A big bridge and a little island, California

Namely The Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz island.
After enjoying the view from our window the night before, we set off on the morning of the 30th to experience one of the most famous sights in the United States, the Golden Gate bridge. We set to walk across the bridge, and while the first stretch is fenced off, the majority of the bridge has only a handrail separating you from stunning views across of the white city. As we went further along the bridge, we saw some bizzare objects lying on the pylons on the outer edge of the bridge, but looking a little further, Hayley spotted dolphins in the bay below (poor picture, I know, but that's the best one out of about 12 shots). Eventually, we made it to the 2 main towers of the bridge, which provide some sterling oppurtunities for arty photography. Reaching the other end of the bridge, I gained a different perspective on the small, closed off building I had seen before, but was no closer to finding out what it once was. Despite the cold and windy conditions up on the bridge, it was a fine morning, weather-wise. The ocean, on the other hand, was not so hospitable.
The walk across the Golden gate bridge really is an amazing one, and a great way to get a sense of the history and scale of the whole city.

After visiting the bridge and taking a drive through the lovely Presidio (which I was so taken with, I forgot to take photos >_> <_<), we made ou way down the the famous pier 39, which is basically a tourist trap nowadays. This is somewhat redeemed by the colony of Sea Lions that resides on a series of barges nearby. You could stand for hours and watch these amazing animals sleeping, swimming, fighting and scratching themselves, they provide an excellent oppurtunity for some hardcore anthropomorphism ("look, he's waving to us" and the like).

From the moment we stepped onto the Alcatraz ferry, but especially once we reached The Rock itself, I'm afraid I got a little snap-happy. I think I've fallen in love with the little island in the middle of the bay which nowadays, half in ruins, provides a wealth of places to explore and discover, albeit in a somewhat limited manner (I hate these signs. If only I had the guts/stupidity to ignore them). All of Alcatraz is stunning, but I particularly loved the fact that, by virtue of its position in the very centre of the bay, you can gain some very unique perspectives on San Francisco. Imagine being an inmate here between 1934 and 1964 (when the island served as a maximum security federal penitentiary) and seeing one of the most beautiful cities in the world so close, yet so far away...

After a short ferry ride back across the bay, we stopped for what I'm told is an authentic specialty of the San Francisco wharfs, Clam chowder served in a hollowed out sourdough roll... All I know is that it was delicious.

Just a quick note, while I'm posting a reasonable number of pictures up here each day, I'm taking a whole bunch more. Today, for example, I took 120 odd photos. If any of y'all wanna see the unabridged photo 'album' when I get back, just tell me and I'd be happy to burn you a copy or something.