In San Francisco I stayed with a family I met through contacts from Portland. So I spent 5 days in Height Ashbury the district where the hippie movement started in the 60s. Height Street with its street art, music from the 60s and 70s, colorful stores, many memories of Jimmi Handrix and some oldschool record stores, is full of joie de vivre and reminds me of times gone by.
I experienced a similar flair in Golden Gate Park. As if I had planned it, the three-day Hardly Strictly Country and Blues Festival, which is free to San Francisco residents, was taking place during those days in San Francisco. It was started decades ago by a wealthy philanthropist and music connoisseur and continues today years after his death. That afternoon, over 30,000 people were in Golden Gate Park in beautiful weather to listen and cheer along to the music on one of the 6 stages. Together with Whaytt, the son of the family I stayed with, we had a wonderful day, where I let myself be carried away by the San Francisco flair.
Over the next few days, though I didn’t walk around the city in ripped jeans, I explored every corner on my bike. Since I’m a friend of challenges, I couldn’t resist climbing some of San Francisco’s steepest streets by bike. At the steepest street, Filbert Street, which is a parallel street to the famous serpentine Lombard Street with 31.5% gradient, I unfortunately had to pass and pushed the bike uphill.
As much as there is to tell about San Francisco, I can only say that I was completely captivated by this city.
