Timeout for two... Short but not least: San Francisco

I don't have much to say about the city with the famous Golden Gate Bridge. Except that I had good food and discovered a few nice restaurants and cafes... 😊 I spent 2 nights at the Samesun Hostel in the city center but only had half a day to explore the city. BUT: I will return to San Francisco next year before going to Hawaii. Then I can explore more of what the city has to offer with Nico (not just the food... although it was damn good and looked amazing...).

It was definitely fun driving up and down the steep streets with the car. With enough speed, you could almost take off with the wave-like road pattern :-D
I arrived late at the hostel and met Youchen from the Netherlands in my room. She is originally from Taiwan and is studying environmental research. She was attending a conference in San Francisco, met two more researchers from Germany and the Netherlands there, and made plans for dinner. She invited me to join them. We went to a Japanese restaurant across from the hostel. The evening was very entertaining and the udon noodles were really good.

The next day, everyone went their separate ways. In the morning, I at least trudged to the laundromat. After my laundry was done and the washing machine actually ate one of my socks (It's not a myth, it's true!), I searched online for a popular restaurant with the best burgers in town. I was really in the mood for it! So it led me to the restaurant "Causwells". It was located on Chestnut Street. The street is lined with great cafes, bars, restaurants, shops, and more. Perfect for strolling. But first, burgers 😊 Oh yes, it was damn good! And especially not too greasy that you overeat. Strengthened, I set off on foot (I only have one sock left :-P) to the Golden Gate Bridge.

I walked through the Presidio of San Francisco park. You shouldn't underestimate how big it is. It took me over an hour to get to the bridge. Here and there, there was always a nice photo opportunity of the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and downtown. Although the bridge was in the clouds, it wasn't completely engulfed. It's a shame that the rental e-scooters are prohibited in the park complex, my feet were starting to hurt after the long walk :-D On the way back, outside the prohibited zone, I took a scooter for the last few meters that brought me back to Chestnut Street and to "Peet's Coffee and Tea". I noticed this café on the way to the restaurant. It looked very inviting. I was looking forward to a cozy seating area and a warming caramel macchiato. The very cool wind on the bridge was quite strong.

Oh no! The café had actually closed an hour earlier... It was Sunday, 6 pm, and there wasn't really much going on here. Fortunately, a Starbucks was still open nearby. I needed hot coffee! Luckily, I found one on Union Street. A few meters further, there was the restaurant "The Italian Homemade Company". The pasta is freshly prepared. It also looked very, very delicious. Unfortunately, I didn't have much of an appetite... I had prepared noodles among other things during the last 4 days in Yosemite. Well, a to-go panna cotta with the coffee did the trick... I'll be back 😊

I leisurely strolled back to the hostel and took some nice pictures of the cute houses in the streets of San Francisco. My evening was short: light dinner and bedtime... The flight to Mexico started very early.

I couldn't wait! Nico, here I come...