Day 19 : San Francisco - Day 2 : Fortune Cookies, Sourdough Bread and Tony Bennett

We spent part of Days 1 and Day 2 doing some sightseeing. It's actually been a dozen years since we were downtown and had the chance to walk around. Sadly, whatever you read in the news about the homeless issue is true. There are many more folks struggling (not just in the tourist areas) and many more shuttered-up storefronts. Even the high-volume areas like Fisherman Wharf are looking distinctly run-down and tatty (English - worn, frayed, shabby). 

Despite that, we got to see a few sights and get out and about. Here are a few of the highlights.

Tony Bennett - who left his heart in San Francisco, actually has a statue outside the Fairmount. Had to grab a shot. On the more cultural side, The Fairmount is where the original United Nations got its start, and the UN was going to have an HQ in SF. Then those cranky Europeans complained about how far they'd have to travel, so everyone settled on New York City as a compromise. 






Chinatown. There are close to a dozen "Chinatowns" in the city. Over 25% of the 900,000 population are Chinese, and over 1/3 are Asian. There is a lot of history, not all good, about the Chinese laborers imported in the 1800s. One fun side trip was visiting the Chinese Fortune Cookie Factory. The Fortune Cookie was allegedly invented by a Japanese Maitre D' in a SF restaurant. Some local restauranteurs borrowed and then patented the idea - and an industry was born. 


The morning walk was to find a bank ATM, CVS (again), and a bit more tourism. After Ghirardelli Square, the stop at Boudin's was interesting; it's the home of the sourdough bread industry and smells absolutely amazing. Better than the chocolate. Just had to buy one round loaf to bring onto the ship with us. 



Tonight, we sail out at 7 pm, back under the Golden Gate Bridge, and head all the way to Hawaii. Our first stop is Hawiliwili, Kauai, and it will take us five full days to get there. This segment, from San Francisco to Papeete, Tahiti has the most sea days - nine - and is the only segment that is not sold out. Personally, I do love the quiet sea days, and they give me a chance to play some games, read, write, and generally hang out with new friends. 

Next sea day blog entry, we'll talk about our lunch options on board the ship, and also about gym snobs.

Comments

  1. AnonymousJanuary 25, 2024 at 11:24 PM

    Fabulous posts, John! Too Bad you may miss being in Asia on CNY! but maybe still during the extended holiday. Gong Xi Fa Cai and a happy and prosperous Year of the Dragon ahead! (Anonymous cause I can't figure out any other way to post) - Chris Daly

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