A tale of two wharves - part 1

Yes, we're awake early. And yes, it's cold.

Karl is lingering, and we're due a chilly morning. We head out for breakfast near the house we're staying in, and are hit by a tsunami of food - so much that Ant's and Vicki's breakfasts are each served on two plates. Mine is a little more abstemious, but still sizeable. We roll ourselves out of the diner, and head on towards the city centre, taking a tram to the Ferry Building, which offers stunning views of the Bay Bridge, and the bay over to Oakland. We stop at the Vaillancourt Fountain outside the Ferry Building. The water is a vivid green, which, it transpires, is the result of a dye in the water. They change colours regularly throughout the year. The Embarcadero square is also a particular hotspot for the many, many homeless folks of San Francisco, with one sleeping peacefully in the fountain. It's impossible not to notice just how sizeable San Francisco's homeless population has become.

It's rapidly approaching beer o'clock, so we stop for a late morning livener in the financial district. Ant and I find an apple and hibiscus cider which is delicious.

Happily, when we emerge from the Royal Exchange, the sun has broken through, and a lovely warmth is in the air. We head off on a lazy amble across the city towards Fisherman's Wharf. The wharf is actually pretty crowded. It feels like the first tourist crush we've experienced since Yosemite the previous weekend. Our 30 minute march deserves a reward, so we grab a seat at a bar on the wharf, and settle into an early afternoon pick-me-up.Read more