On the road | ch3 - blog

0km out of 2407km so far

Today is a no bike day. I locked it at Kirsty’s place and I went on my day without it for a change. We had breakfast, Robb left for work and I spent the morning washing everything I carry on the bike. It’s nice to know I will have a fresh start when I leave the city.

At around noon I left the house on foot to explore the city. I’ve been in San Fransisco before, so I kind of knew my way around. I started making my way to the north and I stopped by the cable car museum, which is the actual control center for the famous public transport of the city. In case you don’t know, at that building there are some huge motors, pulling the underground cables all around the city. The cars grab the moving cable underneath them so they can move and release it when they want to stop. You can hear the moving cables under the tarmac, even if there is no train near by.

ch3_20131011_02500 ch3_20131011_02501

The motors and the cable man checking things are all good

Next stop was North Beach square, which is an Italian neighborhood. I think the last time I had a pizza was back in Vancouver, so I have been thinking about one for a long time. This area was the right place for a slice or two.

hmmmm pizza

More Italian restaurants

I continued walking south through Chinatown, which is a very busy area full of stores selling all kind of weird goods.

$10 for a head and a butt

ch3_20131011_02514 ch3_20131011_02518

I got to Market street and visited the Asian Art museum, which had exhibits from the 7 different regions, since the ancient times. It also had a small contemporary section, with western work influenced by Asian culture.

ch3_20131011_02528

This is not an exhibit

The museum is at the Civic center, opposite the town hall. In the whole plaza, there was an extreme sports event taking place. They’ve set up huge skateboard and BMX ramps for the crazy dudes to jump off. I believe there were many big names there, as I saw kids asking for autographs all the time.

ch3_20131011_02541

Dude… you are up side down

I continued wondering around the whole area, all the way to Fillmore, looking at stores, galleries and cafes.

Techno record shop

ch3_20131011_02564 ch3_20131011_02567 ch3_20131011_02569

In the late afternoon, mist covered the west side of the city and it got a little cold. I started making my way back home. I stopped by the supermarket for bike supplies and ingredients for tonight’s dinner as promised.

ch3_20131011_02570 ch3_20131011_02573 ch3_20131011_02576

I used to work with Kirsty in London many years ago. She moved to San Fransisco with Robb 4 years ago, when he started working for Pixar as an animator.

56.1km out of 2407km so far

Raccoon tree

We all woke up early, but it was again a late start as we knew we didn’t have much distance to cover. We cycled 10-15km or so and stopped at a bike shop in Fairfax for Garry’s broken spoke and Eric’s ruined pedal. The short wait was a good opportunity for early lunch and beer from the next door brewery.

ch3_20131010_02448 ch3_20131010_02449

The rest of the ride was pretty straightforward, as the route took us mostly within towns and bike paths. Fancy houses and cars were becoming more and more frequent, together with golf courses, hair salons and pet shops. Always a good indication that a major North-American town is nearby. Right before Mill valley, we went up a small hill, from where San Fransisco’s skyline and one of the bridges first appeared. A rather rewarding view, as it’s a nice city to be in. I was also looking forward for a short break in the city, together with the comfort of a house. After that hill and another bike path, we entered Sasaulito, which is a small nice town right by the water, just north of the bridge.

Along the bike path

ch3_20131010_02454

The view of San Fransisco from Sausalito

I needed to be at my friend’s place in an hour, so I really rushed that section hoping that I will make it. By the time I went up the last hill before the bridge, I realized I couldn’t make on time, so we re-arranged for 7pm which gave me time to enjoy the crossing. It was a bit windy all day long and even more on the bridge, but luckily there was no fog so I could enjoy the amazing view of the bay. It took about 15 minutes to cycle over the bridge.

Another milestone of the trip

The great vista of the bay

ch3_20131010_02468

On the other side

Some photographic evidence that I was really there

Right after the bridge, I cycled along Crissy fields. Last time I was here it was just a plain field, but this time there are some massive metal sculptures, which I really enjoyed. In the water, apart from sailboats and boats, there are many kite surfers, taking advantage of the strong winds. The guys were almost flying with these things. I reached Marina Boulevard, which is a touristic trap, full of Oyster restaurants and boat cruises. I went around a bit, spent some time by the water enjoying the view and then had a drink in a cafe, before it was time to go meet Kirsty and Rob. Last challenge was to get to their place. It was not far at all, but they live on the top Nob Hill, which has a very very steep climb. I managed to cycle maybe a third but it was impossible, so I pushed the bike for the rest of it.

ch3_20131010_02476 ch3_20131010_02478 ch3_20131010_02482