This week we have two Wednesdays. We left Sydney, flew for thirteen hours, and landed in San Francisco five hours before we took off. How is this possible? Someone should look into this.

Anyway, it’s back to winter coats: on arrival, it’s cold and wet here. Staying at the Chancellor, on recommendation of friends; it’s a fine old boutique hotel, and in a good position in the city.

SF is not, I suspect, a typical US city. It is quite European in many ways: there are trams, and 3 cable car routes, not too much traffic, steep hills, haphazard little streets, and above all the views of the bay and the bridges. For my money the Bay Bridge is every bit as grand as the Golden Gate, for all the latter’s iconic status. We did the usual touristy things: up to Coit Tower on Telegraph Hill, for the views; Pier 39 for the tat; and cruise around the bay, taking in the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz.

Apparently, of all the prisoners who ever escaped from Alcatraz ,only five were not recaptured, and they probably drowned; although the island is only 2,000 yards from shore, the waters are very cold, the currents strong, and there are sometimes sharks.

The customer service ethic is very strong here, and people are very keen to please you. They have the original Levi’s store just round the corner from where we’re staying. I needed some new jeans so we popped in. The staff couldn’t have been more helpful, and one in particular was very keen to let me know his name was Bill. When we got to checkout, the cashier said “…and were you helped by anyone? Yes? I don’t suppose you caught their name?”

Finally, from the USA, the last word on the great thong debate. We think it’s a G string, Aussies a flip flop; here, as you would expect, they go both ways (see pic).

Tomorrow, we fly home.

PS. Sorry about the lack of more photos – wifi here is very flaky, and doesn’t last long enough for the upload. Will deal with this when I get home