Our first night in San Francisco saw us across Mason Street and a block further north, here…

We had a delicious meal – sweet yam fries (yum), buttermilk biscuits (double yum), jumbalya (Russ), spinach salad with chicken (me), Anchor Steam beer (Russ) and Sierra Nevada pale ale (me). Then we stopped to listen to the Bay City Blues Band. They offered ear plugs at the entrance. That aside, they were a fabulous, generous band that gave it their all and more. With a female vocalist not pictured below.

Afterwards we wandered round to Union Square, down to and along Market Street and then wound our way back to the hostel.

The highlight of any journey is surely those serendipitous path-crossings with fellow travellers. Waiting to board the flight to Auckland, Russ spotted a man of around our age with a carved pendant – a little flute or whistle as it turned out. Russ commented on the carving, they talked briefly and then we boarded, only to find that Kim was seated next to us. The airtime between Christchurch and Auckland was rich with conversation, revealing shared interests and delight in each other’s company. So we parted with contact details exchanged and a resolve to meet again – and I do believe we will.

At San Francisco Airport, after an interminable immigration snake, the shuttle lady was a breath of fresh air with a genuine enthusiasm for her city and a delight in sharing that enthusiasm. (Enter briefly and exit rapidly President Trump.) The ride improved out of sight when we discovered that Russ’s wallet was not back on the airport tarmac as we feared but hiding on the shuttle floor! 

The welcome at our Youth Hostel in downtown San Francisco could not have been more warm, friendly and helpful. And what do you know – outside the hostel on the busy roadside are these still-flowering pohutakawa trees.  So SF opened its arms on a balmy early autumn day.

A good start I felt, as Lesley farewelled us at Christchurch airport…

… but then, before we had even boarded the plane to Auckland …

That woman is a sneaky photographer!