- Saturday, July 3rd
23.12h PDT - Tosj | Sniff, no more WWDC, so we try to see more of the San Francisco and America. First thing we do is go to the Metreon, a big cinema just one block away. We wanted to go yesterday in the evening, but then the really annoying (NOT!) diner was planned and we postponed seeing Shrek2 to today. The movie was great, although for reviews you should just search in Google. After the movie we paid our fourth or was is already fifth visit to the Apple Store to get some new iPod earphones, the old ones of Alex were broken. Then we march up to Pier 39 were there are only 2 sealions left, the rest have left for breading. We hang around a little bit, see pelicans flying over and have again a look at our primary target for tonight: Alcatraz. The weather is not that good still, but it might also be an advantage to get some really cool pictures, and as a spoiler: we did! Have a look at them here.
We hang around, visit some of the tourist shops and get back to get something to eat. We find a nice Mexican 'fast food' restaurant were we have some burritos. At 18.50h we start shipping for Alcatraz. It is already getting darker because of the sunset and there are beautiful sunrays getting through the clouds that are quite low above the ocean and the bay. After a short travel around The Rock we get our feet on the solid bottom of the island. After seeing the movie The Rock the island is not that big as it seems in the movie and also the deterioration of the island has been carefully kept out of the movie. Nevertheless, the island is very impressive and especially the audiotour through the cell blocks, the library and the dining room show perfectly how awful it must have been in the small rooms the prisoners had.
After the tour we get out to have a look at San Francisco by nightfall, it is great to see the lights in the city turning on one after each other. Also the lighting of the Oakland bridge is beautiful, but the Golden Gate Bridge is less illuminated than we had expected. We make some great panoramas and at 21.30h we get back to pier 41 have another look at Alcatraz by night and take the Cable Car home after spending half an hour in the waiting line. People driving the big strechlimos around the city are insisting that we have to take one of their cars, but once we were on the car it was worth all the waiting. Back at Powel station we get off and walk back to the hotel. Tomorrow our last day here in San Francisco, mixed feeling about getting back, the city and its surroundings were great, but being home again is also very tempting. We'll have a look at the 4th of July and then it is over.