It's the weekend!

Saturday 14 April

Not a good start to the morning - rain!! However, by the time we set off for the ferry to Alcatraz it had stopped but didn't look too promising. We got the Muni to the end of Market St stopping for bagels, stuffed croissants and sandwiches to keep us going. A brisk walk along the Embacardero to Pier 33 and a very orderly queue for the ferry. They certainly know how to organise people in America but then most things are a federal offence if not done properly! The sky and water were very grey as we headed for the island....

Once landed (well organised with no eating or drinking after the dock) we climbed up the 4 switchback roads to collect our audio tour sets and spent the next hour or so in total silence following the trail around the prison as instructed on the tape by ex prison officers and inmates of the prison.

The cells were incredibly small and basic and it gave a really good idea of what life must have been like for inmates and officers. A quick look around the shop and a walk back to the ferry for the return trip via the Western gulls own particular patch of island. A brown pelican flew by too but didn't stop long enough for a photo! This magnificent gull was captured by M.

The weather was looking a lot better although somewhat breezy.

We continued our walk along the Embarcadero to Fisherman's Wharf which is the modern, American version of a pier with lots of shops, cafes etc - very touristy but worth a look. There were lots of big fat seals lying on pontoons near the piers! We headed off towards Downtown and Union Square, calling into Bloomingdales shopping mall for a brief sit down on their comfy chairs! Smart dome!

Very like the Trafford Centre - perhaps that is where Manchester got the idea from. We walked to Little Italy where we stopped at a lovely restaurant for a meal then carried on through to Chinatown. We popped into St Mary's Cathedral which survived the earthquake and then right along Market St and back to B & M's apartment. Time to load photos onto Flickr, blog, watch TV and visit Trader Joes (B & M) for lovely snacks and beer later in the evening.

Sunday 15 April

Ben decided that Santa Cruz was the place to be on a bright Sunday after a lazy start! We set off about noon for the 40+ mile journey via highways 101, 85 and 17 rather than the more picturesque but very windy coastal highway 1. Santa Cruz is famous for it Boardwalk which is basically a linear Blackpool with roller coasters, amusements etc. J, B & M bought corn dogs then we walked along the beach towards a quieter, more interesting stretch with lighthouse but where it was incredibly windy - not really conducive to sitting in the sun!

As the wind was behind us we hoped to find shelter on the other side of the lighthouse but unfortunately the harbour was in the way when we got there! We strolled back through the town to the parking lot and decided to drive back towards SF and found a Greek cafe in Palo Alto which is a stone's throw from Stamford Uni. We took a stroll through the town then did a small detour to try to find the Yahoo! headquarters where Ben will be working over the summer. I think this was definitely the highlight of the day for Ben and it certainly looked impressive. Was this the reason why he suggested Santa Cruz? Google was even bigger and better. J will probably be questioned by the Federal Police as he took photos!!

Back to Clementina St for relaxation (B & M went to the gym and shops!), TV snacks and so to bed - again. Tomorrow B & M are at work so we will be set loose to do some of the Downtown things suggested in Mandy's guide book! Ww have also offered to cook tea!! Watch this space.

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