Hello from San Francisco. We’re having a lazy, sleep in, late start today, something we’ve not done much of at all so far on this holiday.
I’ve just been updating the previous couple of posts on my blog, and Googling around for some details of things we want to see and do here in San Francisco. We plan to take it easy, and only do a few things here. Later this afternoon, we’re doing a mini-bus film/TV tour thing again, we’ve really enjoyed doing these, a nice way to see around a city, see sights and entertaining filming locations for many of our fave films and TV shows. They have video systems on the bus, so you get to see clips of the actual location you’re visiting.
The hotel we’re staying in here, The Orchard Hotel, is really nice, probably the nicest, largest, quietest, most comfortable room of our trip so far, and one of the cheaper ones too, go figure. Joanne has done a fantastic job of researching and booking all the places we’ve stayed. They are lower end hotels, affordable, and have all been clean, safe, modern, quiet, comfortable, well serviced, and located close by to all the things we’ve wanted to see and do, makes for a very enjoyable holiday.
So yesterday was our first day here, starting late in the afternoon. Door to door mini van from airport to hotel. After checking into the hotel, we ventured out and had a walk around. We see cable cars, buses powered by overhead electricity, and… it’s colder here! About 10-15 degrees cooler than the east coast, a cold wind, no humidity. We finally get to use the jackets we brought.
They don’t have meals on flights here (well not with AA economy) across U.S.A. So we had nothing to eat for 5-6 hours, between breakfast and late afternoon, choice of food on the flight, for purchase, is nuts, potato chips, crackers and cheese. Hungry! We ate some Chinese food from a dodgy looking place in Chinatown, that had a bunch of people inside. The food was great, we over ordered but ate it all anyway. We’re staying close to the Chinatown area, so I can have… Big Fun In Little China!
Speaking of food, over the last few weeks it seems we’ve eaten from all over the world: Chinese, Italian, Japanese, French, Spanish, American, Modern American, Modern Asian, and Korean. I think we need to find some Thai, Greek and German restaurants now. We did try to find the Halo Berlin carts in New York but failed. I guess we could add Australian food as well, we brought along a jar of Vegemite, and had it on buttered muffins and bagels in Chicago for breakfast at the hotel one morning.
So anyway, here in San Francisco, yesterday afternoon, we had a look around Chinatown, saw the Transamerica Pyramid, and then ventured to Market Street, checked out the Westfield, saw Union Square, did some shopping, ventured up Powell Street, came across a massive, multi-level, new and second hand movie and music shop, called Rasputin Music & Movies, spent an hour in there looking at CDs, DVDs, and Vinyl. I bought some more old Depeche Mode albums on CD, ‘Some Great Reward’ and ‘People Are People’, brand new for $7 each. Had a quick look in the vinyl area, and found and bought a 12″ of Depeche Mode ‘Personal Jesus’, which I didn’t have. I seem to be buying a lot of Depeche Mode music this trip, I wonder why? Speaking of Depeche Mode, Joanne and I can’t seem to empty our heads of the Depeche Mode song ‘Shake The Disease’, I think we heard it at the after party, more than 2 weeks ago… “You know how hard it is for me… To shake the disease… That takes hold of my tongue… In situations like these… Understand me… Understand me…”
Anyway, must wake Joanne, and get into our day. Thanks for reminding me of Tweekin’ records Matt too, shall check it out.
Laterz