Day 8 - San Fransisco sightseeing

Luckily the weather today was much better - no rain and it was even warm. A huge improvement over the melting snow in Albany! I started off walking with Diana around her neighborhood (the Mission district). We talked a lot about the gentrification going on and her perspective as someone who's lived in the neighborhood through 'thick and thin.' She talked about enjoying that it was safer and more 'desirable' but wasn't so happy about her neighbors, many who have lived near her family for years and are also Mexican, being priced out of their homes. She also said it felt weird to have tour groups walk through her neighborhood, especially when they come into a bodega to have 'an authentic Mexican food experience' while she's just trying to pick up some tortillas.

We walked down an alley that is nearly covered in murals. They were all beautiful and most had a story. Some were about the civil wars in Central and South America, some were about gentrification, and others were about Hispanic folklore. They were all painted in different styles and with such an impressive attention to detail . It was really cool.

 

 

My favorite one (below) was a double garage. On the left was a scene from the 'old Mission' and on the right was a scene from the Mission as it is now. Surrounding the doors was political and social context. 

 

  

Then, just as we were at the end of the ally, a tour group came through behind us. Go figure.


We got brunch at a pretty cool Jewish place and walked around a bit stopping in some thrift stores, hat stores, book stores, stores with metallic clothes...  lots of eclectic places.

After walking by the Mission neighborhood's namesake we got some ice cream from a place that was super popular but not all that impressive. Then Diana and I parted ways, her to go about her life and me to sight-see. 

I saw a number of beautiful old homes and walked up and down (and up and down) some of SF's famous hills.

I took a load off in front of the 'painted ladies,' aka the Full House house, before making my way to the very-touristy bay area. 

By this time it was near dinner hour and I was exhausted from all the walking. I had planned to meet back up with Diana, but my phone was dead (too many pictures) and I was totally lost - I didn't know how to get back to her place! I panicked a bit and thought it out in the extremely crowded (and 100% overrated) Ghirardelli restaurant. With chocolate, of course. Luckily I was able to eek out one more text before my phone totally died to get her address. The waitress said I had no hope of catching a cab but, thanks to another stroke of luck, I got one almost instantly.

Once back at Diana's place I had some homemade dinner (a rare treat) and now I'm off to bed. Tomorrow is a big day - I'm going to Alcatraz!