Okay, while I did go to San Francisco, I'm still looking for those gentle people with flowers in their hair.
Earlier this week I was brought out by the James Irvine Foundation to speak a little bit at a dinner for community foundations in California that are participating in their capacity building project. While that all sounds well and good, it also gave me the opportunity to spend a little time in this wonderful city.
There was a remarkable view from the hotel -- the room had a little semi-circle sitting area which gives you a 180 degree view...
Of cousre, I liked this view in particular...
Grilled cheese made with Panini bread! Cari stayed home so I just had to eat something I shouldn't!
I had a few hours to waste before hopping on a plane this morning, so I decided to check out of the hotel and meader the streets of San Francisco (I was trying to find Karl Malden and Michael Douglas).
I found myself walking through Chinatown, which is an amazing place. It's almost like another country...
There are all kinds of stores with foods out front...
And it's amazing how many people are speaking Chinese.
In Las Vegas, the growing Latino community has made signs in Spanish incredibly commonplace. It's so normal that you hardly even notice.
It's the same thing in San Francisco's Chinatown, except so much of it is written in Chinese...
In Las Vegas, we have our Spanish speaking television stations. San Francisco has their own version, but in Chinese...
I must be reconnecting with that small part of the Bicoy heritage that is Chinese!
After walking down block after block of stores and businesses, every single one of which was Chinese in nature and had signs written in Chinese, I came across this most unusual place...
"Little Paris" -- the French Restaurant!
I suppose if you can have Paris in Las Vegas you can have Paris in San Francisco's Chinatown.
I also had the opportunity to see the most crooked street you'll ever encounter...
Lombard Street. It just twists and turns because the street is so steep, that without it, no car would ever be able to go down the street!
And just when I thought my walk would never end, I finally hit water when I arrived at the famous Fisherman's Wharf...
They say that in 1990, for some strange reason, a pack of California Sea Lions decided to sunbathe on the wharf -- and they've never left...
Right off Fisherman's Wharf is the infamous Alcatraz - the island prison...
And of course there's the view of the Golden Gate Bridge in the distance...
But even with all these incredible scenic views, there is one better than all the others...
Ghirardelli Square, home to some of the best chocolate in the world! The picture above is from a very old machine that they still have in working order to make remarkable chocolate.
You can see some of that chocolate put to a very practical use in this most magnificent picture of all...
On this first day of summer in San Francisco, we will have a chocolate "love-in there!"
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