Sunday - a day of rest for some, family catch up for others

Sunday 9th August. Tas arises at some unearthly hour to catch his cab for the airport. He is heading to NYC, that's New York and Boston for a week or more before reuniting with us in LA. Naturally we arise as well to farewell him in the manner to which he is accustomed (and to provide back up transport just in case the Indian taxi driver he booked does not turn up.) He does so we return to sleep for a couple more hours.
Flashman decides he needs a day at home, so while Lady P prepares for more SF adventures, he sleeps in, reads, blogs and wanders up to the local Safeway for delicious salad and chicken supplies for when Lady P returns. Great to still be in PJ's at 2pm and have two beers before even showering.

Meanwhile Lady P literally runs to the local 
BART station some 20 mins away in order to catch the 9.42am train to the city. Sunday trains are only 20mins apart and time is off the essence as there are things to see and places to go. She meets up with the A team (read adults, Aussi's or whatever) but essentially Jo, Steph and Adam and advises re travelling on the famous SF cable car. The queue is at least a block and a half long at the turntable on Powell St but by moving up towards Union Square we are able to secure a spot after only 1/2 hr and ride up the steep slopes and down the other side assisting the 'brakeman' on the way as we are hanging on the back verandah of the cable car. 
A stroll along the old Fisherman's wharf promenade leads us to our destination, the Ghiradelli chocolate factory. Mmmmm - another tick off Steph's list and the chocolate wasn't bad either. Just to ensure we walked off a few calories Lady P took on the tour guide role and led the  A team up a steep flight of stairs and through a delightful neighbourhood of San Francisco known as Pacific Heights. Not a tourist in sight and stunning typical SF houses cheek by jowl with delightful gardens and really interesting architecture. It was bliss and even in the hot

 midday sun seemed very easy to take (and luckily didn't involve any more steep hill climbs) more by good luck than good management as she was literally flying by the seat of her pants and intuitive sense of direction. The A team seemed impressed, even after 3kms of sidewalk pounding, especially so when at the corner of Steiner and Broadway we reached our next destination,'Mrs Doubtfire's' house.Looking a little tired after all these years it still rated highly up in the photo stakes and ticked another box in our day's journey. The final destination was the famous' Painted Ladies' on the edge of Alamo Square. Further exercise was out of the question especially several kms so we hailed a cab on California St and were dropped right out the front of the said attraction. Like some tourist attractions that are built up on all the brochures these were a bit of a let down, which even the friendly cab driver had warned us but we headed across to the other side of the 'brown is the new green' square (reflecting the severe drought currently being experienced in CA) and down the hill for some sustenance. Stumbling upon the very 'hip' Bean Bag Cafe Lady P in true tour guide fashion, secured a table for four in no time. Sipping on lavender lemonade and ginger lemonade we ate an assortment of 'hip' cuisines from crepes to burritos and took advantage of the 'free wifi'. When the aroma of the 60's (read weed) began to infiltrate the cafe we departed and to preserve the dollars and cents for some retail therapy sourced a cheap, $1.25 trolley bus ride back into Market St and a visit to the shopping centre. By 7.30pm after a BART ride home Lady P arrived and enjoyed a much needed G & T and a delicious chicken salad dinner prepared by the much rested Flashman.