Saturday, while we were in San Francisco we hired bikes and we went over the Golden Gate Bridge. It was fun. On the way back we went on the ferry with our bikes. Then we had to ride back to the bike shop. We had dinner at Fisherman’s Warf. We saw a man playing with fire and lots of really interesting things.

On Sunday we traveled from San Francisco to Mariposa. When we got to Mariposa we found a motel, then we went out for dinner at a restaurant. Tomorrow we are going to Yosemite National Park. It might snow here tonight and it is already snowing lots in Boston where we will be going for Christmas. 

Love to all my friends, Shenae.

Arrived yesterday in San Francisco, and our hotel room in the Grosvenor Suites. Clean, well-priced, well-located, big room with free breakfast – would recommend the hotel.  Apart from a shopping trip to Marshalls department store to avoid death by hypothermia, we watched TV and tried to adjust to the time difference.

Today (Saturday) we rode around ‘Frisco bay and over the Golden Gate bridge on bicycles. Very beautiful scenery and an amazing bit of engineering. We took a bit [a very big bit] longer than we expected and have sore rear ends, getting back to the bike shop around 6:30pm – well after dark. We had initially thought that maybe 2:30pm was a reasonable time – I guess we had not planned on our highly honed ;-) cycle expertise, navigation skills and fitness! It’ll be a family memory of a lifetime we will remember whenever we see a picture of the Golden Gate Bridge!

In the afternoon we were planning to visit Hotel Alcatraz with wonderful 360 degree views of the bay. We have seen it advertised as having bars in every room! Unfortunately visiting hours were over by the time we finished and we did not fancy an overnight stay J so it will have to wait for another day.

When we get our photos downloaded we will be able to share the visuals of Fisherman’s Wharf by night  – quite a sight with Christmas lights, kerbside stalls, portrait artists hawking their skills, spray can artists creating surreal planetary vistas with Golden Gate bridge in the background, fresh Boudin bread baking in the factory, and chocolate shops! 

We were tired so ate, ate chocolate, wandered and caught a cable car back to our hotel at Nob Hill – one of the highest points in the city at the top of amazingly steep streets. We have really fallen in love with the cable cars – they are such an exciting experience. Full of action as the operator works the two long leavers to speed up or brake the car, while dinging furiously on his bell, partly to warn the traffic up ahead, and partly (it seems) to create the sheer fun and atmosphere of the event. It is $5 per person – quite expensive for the distance, but great value for the experience (and yes, it would have been healthier for us to scale the hill on foot to work off the chocolate covered frozen cheesecake on a stick deserts, but nowhere near the fun). 

We are ready for a big sleep before we get up early, hire a car, and head of to Mariposa and Yosemite National Park for the day. San Francisco has been interesting but I am looking forward to getting to see some natural USA.

Blessings, Ralph. 

Our bags were all packed by each person with care,
Anticipating that we would all soon be there;

Shenae is now nestled all snug in her bed,
while visions of big airplanes dance in her head;

And mum in her jarmies, and I in my cap,
Are about to settle for a short summers nap,
When out on the lawn there arise such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew at a pace,
hit my head on the cupboard and tripped over the case.
The moon on the tips of the newly mown grass
reminded me I still had to rake the leaves up after cleaning the gutters out!

I’d better stop there before we descend into even less meaningful lines in order to find rhyming words.

We are flying out tomorrow shortly after 4pm (and it is nearly half past eleven). I still have to take out the garbage, and a hundred and one little things to do.

Oh, yes – and I still need to pack!

I suppose I had better go and do something productive.

Regards
Ralph

And I do wear more than a cap to bed!

Now we are down to the last two weeks before we go away. Excitement is building. Marcus has just set us up this blog site so we can keep in contact with our friends. So much to do and departure time is bearing down on us.

Regards
Ralph