Gone West 3

Go West 

May 24 2016

MOMA San Francisco, Cable Car and Fisherman's Warf

Before leaving Germany and being informed by Richard that the new SF Moma was now completely renovated and fully up and running, so this was a must. We were up and ready once again at 04:00 so I wrote up a bit of my Blog, reduced the size of some of the photographs that I shall be boring you all with and had a cup of coffee

We packed our “Tagesgepäck” into our small rucksacks (photo gear, spare underwear, maps and other daily needs) and headed off to Metrotram  J to get to the Market and Hyde stop. 

We crossed Market and popped into the Levi store just to check prices, prices checked we headed to the MOMA building.

The entrance fee was $25 for normal people and $3 cheaper for us, the special people (the pensioners). We divested ourselves of unneeded vestments and backpacks, agreeing to meet back at the seating area outside the cloakroom above one of the larger exhibits in two hours’ time. 

I first went to permanent exhibition and though not on size of some of the larger European Galleries was very well represented with a lot of the modernist masters.

I then took the lift to the 7^th floor and then descended slowly by the stairs, floor for floor, gallery for gallery. I must say I was amazed by the amount and variation of exhibits, I was like a kid in a sweet-shop, it was fantastic. There was even a British Gallery, containing Plastics from Moore and Hepworth amongst others.

           

Here is a very small cross-section of the goodies in that sweet-shop.

We met up at our arranged time, Linda was waiting she had also just arrived and was sitting reading , she had also been suitably impressed by the quality and amount of art, it was the first time she had seen any Warhol never mind the quantity here on display.  I popped into the adjacent bookshop and purchased a couple of postcards, we then headed for the door and out into the sunlight

Our next port of call was to Market and Hyde again to the cable car turntable; yes we were going to take the best funfair attraction in town, the world famous cable-car ride up, down, up, down to Beach Street.  

At Hyde Pier you can visit one of the marine attractions and do a tour on a submarine; unfortunately it doesn’t submerge any more. We sauntered along Jefferson St. taking photos of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz and the normal Touri Photo Shots.

We passed a crab purveyor with the live crabs fresh off the boats so this gave us the idea to head straight to Fisherman's Warf.

We were feeling a bit peckish by now, so we selected a place to eat on the main street, we sat outside in the warm afternoon sun and shared a large bowl of mixed sea food on salad leaves, I drank a beer and Linda was happy with the free water (cheapskate). We both agreed that the Dungeness crab was one of the sweetest, most succulent that we had ever tasted, I have eaten crab all over the world and this rates in my books as one of the best.

We then walked along the street passing the sellers of fresh boiled crab, shrimp and lobster at the Pier a little along from the old cannery building, but though tempted, we had just eaten so were able to resist that temptation.

Some one enjoying the droppings

We did pop into wonderful French bakery of Boudin’s at pier 43-45, the home of the clam chowder in a sour dough bowl (or so they proclaim)

We walked the whole way along Embarcadero to the Old ferry terminal building almost underneath Oakland Bay Bridge, stopping to take a few shots of, the sea lions at Pier 39 with a pelican fly past.

The tower on telegraph hill and of course another of San Francisco’s  other iconic building the Pyramid building.  

We then carried out the same inquisition as we had carried out in 2013, where was the underground station to catch our train back to Richards house (the old grey matter isn’t what it used to be). We found it were it was last seen at the bottom of Market street. We jumped on the Metro J to the corner of Liberty and walked the few yards to Richards.

Richard is having problems with his back and it was playing up so he suggested we walk to a restaurant not far from his house where he could eat up standing. So we got rid of our backpacks and then walked a couple of blocks to Liberties (passing the house or Facebook founder Mark Suckerburg).

As with most nice eateries in the area of Mission it was small compact and friendly (well the waitress was).  Liberties prides  itself on serving real British style Pub Grub, I the ever sceptic, perused the menu, I saw fish n’ chips and decided we will give them a try (I could have had cottage pie, bangers and mash or many old pub  favourites ) first plus point a real vinegar bottle with malt vinegar was plonked on the table. The fish was Pacific Cod, I have had this many times before and it is delicious, it was served with very nice French fries (unfortunately or may be not,not real chip-shop chips).

  

Linda had the Samosa's

Richard the Tomato soup with toasted cheese sandwich.

Everyone agreed it was all very tasty and for America authentic PUB GRUB!

Full and Satisfied  we headed back to Richards and beddy-byes as next day we were heading out to pick up our Jucy Camper near to Oakland Airport.

We had a wonderful few days in San Francisco (I have never had a bad one and this is my 10^th time)and as usual Richard had been a wonderful host and a mine of information on what to do and what to see.  We will be returning for our last day of our trip so thank you and we shall see you in a few weeks.