San Francisco - The Wrong Airport

 It was the last breakfast at the bakery. We checked out from the hotel, put our luggage in the storage room and walked to the cinema to spend the few hours we have left watching Jersey Boys, a movie that came out only a few hours ago. We decided this was a good way to spend the day since we were leaving.  Oh and by the way, we went past Japan Town.







The fun didn’t start until we came back to Casa Loma (our hotel). We were picked up on time, the driver was nice, but already when I got in the car I suspected that something was wrong. He dropped us off at the international terminal. We went inside. I started looking for the Norwegian desk, it wasn’t there. In the end we asked someone and they told us we were at San Francisco International. We were travelling from Oakland. WE WERE ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE BAY.

The drive cost us $100 and took over an hour in the rush hour traffic. If we had decided to leave later we would not have made it in time for that plane. Luckily Oakland is a small airport and checking in and security went by very fast, we got a Starbucks each, a bottle of California wine and was finally back in the comfortable Dreamliner seats with our movies, books and music. 10 hours Norway, 10 hours.

San Francisco - Thrift Shop

It’s our last (full) day in San Francisco and we’re both tired. I think that we’re both ready to go home now, or to get like 2 days of sleep and keep travelling. It’s been an amazing journey and this day just made it all better.

   We started out thrifting at this huge Goodwill down in the Mission. I love thrifting and this place was a  treasure chest and I found a good pile of treasures including some perfectly fitting beautiful Steve Madden shoes. We continued around town to pick up the things on top of our wish-lists. After that we got a bus to the hotel, then we went to our bakery for lunch. Loving it. That evening we got some gifts for loved ones, bought a subway and some cupcakes for dinner and went back to the hotel to pack our stuff.








San Francisco is a wonderful place, perfect for shopping. It’s full of amazing, unique little stores selling EVERYTHING. I’ve never found more amazing souvenirs anywhere (except for maybe in Asia) at such amazing prices. The only problem was the distance between the stores, San Francisco is HUGE. But beautiful. But huge. Oh well, I guess everything’s bigger in America. Still beautiful.

San Francisco - (Under) the Sea

When we woke up today San Francisco finally felt like California and I could finally wear shorts and a crop top without freezing to death. So what did we decide to do? To go to the windiest place in town: The beach by Golden Gate Bridge.

This place is beautiful and covered by white, soft sand that lures its way into shoes, hair, sweaters and panties, but it’s so windy. I wouldn’t even think of crossing the bridge! We spent some time on the beach, taking photos and admiring the awesome view before heading over to Pier 39.







After passing the beautiful Palace of Art, we went shopping on Pier 39, before our visit to the aquarium. This is a must see no matter what age you are. It’s just so much fun, and it’s a good way to learn about the bay that surrounds you as well (and ff you get there by public transportation you get a discount)!







For dinner we went to Bubba Gump Shrimp Co – for you Europeans this is a Forest Gump (Remember Bubba?) inspired restaurant chain. It’s amazingly carried out and the staff are incredibly friendly, so what’s missing? The food is overpriced and just okey, but still: Bubba Gump is an experience. 

San Francisco: Flowers (and wind) in my hair

The week in California passed us by SO FAST! I couldn't find the time to update my blog, but for every one interested, here's the first post about my adventures in San Francisco: 

I can’t even begin to describe how much I’ve been freezing today. San Francisco, 6 hours from Los Angeles, is like a different world (and it’s a very windy one). It’s located in North California, by the San Francisco Bay and is home to 802 000 people.
We found a bakery on our way to the city center, which after only minutes became the place we would come back to for breakfast every day. Cake, fruit and sandwiches as tempting as could be. La Boulange at the corner of Ocativa and Hayes never disappointed.



 One of the first thing we noticed about San Francisco was it’s pride. ‘Sisco has been the home of Summer of Love and Harvey Milk. I can’t imagine any city with more of an open heart. It’s the Pride Month and the rainbow flag is swaying, not only from one pole, but from nearly all of them, outside the City Hall. And all the way up Market Street.





We went shopping, looking for something warmer than my shorts and crop top that I deeply regretted wearing. The first thing I did was buy a Stitch at the Disney Store, before hitting the very amazing China Town. It’s so authentic and full of Chinese-everything. Pictures can't describe it.

After a while we reached Pier 39, the place were tourists gather to see the Bay, the sea lions and of course eat. But today, after some food at the HRC because it was just too cold to stay outside, we finally did what everybody else did: we bought hoodies. I mean COME ON! Even the sea lions were freezing, no wonder there’s barely any left.





Interesting ends right here. We had take away pizza for dinner. I’m not really on California time yet so I almost passed out and fell asleep.

