"49 Square Miles Surrounded by Reality" ~ San Francisco ~ LillaGreen

Hello! Today I’ll continue with the first day of our visit in San Francisco. In the previous post I showed you some pics from San Francisco’s bay and today I’m back with the next stories. It was ca. 11 a.m. – at that time the temperatures in the city are becoming much pleasant. On that day we got about 27 ° – a perfect weather for some walk. The climate in San Francisco differs from that if other Californian cities – always a bit cooler and windier. Typical of the summer months is the fog as a common occurrence throughout the summer months. One of the best places to see the fog is the Golden Gate Bridge.

After having our morning walk along the coast, we headed to Downtown of San Francisco. The downtown is a colourful combination of different cultures, economical buildings, banks, bars, pubs and ethnic restaurants, countless music stores, cultural centres and historic buildings. The centre of San Francisco is located on some of the city’s hills, in the northern part of the city. Speaking of hills, there are mentioned to be about 43, but the main hills are seven. (Telegraph Hill, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, Rincon Hill, Twin Peaks, Mount Davidson and Lone Mountain or Mount Sutro).

Hip, Hip, Hippie! ~ San Francisco

However, on our way to downtown, we enjoy the famous cable cars which are part of the public transport since 1873. Unfortunately, the cable car system of San Francisco is the world's last manually operated cable car system. Following the oldest tram rails in the city, we found ourselves in front of Gateway Arch – the entrance to Chinatown in San Francisco! With all its glamour, this landmark is the most visited parts of the city! This gate is the only authentic Chinatown Gate in North America that symbolizes the entrance to the largest Chinatown in the world located outside of China. Founded in 1848, the miraculous neighbourhood is a collection of absolutely everything which one can imagine while thinking of China! You can spend literally hours going through the various shops and restaurants … What I really liked, was the architecture and the street art uniqueness…

After visiting the Chinatown we went to Coit Tower – the most famous landmark of “Telegraph Hill”. Even though the Coit tower and the monument of Columbus are quite interesting things to see – the view is what makes this place so special!

On the way back, going upstairs was much easier: D … So we came across the oldest and most famous street festival in San Francisco, which is held only once a year – Haight Ashbury Street Fair! The history of this festival begins in hippie years of the 20th century when the music festivals became much popular than ever. And following the tradition, on the second Sunday of June, popular and not that popular bands and musicians are playing on different scenes around the city. Music, arts, beer and food are the mainstay of this event which celebrates the cultural diversity of San Francisco! You can find as well tasty things from all over the world, as well as numerous small shops, which offer an endless range of stuff with various qualities.

So after being part of this street festival, we headed to one of the most famous streets in the world, which I will share with you in the next post …

Enjoy the day

Ferry Building with palm trees under a clear blue sky, San Francisco, USA.

Modern skyscrapers in San Francisco, USA, against a clear blue sky.

Mechanics Monument in downtown San Francisco surrounded by modern buildings and trees.

Downtown San Francisco street with tall skyscrapers and a rainbow flag in sunny weather.

Classic San Francisco cable car on a steep street with bay view in the background.

Iconic cable car on a bustling street in San Francisco, USA, with tall buildings and trees.

Historic streetcar in downtown San Francisco, USA, with ornate building backdrop.

San Francisco streetcar travels down a tree-lined street with historic buildings.

Woman in sunglasses poses on a classic cable car in San Francisco, USA, near a T-Mobile store.

Woman smiling on a San Francisco cable car in casual outfit, embracing city vibes.

Chinatown's Dragon Gate entrance in San Francisco with bustling street and shops.

Woman kisses monkey statues on a bench in San Francisco, capturing playful street art.

Tourist posing with a bronze statue of a girl on a bench in San Francisco, USA.

Bronze statue of a girl reading on a bench in San Francisco, USA.

Traditional Chinese architecture in San Francisco's Chinatown on a sunny day.

Bustling street in San Francisco's Chinatown with red lanterns and vibrant shops.

Vibrant Chinatown street in San Francisco, USA with colorful murals and lanterns.

Colorful street mural in San Francisco's Chinatown with pedestrians and parked cars.

Chinatown street view in San Francisco with lanterns and Chinese signs.

Chinatown street scene with Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, USA.

Woman in front of Peking Bazaar, San Francisco's vibrant Chinatown, USA.

Steep street with cars and trees in San Francisco, USA, on a sunny day.

Coit Tower rises above a sloping street with parked cars in San Francisco, USA.

View of San Francisco cityscape with Lombard Street and distant bridge.

Bay Bridge spanning over turquoise waters in San Francisco, USA, surrounded by lush greenery.

Golden Gate Bridge view over San Francisco bay on a clear day, San Francisco, USA.

Coit Tower and Columbus statue in San Francisco, USA under a clear blue sky.

Woman poses by Coit Tower and Columbus statue in San Francisco, USA, under a clear sky.

Tourist descends a steep set of stairs in a lush neighborhood in San Francisco, USA.

San Francisco's hilly street with colorful houses and palm trees in a lush urban setting.

Busy street fair in San Francisco with tents and people along a city street.

Colorful Victorian houses on a sunlit street in San Francisco, USA.

Trees and Gothic church entrance in San Francisco with U.S. and Vatican flags displayed.

Busy street scene in San Francisco with iconic Transamerica Pyramid in the background.

A street vendor grilling meat skewers at an outdoor market in San Francisco, USA.

Colorful Victorian buildings in North Beach, San Francisco, USA, lining a bustling street.

Busy street market scene in San Francisco with historic buildings and people shopping.

A music-themed storefront mural on a street in San Francisco, USA, with people browsing.

Music shop in San Francisco with walls covered in guitars and CDs.

Colorful artwork and vintage shop sign on a sunny street in San Francisco, USA.

Chanel store sign with shoe, surrounded by historic buildings in San Francisco, USA.

St. Peter and Paul Church in San Francisco with clear blue sky and lush greenery.

People relaxing in a sunny park with the Transamerica Pyramid in San Francisco, USA.

Woman in a purple dress walks down a sunny street in San Francisco, USA.

“49 Square Miles Surrounded by Reality” ~ San Francisco