Post cards. Remember getting those colorful post cards from your family and friends when they visited a new place or city? As a kid I used to collect these post cards, and pester folks to send them to me. Sometimes, a Kindly neighbor would give me their old post cards that their “foreign” friends sent them. Somewhere in my house I still have a couple of shoe boxes with a stack of post cards. And then there were the colorful calendars with pictures and captivating images of places and people from different parts of the world. I remember those intensely vivid Eastman calendars that featured scenes from Germany. Or, was it ORWO calendar? These postcards and calendars trasported me to different places around the world and kindled my curiosity about their culture, food and  music. A picture speaks a thousand words was so true for those of us who grew up in the pre-Internet age.

Anyway, I digressed. In this digital age those old tyme postcards are not cool. What is cool are video post cards. Every week I shall (attempt) to share a video postcard from my travels. Hope you enjoy these travel cards.

Here is the first travel post card from San Francisco. San Francisco, or the city by the bay is a compact place filled wtih interestingness. Here is a quick dekho at San Fran, please don’t call it ‘Frisco. We zip acorss the city from the iconic Golden Gate bridge to the Bay bridge, Nob Hill, and Land’s End.

Quick Travel Suggestions:

If you have less than 24 hours in San Francisco here are a couple of things you can do. San Francisco is a food obssessed city and there are lots of neat little cafes, dives and wonderful restaurants to suit your budget. Head down to the bottom of Ferry Building Marketplace on Market Street to grab a coffee from Blue Bottle Coffee and a sandwich from Cowgirl Creamery. Don’t sit in. Head straigh out to the back of the building and park yourself in a sunny spot and  do some people watching. Maybe you can play Otis Redding’s “Sitting By The Dock Of The Bay,” while you are noshing that sandwich?

Alternatively instead of the Ferry Bulding head to the Fisherman’s Wharf area in a cable car. The best part of riding the cable car is you will catch tantalizing glimpses of the city from its  steep streets. At the wharf  grab one of those famous San Francisco sour dough sandwiches at Boundin Bakery and afterwards head down to taste that famous glass of Irish coffee at Buena Vista Cafe. Be warned, it will be crowded.  And if you still have some room then mosey over to Ghiradelli Square and indulge in a sweet treat at the famous chocolate store.

Now, if you are a littlel bit adventorous mosey up to China Town and the neighboring Italian neighborhood of North Beach. And if you are really, really adventerous then head over to Golden Gate Park and Cliff House. All these places are easily accessible via public transportation or by Uber or Lyft. Let me clarify – you can reach both these destinations by bus and then walk around to explore.

Wear comfortable shoes and don’t forget to grab your jacket. San Francisco weather can be very deceptive and it can go from being warm and toasty to cold within hours.

Enjoy your trip to San Francisco.