SAN FRANCISCO HERE WE COME

Some may figure I have an unhealthy fascination for toilets since I've blogged about toilets and toilet paper and toilets... again. In my defense, our erstwhile visitors were fascinated by the French street toilets. I figured I may as well take a picture of it. Canadians from a cruise ship asked many questions about it and turned down the ordinary toilet in the Coit Tower, where this one is located, to use it. Who would have thought a toilet is a tourist attraction?

Bernice, Marie, Pat, Dawn, my sister, and Richard posed in the parking lot. It was a cool day and the Golden Gate Bridge was fog covered. Only the Bay Bridge was visible from the tower.
For me, it was a treat to see the now famous Coit murals once more.
We drove up the heart stopping hills to the crookedest part of Lombard Street. Michigan was scraped flat by a glacier and my guests were holding onto anything they could as we cruised the famous hills of San Francisco. It tickled me that simple things can still thrill since we take our own terrain for granted.
The segues, the street dancers, mimes and musicians are a very different culture to them. I was reminded of Peru as I listened to the hauntingly beautiful tones of the mouth harp and guitar.
Sea lions gave us a show.
Pat raises birds and of course, she found one that sat on her shoulder. The owner than stuck his hand out for money after the picture was taken.

The REAL cable cars are personally important to me since my father-in-law was once a cable car conductor. We took it to China Town and bought leechee nuts and candied ginger. We gaped at curious looking dried fishes, shark fins, unknown fruits and greens.
On the wharf, the sights and smells of crab salad, shrimp and crabs steaming in the sidewalk stalls; churros beckoning from a stand all bring back fun memories. Begging pigeons, the liberty ship, Alcatraz, huckster joints and souvenier stands draw we tourists in. Then lobster dinner on fisherman's wharf before heading home. We fit in as much as possible in one day. With our souveniers and memories we headed back to our hotel in Sonoma.