San Francisco, Friday September 2nd. Jill

Jills in an apple store catching up with whats marks written right now.

Good god I love San Francisco, I may have to be dragged kicking and screaming outta here later on today. I was like uber tourist there for the day.5 before I met Mark. I'll do it chronologically.

Friday lunchtime I got to the hotel. It's my second bonus excellent budget hotel bargain lucky find this year. (The first being the Chelsea Star in NY) It's compact, clean, with lovely decor. Score. That afternoon I found SF-MOMA, a much much smaller west coast cousin of the NY one. But I was knackered so I was only able for a flit around a relatively small museum anyway. My advice for today? Take a wee notebook and pen everywhere with you. I saw some stuff from people I really like and discovered some new things I want to look up again too. After a little pit stop it was time for spooky night time tour to Alcatraz.

Before I go any further, let me just say. San Francisco is cold. Grey and cold. What is the story with that? I have not got warm enough clothes at all! Anyway, I wrapped up in small layers and my now trusty long bit of blue fabric that can be anything it wants to be and headed to Fisherman's Wharf. It's totally for the tourists, it's got Hard Rock Cafe, and Ripleys belive it or not Museum and all that lark, but it's actually really pretty, and there are lots and lots of sea lions just laying off on platforms in the water like giant barking slugs. Except that I HATE slugs and I didn't mind these. The Alcatraz tour is a really well done tour, I think it's run by the Parks Department, so there's no chancers doing it or anything, there's only one company that do the ferries, so it's all quality. First we had this guided walking tour up the hill from the ferry led by a guy that looks like Norman from the old Kit Kat ads except for his amazingly perfect California white straight teeth. They really were at odds with the rest of him. One good thing about the night time tour apart from added creepiness, is that there's a lot fewer people allowed on each tour, so it's not so packed out as it might be. The tour within the actual prison building is a self guided audio tour, and it may be just about the best tour I've done. It's 35 mins, pieced together from actual prisoners and guards and narrated really well, with excellent sound effects. I was in the hole and their was door slamming noise. Well I just about shit myself. Till I realised the 4 other people in there with me all doing the same thing at 5 second intervals as they heard the same thing,

After that was over there was a choice of the store, or a little film, or this exhibition, which has been travelling around and its now back at Alcatraz. It's the best setting for it. You can see for yourself there in the link anyway. I spent all my time until the ferry in there.

Back at Fisherman's Wharf I had the most beautiful feta-alfalfa-avocado-tomato crepe ever and it was only slightly overpriced. Jobs a good 'un.