Cold San Franciscan Nights

A quick journey back in time... to foggy San Francisco. I learned that locals never call it San Fran, or Frisco. That's a big no no. It's 'the City'.

So we spent an expensive couple of days here. The Fairmont took the gratuities to the next level and things were quite disgustingly expensive. But enough about that.

One of the highlights was the Tonga restaurant where the centre of the floor is occupied by a big, rectangular pool, into which it periodically rains! Complete with thunder and lightning! The band plays - on a little board in the middle of the water!

We went out to Alcatraz which was a great trip. The audio guide was really interesting with speaking from past guards and inmates. There was a lot more to the Island than I thought. The movies always depict it as a barren rock with a prison on it. Turns out that there was a whole community living on it. All the guards, their wives and families. The kids used to catch the ferry across the bay to go to school. What's more there were gardens, happily tended by the inmates all around the grounds. Whoda thunk it? It sure was windy though!

A little windy on the ferry.

The island was originally used by the military.

Harsh weather here

Its now also a bird sactuary

There had buildings for manufacture, power supply and a morgue during military years.

Inside the prison block

These cells that got sunlit were sort after

.

Recreation area

Golden Gate Bridge