We start the day walking down from our house to the Roxie Food Centre. It’s the dive bar of sandwich shops, target meal is the Tiger Bun. Crusty, juicy, textured, amazing.

Then down through the Financial District to the water at Pier 39. Here a colony of seals mill about on pontoons, barking at each other and generally ignoring onlookers.

Further along the water is Scoma’s Restaurant. It’s chilly today, seems like an oversight to miss a chowder opportunity. We settle in for a drink or two before eating.

Well warmed from the inside, we set for more seafood. Swan Oyster Depot is the first stop. There’s a line outside and we give it a little wait, but the vibe is fading so we decide to find another oyster bar instead.

So it’s to Leo’s Oyster Bar instead. We’re waylaid by some kinda trashy Pirate “Tonga” themed bar that we come across. After a couple more cocktails we’re back on the hunt for oysters…now it’s time for Leo’s.

As we’re walking we’re talking about how we haven’t quite ‘got’ oysters before. The sliminess and burst is overwhelming, even if the taste is fresh. It makes the experience of the bar all the more satisfying because we’re offered a flight of oysters after explaining our cautious feelings. The waiter explains origin and points to note for each oyster. The differences are clear and curious – some meatier, or sea-watery, or sweet – different sizes and even textures. It was a perfect introduction appreciating oysters, sharing wine with Anna and conversing with others along the bar.

At night we head down to Oracle Park for a baseball match between the Giants and the Rockies. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a more boring sport. So we indulged in expensive beer, pretzels, hot dogs, etc etc instead. The fans seemed pretty quiet too, probably because the Giants lost 1-6. But the view was great and the game had no effect on the radiant feeling of a very pleasant day.

After Alcatraz we head over to the Mission District. It’s another kinda hipster area, and we’re happy just wandering around for a bit. We stop into La Taqueria for some rice-free burritos and then to some thrift shops before getting over to Bi-Rite Creamery.

By this time a chilly wind has picked up and it’s no real time for ice cream. But we’re here, so there’s no question. We sit in Mission Dolores Park cold and eating ice cream. Behind us a giant cloud is forming and approaching with a great drama of impending doom. But the park is full of people going about they’re icy existence without a further thought for the weather. And actually as I watch, his giant looming cloud is just sweeping and rolling about in itself, never getting any closer, like a tidal wave stuck in one place.

We regain our composure and head up into the hills above the park to keep looking around.

We’re heading off early to get on the first Alcatraz boat of the day. The walk along the wharf is pretty good. Not many people about, just a few joggers and some sightseers.

Everyone I talked to said it would be cold, and colder with any wind off the water. So we’re pretty well prepared. But we don’t need many layers, it’s warm.

The boat trip out gives a couple of good views, back to the city and over the water to the island and to the bridge.

Families and prisoners on Alcatraz planted gardens and flowers while they were there. And being spring the were in bloom. It made for a beautiful contrast to the stark grey buildings of the prison.

I can’t image how unpleasant it must have been to survive out here in the cold harsh weather, with a view over to regular life just across the water.

We take a winding road that eventually cuts through the hilly range springing up out of the Pacific Ocean on the West Coast. There was a rockslide that has cut off part of the Highway, so we’re inland until we get north of the closed highway. Then this winding road takes us through forest, following the shape of the hill, dark and tree covered. Suddenly the trees recede, and the huge blue sky opens overhead. Just a few more turns in the blinding daylight reveals the ocean glistening between green hills.

It’s a strange landscape really: a narrow band of road barely clinging to steep rocks spearing up from the ocean. Rounding each bend offers a new view of the towering rocks peering far out across the ocean.

Our fun mustang is a joy with the top down. The weather is bright. What wonderful fun!

Halfway to San Franciso we take another visit to In n Out Burger

We arrive in San Franciso in the evening, find a park on a step street and make our way to the house.