childhood and Union Square, remembering the hundreds of pigeons that flocked the benches and walkways. Neiman-Marcus was stunning as always. But my favorite part is the beautiful stained glass roof, a remnant from a by-gone era- the old City of Paris department store. Speaking of remnants, we proceeded to the Westfield Mall in the old Emporium building. Such memories of that place, too. The bargain basement, which we could afford. The center is huge, housing lots of high priced boutiques and shops, such as Bloomingdale's and Nordstroms. A Japanese tourist headed towards my friend inquiring where Powell Street was. My friend was speechless as I told the young man were to go. He was actually about a block away. I suppose when you have a camera in hand, you are not a local! So, my friend was anxious to resolve a financial problem- he had some traveler's cheques (remember those?) and wanted to see if they were still valid. We proceeded towards the Financial District; Bank of America and went to the Foreign Currency window. Long story short, problem was resolved. We proceeded down California Street towards the Embarcadero. We stopped at Vaillencourt Fountain. I must admit I have only seen it in postcards or driven by. Today I got up close and personal; felt a cool mist and enjoyed the fountain along with everyone else. Crossing the wide boulevard we headed towards the Ferry Building and again I was surprised. Such hustle and bustle. We had a delicious lunch, Chinese chicken salad and shared a table with two wonderfully and chatty Fijian women and their gringo pal. Walking through the Ferry Building's food court was great- the smells of international and local cuisines, coffees and desserts. Yummy! We proceeded to see the view from a pier. Lo and behold, a former student of mine, Maude Wilson, hugged and shocked me. She works in a building across the street from the pier and she was taking full advantage of the awesome weather. The picture opportunities were wonderful from this vantage point. Soon it was time to come home. We boarded BART and in 15 minutes we reached our destination, Balboa Park Station. My friend's only negative comment regarding BART is that the stations were not announced. I know they used to, but I agree. Especially for visitors who don't know what stations are approaching. Needless to say, it was a wonderful day to rediscover my hometown. Sure it has its problems like any other major metropolis, but it is home. If you read this and have never been to San Francisco, make it a point to visit. If you are from the San Francisco Bay Area, make it a point to re-acquaint yourself with this beautiful city. A world class city, a city I am proud to call home! Go 9ers! Go Giants!San Francisco, open your Golden Gate, you let no stranger wait outside your door...
