I grew up in the San Francisco Bay area and have lived there most of my life, except for my college years. As a little kid, my sister and I would take the bus into “the City” with our mother, who, as a young immigrant girl from Northern Ireland,worked in the Emporium department store before she married and moved away. We met her friends, had lunch, went shopping and enjoyed the rides on the rooftop at Christmas. I had my picture taken every year with Santa. Those were my favorite days.
As an adult, I never tire of the City, as it is constantly changing yet it still remains the same. The fog is still there. The views of the bay change with new buildings, but the charm is still there. I am intrigued by the changes in the different neighborhoods and love riding the bus from the Embarcadero all the way across the city to the Legion of Honor, as people get on and off, with their grocery bags and backpacks. I walk the many steps on Greenwich street to the top to see Coit Tower. North Beach, Chinatown, the Mission: it’s all there in the City. I go in often to see a ballet or an exhibit at SFMOMA or the de Young or the Palace. We are so lucky to have so many cultural offering so close at hand..and then there’s the food..oh, no, don’t get me started. There are numerous sites devoted to the food of San Francisco. It would take a lifetime to sample it all.
San Francisco is my almost home and my favorite city.
When I was in college, as a French major my goal was to visit France before I began my teaching career. Paris has been my second favorite city ever since that first trip following graduation. I can’t resist its wide boulevards, cafes, museums and monuments. I have been fortunate enough to stay in apartments several times over the years for extended stays, and became a temporary resident of the neighborhood. Vendors in the market recognized me. The lady at the boulangerie, where I’d get my croissants and baguettes would smile and call out a friendly “Bonjour!” The French are a very welcoming people. There is always something new to see or discover: a special exhibit, a new restaurant, a new neighborhood. Hemingway said Paris is “a moveable feast” and it has always stayed with me, no matter where I am. I long to return.
I guess I left my heart in two places: Paris and San Francisco..
