Day 23: Fisherman's Wharf

Joggers, walkers, cyclists and segwayers on the municipal pier and swimmers in the bay all added to the somewhat unexpected hub of activity around the Bay area harbor; unexpected considering it was mid week and mid October. Fisherman’s Wharf was alive with enthusiastic vendors of the ubiquitous wind jackets, fleeces, and hats and with the intoxicating aroma of fresh steamed mussels, clams and crabs. And, depending on the vantage, we were treated to views of Alcatraz or the Coit Tower or the Transamerica Building.

Walking was our activity for the day. It was a little over a mile from our motel on Lombard Street to Fisherman’s Wharf and several more miles to visit every shop on the wharf in the hope of finding the perfect hat or jacket or other memento.

We did a lot of research to seek out the best eatery for our lunch, stopping by many sit-down restaurants to check their menus and most of the kiosks that offered clam chowder in bread bowls, crab, shrimp and tuna cocktails and of course fish and chips. We settled on Cioppino’s which was actually the first restaurant whose menu we reviewed and whose cioppino was claimed to be the best in San Francisco according to some food magazine.  For those who aren’t familiar with cioppino, it’s a chunky mélange of seafood usually including some sort of white fish, prawns, mussels, clams, and calamari in a rich, spicy tomato sauce. It’s not sure whether it wants to be a soup or a stew. But it’s one of my favourite seafood dishes. And Cioppino’s didn’t disappoint. Once we determined that the cioppino was gluten-free we shared a large bowl on the sunny patio and capped it off with a cappuccino. Cioppino and Cappucino on the patio on Fisherman’s Wharf. Perfect.

Nourished and refreshed by our most relaxing and enjoyable lunch, we were able to negotiate the crowds on Pier 39, a shopping mecca to behold. Shop after shop and café after café wind along both sides of the pier on two levels with the central attraction being a two level carousal.

My own shopping experience today was a lesson in price bargaining. Although, I have to admit I contributed very little to the price reduction other than to remain silent. I had dropped into a camera shop to ask about a lens hood, something I’ve been thinking about for awhile. I purchased one and immediately the salesman presented me with a polarizing filter – a new HD version of one I have at home. The effects of the sample exposures using my own camera were astounding but the price was steep at $129. My hesitation, however, brought the price down by increments to $59. I’m embarrassed to say that the whole process was so overwhelming that I didn’t buy the filter but rather decided to sleep on it. I’ve been having what is probably the opposite of buyer’s remorse ever since.

Our walk back to our motel took us through heaven: Ghirardelli Square, chocolate central. Ghirardelli chocolates are available most places now but the 1895 red brick building in the centre of San Francisco is where it all started.

It was a cold, windy walk back to our motel. My feet hurt but it was a good day.

Until tomorrow. . . .