We had an early start for sightseeing of San Francisco and today I had a young Lebanese lady sit next to me, she was having a holiday with her parents before getting married in the summer in Beirut. Our first stop was Stanford University Located in NW Silicon Valley, this famous research institution is not just one of the best schools in the United States, but one of the top universities in the world. I was not very impressed here after seeing English Universities and our next stop was The Golden Gate Bridge.

 
 The Iconic Golden Gate Bridge
 
  Before approaching the bridge there are few viewpoints you can visit and take photos of the bridge. The guide told us that San Francisco is usually foggy due to the mixture of moisture & cold air, so there are only 60 days a year ( of course it could be much more than 60 days, I am only quoting what the guide told me ) when you can see the whole bridge, otherwise you can only partially see the bridge in the fog. We were lucky, the fog cleared as we approached the bridge, so it was time to take the pictures.

  I became the unofficial photographer of the couples/ people in my tour, I did not mind as it is good to make people happy. San Francisco is not complete without crossing the picturesque Golden Gate Bridge so I walked about half way, bracing the wind and the noisy traffic. Two of the couples saw me walking and followed me, of course I took their pictures on the bridge. It was worth walking as the views from the bridge were great with its brilliant architecture. I would have never thought that a bridge could be special, well bridge is a just a bridge but this bridge has the air of romance and charm due to the colour and design. 

 

          The Palace of Fine Arts 
 
 The Palace of Fine Arts is a marvellous structure originally constructed for the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition. If you enjoy architecture do not miss this icon of the area, It was rebuilt in 1965. The renovation of the lagoon and a seismic retrofit were completed in early 2009. It is tranquil place for the pictures and picnics surrounded by architecture, quiet neighbourhood even though there were crowds of people. It was like being back in Roman times and the weeping ladies are Majestic. There is picturesque lake which is home to beautiful swans, I really enjoyed my visit there. 
 
 

      Lombard St – The Windy Street 

Lombard St is on a very steep slope and the top of the Lombard St is where it is windy with 8 sharp hairpin turns in one single block, all going down a very steep hill. There are houses built on the sides, with beautiful manicured front yards. You can drive your vehicle down the zig zag..
The bus stopped at bottom of the street and we walked up the very steep Lombard St, the views of the city were really great from the top... It was interesting to watch the cars and bikes make the narrow corners turns down this hill, though I started to feel sorry for people living there, with all the tourists visiting the street all the time. The views of the city coming down were good as well.


  
 Fisherman`s Wharf 
 
 I was very hungry so I went in search for a Mexican restaurant at Fisherman`s wharf and I found one just 3 streets away, It also gave me chance to see the town. I ordered a Burrito and out came the biggest Burrito, I have ever seen with also rice on the side. I could not finish the Burrito, let alone the rice, the food was enough for two people and the lady serving me also gave me chips to take away for my boat cruise. It was nice restaurant, the food was reasonable and tasty, the staff were eager to please. I explored around the pier and got on the boat cruise. It was nice way of seeing San Francisco, the bridges and Angel island which was home to Alcatraz prison but in the end it got bit boring so I took time to sort out my pictures. 

 

Then we went to Cliff house and I walked on the trail but I had to return back soon as we did not have sufficient time there. The views were great and I enjoyed the walk. This was one place; I wish we had more time there.
 

Twin Towers with Birds Eye View

Our next stop was Twin Peaks and drive up there was fun on the bendy paths. The Birds eye views of San Francisco from the top were fantastic even with the fog. It was very windy and cold there, the place would look beautiful at night.  
 


 
We then went to St Mary`s Church which looked very modern from outside, It was really nice inside and I loved the organ there. We stopped briefly at the City Hall which has the fifth biggest dome in the world and we also passed the Gay bar. 

Our last stop of the day was at China Town, I explored the area with restaurants, Gift shops and even walked up to the market street where they were selling the fruit at reduced price as it was almost closing time. I bought lots of fruit, bread rolls and pastries for next day`s breakfast. It was really lovely long day, we saw a lot of San Francisco highlights so it was time to rest in the hotel. The Maid had cleaned my room which was nice, the bathroom was bit run down but the shower was good so after packing, I hit the bed.