We arrived in San Francisco. We did not wear flowers in our hair. But I was wearing middle aged lady dungerees and Nephew Number 2 ('NN2') was in possession of a bucket hat.
I was expecting a city which felt quite Bohemian. We landed in the middle of China Town (hotel OK, noisy road outside) which was quite sprawling, with a lot of souvenir and general merchandise shops. We ate a good burrito and had an early night.
Breakfast was cheap but good.
Let down by an underwhelming beverage, whose taste could be described in three words (if you're an 18 year old from Yorkshire) as: healthy, skin, unflavourable.
10am Wednesday morning was a walking tour. Oh my, I love a walking tour! I go with Free Tours and the concept is that you tip the guide whatever you think it's worth/can afford. They are generally very good. This one was excellent.
Our guide, Filip, told us about Alma Spreckels, the 'grandmother of San Francisco', a young woman of Danish origin. Growing up in a town where the ratio of women to men sometimes reached 1:70, she recognised her assets. Became an artist's model so that she could fund her own education. Was very well paid. Met a wealthy sugar magnate who fell head and shoulders in love with her. To court her, the 45 year old bought the 19 year old everything she could possibly want. She coined the term 'My Sugar Daddy' and married him. Other rich wives despised her (youth, exuberance and pure front?).
In an effort to garner the respect of the elite, she took a ship to Paris (via the Cape Horn, a dangerous 15000 mile journey before the Panama Canal was built) to collect French arts and furniture. Instead, she returned from Paris a couple of years later with 88 young women (of easy virtue). Many of whom she helped marry off into the higher echelons of society (others operated or worked in brothels). Thereby securing her own social status and providing San Francisco with a group of rich wives who told their husbands to re-build the city in a European style after if was all but razed in the 1906 earthquake.
It looks very European.
It is only 172 years old.
It was founded by the Spanish, who built a mission.
It has one of the very few natural ports long the west coast.
America paid Mexico (after a big war where the US won) 15 million (actual price, not today's equivalent) for the Western Coast of the US, just before gold was discovered in the Sierra Nevada.
It smells of hash. Everywhere.
It is very liberal.
You can really do what you like, as long as you don't bother anyone.
Pokemon Go was invented in an office here, by the same man who created Google Maps.
There was an old law saying that any ship owner owned the land under his ship. This made sure that people who owned ships often remained in the city, moored ships permanantly and (instead of taking their Sierra Nevada gold home) they built businesses onboard. As the city progressed the ships were frequently sunk and land was in-filled above. Buildings were built over the ships with masts on. Since 1963 there has been a law to excavate any found ships during building works. Since then 47 ships have been found under buildings and remain under sky scrapers. Ships under skyscrapers.
China Town.
The US brought over a load of Chinese people to work the railways after the Irish immigrant army couldn't finish it because they invariably died of cholera - you don't get cholera if you boil the water to make tea. The Chinese worked twice as fast for a quarter of the wage. When the railways were finished the US government issued an act preventing anyone of Chinese origin from owning land, marrying a citizen, becoming a citizen, working in many professions, being educated. They were forced to live in ghettos.
This continued until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake (for 50 odd years), the town of San Francisco decided to move the Chinese ghetto 18 miles out of the city. The Chinese people (who mainly worked in the ports and who mainly sailed the ships) managed to get the Emprrss of China to help them. She sent over a delegation of high ranking officials from the chamber of commerce. They negotiated with the city governors. They explained how the Chinese would not work in the port or sail the ships if they were moved.
Commerce would be affected.
Money talks.
The governors listened. They gave the Chinese population a parcel of land, but told them they had to build it up themselves (whereas the rest of the city they covered with a 'City Beautiful' project). The Chinese rebuilt their area of the city using American architects, but Chinese accents. These were pagoda rooves, balconies out front, a gate way to China Town, lanterns. It worked. The Chinese also rebuilt much of the city.
China Towns across the world were modelled on the style of quarter rebuilt in San Francisco. That's why China Towns mainly have the same features.
Homelessness.
There is a homeless problem here.
Started by Ronald Reagan (when he was governor) removing money for mental health facilities. Hospitals closed and people were turned out on the streets all across California. It caused huge problems. Obvs.
The city of San Francisco decided to set up its own provisions (as did many places in Calufornia). The richest companies are taxed to provide for the poorest. This includes health care, treatment and accommodation. It's THE ONLY place in the US to provide free health care to anybody.
As a result, other states across the US gave their homeless one way bus tickets and some small change ($50) to send them to California. Nowadays homeless people are helped immensely (plenty of hugely rich tech companies to tax). However, if you are an addict no-one is going to stand up and stop you, because the San Francisco way is that you get to live your life. If you want to do drugs, you get to decide when (if) to stop.
However, if you are clean for 3 months you get a place to live and a job helping other addicts. Filip is convinced that if a strategy is found to help homelessness it will come from San Francisco.
Another law to love: Popos (Privately Owned, Public Open Spaces).
Amazingly, in this city there is a law that any office block must have (at a ration to 50:1 Square footage) a garden which is open to the people on work days. There are just over 70 beautiful, secret gardens in offices across the city. You can visit any one you like on any work day.
That was the tour. We learnt plenty more.
Following the tour, we did an orange tasting session.
And why not?
This wasn't some organised affair.
Just NN2 and I with a few oranges.
His 3 word verdict (from left to right):
Australian: different, filling, pineapple.
Florida: empty, light, local.
Origin unknown: England, enough, full.
We met a woman called Tahnee Proudfoot, with a Harris Hawk who has urban contracts to manage pests - pigeons. Her dad is a Geordie. We asked her about great places out of town to visit. She asked us about good places to see when she goes to Wales next year. Beautiful hawk. Lovely lady. Amazing name.
We walked along the waterfront.
Then we went shopping and - between us - tried every pair of jeans in the Levi's store I think. Jostling the French holiday makers to find what we wanted. It was exhausting but fun. Even better when there was a 30% off plus 15% off deal at the check out. Whoop.
NN2 was also on the lookout for a bum bag. Which is now worn (in case you hipsters don't know) diagonally across the chest. Of course, in the US they are not known as bum bags. I took a fantastically puerile delight in asking to see a shop's collection.
We did a lot of walking.
Finished the day at an Egyptian food place. Ate. Went back to the hotel. Went to bed. Zzzzzz
*'At least I could eat my tea' stated the diner. 'So that was pharoah-enough.'
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