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San Francisco
We drive north on the coastline highway 1, fringed by wild beaches on one side and by arable lands on the other side.
In San Francisco, we find a place for the camper at "Baker Beach" at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge... Super view.
This city counts a number of world known symbols:
-The Golden gate Bridge
-The coloured victorian houses
-Alcatraz jail
-Steep roads reaching 30%
-The Beat generation
-The Hippies summer of love
-The High Tech revolution
San Francisco : A secret bay in one of the most beautiful natural harbour of the world.
First discovered in 1602 by a spanish sailor, it has been colonized in 1776 by spanish families coming by foot from Mexico to found "el Presidio".
In 1846, the conquest of California by the americans and above all the discovery of Gold in the Sierra Nevada, changed the destiny of the city named
"san Francisco" in 1847.
The population then grows from 800 to 36 500 inhabitants whithin five years and is transformed into a huge building site to host all the newcomers.
On April 18th 1906 at 5:12 AM, a terrible earthquake shakes the city causing hunfreds of deaths, 100 000 homeless and the burning of 800 houses during three days.
San francisco quickly recovers and celebrates its rebuilding in 1915.
After the second world war, each decade brings SF to the front of the stage for its dissident voice ( Beat generation, Hippy movement and sexual and gay liberation)
We spend three days and a half, visiting the neighborhood of this city built on 37 hills.
-Fisherman's Warf : its museums, shops and restaurants
-SFMOMA : Modern Art museum with a very good temprary exhibition of Magrittes's paintings
-China Town : The heart of the city, where the first chinese settled during the gold rush in 1848.
-Nob Hill : famous for its cable cars
-Russian Hill and Lombard Street : the crookiest street of the world
-Haight Ashbury : The birth place of the hippy generation
-Alamo Square : with its six coloured victorian houses
and of course
-The Golden Gate Bridge :2 km long and 230 meters high.
We spend our last evening in SF with Brigitte and Gottfried who prepared a nice diner for us. Thanks !
Santa Cruz
After a quiet but very cold night, in the forest where does wandered around the camper, we head down to the valley to get some warmth.
We drive through miles and miles of organic strawberries cultivations.
We take a two days break along the pacific Ocean, close to Santa Cruz.
ROAD BOOK 025
MAVROS ODYSSEE