On Sunday afternoon, I ventured out of my Hotel room for a bit of fresh air, when I suddenly spied throngs of pedestrians cruising along ahead of me at a leisurely pace.
For a moment, I surmised there was a concert or fireworks display slated to start up in one of the venues in nearby China Beach or on the grounds at Coit Tower.
When I ended up in the midst of the effervescent throng at a red light - which was holding up the flow momentarily - I caught sight of a foreign tour guide pointing out attractions of note to the European tour group (mostly German) who hung on every word.
Though I don’t speak German, it was evident from snatches of the dialogue, that he was excitedly noting that the turn-of-the-century architectural beauty on the corner (one of my favorite landmarks) was owned by Francis Ford Coppola - and subsequently - was the West Coast facility used for his film studio.
At this juncture, he slightly turned and pointed to the tall skinny “pyramid” a hop-and-a-skip away, otherwise known as the Transamerica building.
The rapt tourists followed like obedient sheep as he maneuvered his way up a quaint sidestreet towards the heart of Chinatown.
Meanwhile - down Kearny Street - a busload of excited Asian youths tumbled out of a big old charter bus as they proceeded to embark on a tour of a neighborhood rich in their cultural heritage.
In fact, everywhere I turned that day, the streets were teaming with adventurous tourists - in sensible walking shoes with backpacks over their shoulders - out to explore every inch of the captivating romantic city.
Even Union Square appeared to be savoring a resurgence in popularity!
A dozen or so whimsical sculptures sprinkled around the park not only brought a smile to the face, but often triggered a chord or two of a popular song long-associated with the city.
“I left my heart in San Francisco.”
And, the intriguing notion, that big American metropolitan cities need not always be so cold, uniform, and devoid of humanity.
Ashley Brilliant said it best:
"There may not be a heaven, but there is a San Francisco."
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