Fun in San Francisco-part 1

I had been in the South Bay (San Jose) for two weeks to work in the west coast lab. So the weekend in between was a perfect opportunity for Nelson to visit. On Saturday we drove up to San Francisco to meet our friend who lives in the Castro district. This area known for its gay community had a vibrant feel with several ad hoc street performers. We walked downtown towards a row of restaurants and got some good, affordable Thai food for lunch. Then we took about a 10min to Dolores Park, located in the Mission district. I didn't really notice the view until I walked up the hill and suddenly turned around to see the city sprawled over the mountains.

Then we drove across the Golden Gate Bridge and went up the headlands to continue to enjoy this amazing view from several lookout points. It really was a magical combination of natural beauty and architecture. We were lucky that the weather was ideal for being outside and the mist hadn't yet set in. Afterwards we arrived in Sausalito and enjoyed some dessert and coffee in a nice roadside cafe.

It was early in the night when we went back to the city for dinner with friends. We were lucky to find great street parking close to our chosen restaurant. Our friends had chosen Calzones at the North Beach, the Little Italy of SF. Their appeal of the restaurant was the seating outside that enabled people watching in the comfort of heated lamps. Unfortunately we had to settle for a comfortable booth upstairs but we didn't mind. We enjoyed a great combination of mohitos, bruschetta, pizza and tiramisu.
Our last stop for the night was Top of the Mark. The 360 degree view of the city was thrilling on this clear night. The drinks menu consisted of more than 50 martinis. Desserts and finger foods were also available in the early hours of the evening. The live band was entertaining the much older crowd that was dancing the night away. We had a wonderful time catching up with old friends and just taking in this spectacular view. The waiter was very kind to waive the $15 cover charge as we left around 1pm after the band finished its run.