San Francisco = Little Asia

More food. It’s already clear that this amazing city is gonna be all about breakfast. I’m not kidding. The weather was better today and we decided to walk down to the Golden Gate Park (that is nowhere near the Golden Gate Bridge) and look at people and trees and of course we did some looking at the De Young Museum (we didn’t go in) and we went to Japanese Tea Garden (amazing place!) This is a wonderful little oasis in the middle of a big city and is a must-visit for any visitor.













For some reason we decided to walk to Target, just because we could. We walked around the store for a while before finding a bus back to Union Square. I, being my clumsy self, could mess up even the simple ticketing system and excused my self to the bus driver: “I don’t know the public transport here very well!”
“Except the tram!” he smiled. I just shook my head. The tram was $6 and went from Union to Pier 39, I had seen the queues and felt the wind. “Not even the tram,” I replied and he laughed.



We went to Westfield for some shopping and I ended up with curls, underwear from Victoria Secret and on my way home: a cheeseburger from McDonalds. The plan when we got to SanFran was to take it slow, and that is exactly what we’re doing.

Los Angeles - California Roadtrip (day 2, pt 2)

The traffic was horrible at 1pm and we were starting to doubt whether we would make it to the bus or not. The metro to Union Station was delayed. When we got there we nearly ran through the place to find a taxi that could drive us to the bus station. We got in just in time it seemed. Then we got the message that all routes had delays, but not how much. When I finally decided to get myself a cheeseburger, the bus arrived – an hour late. But due to Jose (sometimes I think LA is a part of Mexico) the burger boy and the very nice driver I got my burger just in time to take it on the bus.



The driver was amazing and thank God for that. I think we were the only white people on it for the entire 8 hours, we were also the only tourists. He made sure we could sit together, at the very front, with a great view. He gave us stuff to read about the celebration of Greyhounds 100 years, he told us it was founded by a Swede, he made sure we didn’t get sun in our eyes, but that I could take good pictures anyway. Thank you Greyhound, thank you driver.



California is amazing. From the hills in the south, to the gusty winds (ahead) while driving north. It was all beautiful and I’m really glad we took the bus. It has sockets and wifi and blue, UV reading light – we were in no need.















Even the people at the bus station in San Francisco people were really friendly and booked us a taxi since they had all left when the bus was late. We arrived at the hotel around half 1 and went, almost, straight to bed.

Los Angeles - The Happiest Place on Earth (Day 2 pt. 1)

Our driver picked us up at 7.30 am. He was a nice, smiling guy that had quit his old job to be a driver. He said he loved driving people, especially tourists as they were so happy all the time. The time passed quickly as we chatted with him nearly all the 40 minutes to Anaheim and Disneyland.



And when we finally got inside? Disneyland Paris is huge and awesome, for sure. Disneyland California is… well, it’s so right. This is the original park from 1955 (of course with a bunch of New Rides) and it’s so American and sooo right. We had breakfast in there before setting out to explore the different parts. The happiest place on earth had it all: the cutest and most amusing rides, the food, the smiling kids, the stores and the characters – we even met Pluto! We only got 4 hours, but still. You have to go and see it for yourself. It’s just a place were dreams come true.

Los Angeles - Long Live the Optimism (I got up at 4am)

Oh Gosh, I got up at 4, our driver picked us up at 5, by 6 we were at the airport and 7 am we departed from New York’s JFK and 6 hours later (after a lot of Disney movies), 10 am local time we arrived at LAX. It was a long way from the airport to the city, but we arrived in Hollywood before we had planned and checked into simple PodShare that basically consisted of one room (and a bath room) full of fancy bunkers.

The first thing we did was walk down Hollywood Boulevard to find the Hard Rock – number 17, done – before finding Red Line Tour and taking a walking tour around the “block”. It was really cheap and quite good. Our guide, Armond seemed to know his stuff and we got to know a lot about the history of Hollywood.







After that walk, we did our own walk. Partly to find the Visitor Center so we could plan our journey to San Francisco and our day in Disneyland, partly to just see, well Hollywood. The Boulevard isn’t really the place to be. There are a lot homeless people in LA and for some reason they’re all crowding up there, the streets feel dirty and around the biggest tourist attractions there’s hardly no place to walk with all the performers, people dressed up as superheroes, guides trying to sell you tours to Beverly Hills and tourists sitting on the street to get a photo with their favourite star’s star.



                           

We were tired, but still tried to go to Venice Beach. By bus. After waiting 20 minutes for the second bus in the wind on Venice Blvd, we decided to give it up and go back to Pod to change and find some food. Fast food. We wanted to go to sleep early, but many of the people living at pod were preparing to go out, so we stayed up for a while.



But like many people we met said: There’s no place like Hollywood. There are all these dreams of the people living in, working in and visiting this place. It’s so… I don’t know how to describe it. I guess it’s optimistic. I think it has to be. I mean you literally walk over the names of people who made it here, that has to help with your optimism, hasn’t it?