SF Hols - Grids

You gotta love the americans. Their strict adherence to the grid pattern for their city layout leads to some interesting situations. San Francisco is a good example of this. The city does have flat bits (for which the grid pattern works well) but they also have a few hills. These hills aren't your little pimples either. They are dirty great steep sided mounds of rock.

In England, the streets would follow a winding path up the side of the hill, keeping the gradients nice and smooth so you could get your horse and cart easily up to the top. (You do own a horse and cart, don't you? You don't? What century are you living in?)

In SF they do things differently. They have adopted the very roman approach of just taking the road up and over and to hell with the gradient*. This results in some pretty interesting climbs .. even for the modern car. What makes it more interesting is that the 45 degree slope is crossed at right angles by other roads, so the road has to flatten out to accomodate the crossover before continuing its downward plummet (sorry, descent). One road I walked (breathlessly) up must have had delusions of being the percussion section of a band, since on a regular beat you would hear what sounded like a clash of some hung over geriatric cymbals. On closer inspection I found it was a junction where any car going over the speed of 1 mph took its rear end out with an expensive sounding scrape.

At some points the road builders had taken one look at the gradient, sworn at the twon planner, resolved to bring him out and bury him under the sidewalk and just given up, replacing the road with a set of steps. Once they've managed to accomodate the necessary gradient they have then continued with the road further on as if nothing had happened. This is fine if you are on foot, but if you are in a car life must be one long series of exciting detours.

Of course, the layout does have its upside. You want a car chase? Have it in San Francisco; one long series of death defying slopes, dead ends and cable cars to negotiate. Walking (puffing) around SF I expected any moment a car to emerge from a side road trailing cop cars and performing air jumps at each crossover.

Hasn't happened yet, but one can hope.

Alternatively, I could rent a car and try it myself.



*Except for Stockton where they chickened out and put in a tunnel. And Lombard, where they'd clearly had a bit too much to drink at lunchtime.

SF Hols - Ice Cream Desert

From San Francisco

Well, here I am in the city of so many films, car chases, disasters and general mayhem. Familiar though it is, it's still a bit of a culture shock. How much do you tip the bell boy, how do you use public transport and where's the bloody ice cream vans?

The latter is important. For my first day I wanted to walk to the Golden Gate Bridge. This is a 5 mile stroll through some touristy areas (fishermans wharf) but also through some pleasant parks (fort mason, beach area alongside chrissy field). And not an ice cream van in sight. In fact, the place was so devoid of any sort of van/kiosk I was wondering if I was on some private estate and was going to be escorted off by some guy with a gun and a rotweiler (I must have been watching too many films).

Distracted though I was by the total lack of Essential British Sustenance, the walk was enjoyable. At Fisherman's Wharf some nice person asked me if I'd like to donate some money to help the American Homeless (uncharitably I said I had enough problems supporting the English homeless without helping the Americans out as well). I watched some people swimming in the Bay's Aquatic Park, tested the water and realised that eccentricity isn't a completely English preserve. I took about 20 photos of the Golden Gate Bridge at various distances (subsequently honed down to about 5). My arms got totally, horribly sunburnt; so much so that the American Lighthouse Association approached me to find out if I'd be willing to stand at Fort Point and wave my arms. All this ... and I still didn't get an ice cream ... I had to settle for a fruit melon medley, which although nice and healthy, Is Not The Same.

Finally, I got to the Golden Gate Bridge, after a walk of 6 miles and 5 hours. If you think that's slow, then you have to factor in the hunt for the occasional ice cream van and fending off hoards of amorous lobstaers who thought my arms were sending out mating signals.

So .. been there, done that .. what else is there to do?

SF Hols - packing a dilemma

I've got a problem.

It's one I haven't had before.

And I think it's serious.

It's about the packing I'm doing to go on holiday.

You see, the way I do my packing is I first construct a list of things to take (2 shirts, two polos, t shirts, power cables for all the electronics I'm taking, etc etc). Then I throw the stuff on the bed. Nearer the time I might iron one or two bits .. with the emphasis on the 'might'. Then, on the day of departure I stuff 'em all in a rucksack and I'm ready.

Not this time.

You see, previously collecting the stuff on the list was easy, because it represented the contents of my wardrobe. But now ... the list says '2 shirts'. WHICH ONES????

The thing is .. I've acquired too many clothes. I've become a fashion victim. I don't have 2 shirts. I've got 6. I like them all. Which ones do I take? Decisions, decisions.

I have a friend like this. He packs not only the stuff he's going to wear, but also the stuff he might wear given the right circumstances. It must be pointed out that the 'right circumstances' includes alien abduction and attending Prince William's wedding, so basically its the entire wardrobe. He's the one travelling 20kg overweight. I'm the one trailing behind at 12 kg.

But I digress.

So, I have to make a decision. Which Shirt? When I've decided that it's Which Polo? After that, it's Which Trousers? actually, at this point we're back to normal .. trousers and shoes are easy to pack since I basically keep on growing out of one and wearing out the other (and I'm not going to tell you which is which).

So the bed is now full of clothes. I've more power cables than I've ever had in my life and will probably bring SF to its knees when I plug in the netbook, iPhone and camera charger, but I'm all set.

Now .. where's my passport?