NOVEMBER 13 (cont'd)
We finished our foggy Bus Tour at around about 1.00pm and, after having sat outside in the drizzle for nearly three hours, we then headed off for a warming cup of coffee at the coffee shop inside the Boudin Sourdough Bakery before climbing back aboard another tour bus from the same company we'd just been all around the city with (because that was part of the 24 hour deal), although this time, rather alarmingly (in an American city at least) the bus had the right hand drive of a London-style Double Decker, which once again reminded us that we were soon to be heading home and that everything seemed to be trying to remind us of this.
We hopped off a couple of stops later in order to visit the famous beatnik haunt that is the "City Lights" bookstore, even though we had been there before on a previous visit to the city because sometimes you really do just have to visit a bookstore and whilst I've got pretty good at sniffing them out in recent times, sometimes you just have to make it easier for yourselves.
Strangely though, with our very limited luggage weight allowance in mind, I didn't actually buy anything, but I did add hugely to my list of potential purchases in the "film noir" selection downstairs. The Beloved didn't find the particular book that she'd come in for either, but bought a few bits and pieces and a book about films made in San Francisco which I'll no doubt be snaffling off her to read at some point.
With the groovy dudes behind the counter paid - using a very modern and capitalist credit card by the way - we headed back outside into a brightening afternoon in the business district where, as an appreciative fan of interesting architecture and engineering, I took far, far too many pictures of the Transamerica Pyramid than any sane person could ever really need, and even managed to get at least one half decent one as we trudged the busy streets towards Union Square.
Then we had an idea.
Whilst we'd been on the Bus Tour that morning, we'd kept on seeing signs for an exhibition of portrait photography which was being marketed using a very strong image of Marilyn Monroe and we decided that we might like to track it down, despite not knowing where in the city the "Contemporary Jewish Museum" might happen to be.
Of course, when you're just walking around in a great big city, you might very well be miles from where you want to be, and, having all but decided that our idea was a silly one, and feeling rather irked with ourselves about the fact that, despite being in one of the world's great arts centres, we'd never actually much bothered with the galleries and museums of San Francisco. Instead, all of our visits had tended to concentrate more upon the more "touristy" aspects of the place.
Anyway, once again we got lucky because the Contemporary Jewish Museum was clearly marked on one of those "You Are Here" maps at the side of the street as being just a few blocks away, albeit in completely the opposite direction from the one I'd wanted to head off in, and, once we'd found this architecturally startling and very contemporary exhibition space, and - incidentally - been subjected to our only bag search outside of an airport for the entire trip (such are the times in which we live), we spent a very happy couple of hours exploring the astonishing photography of Arthur Newman.
Feeling more culturally enlightened, (I particularly liked the "Yo Semite" tee shirts on sale in the gift shop...), we emerged into the gathering dusk and walked the entire way back to Fisherman's Wharf which was no mean feat, I can tell you, even though it left our feet feeling rather mean.
We decided to have our last evening meal of the trip at Boudin Sourdough's Upstairs Restaurant and, after a peculiar false start when it appeared that there were no tables, and a slightly awkward moment when we got our wine order wrong, we had a very satisfying meal to celebrate (or perhaps to commiserate with ourselves) the holiday.
The Beloved was a little disappointed that she hadn't managed to find an opportunity to go shopping in Ghirardellis, the famous chocolate shop, but I was able to reassure her that, despite the lateness of the hour when we finished eating and left with our complimentary Sourdough turtle, there was a very good chance that it would still be open, which, (because the fates are sometimes very kind), it turned out to be.
When you're right, you're right...
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