Back in Toronto

After spending four months working in California, my internship is finished and I'm back in Toronto. Perhaps nothing more of interest will be happening for a while, but here's a collection pictures from my frequent visits to San Francisco.

A painted heart at Union Square paints the city in an interesting light. There's the flying cable car, historic streetcars, Muni buses and Muni trains among a city of little blue bears.

A tap dancer gives a little performance at the Powell street cable car roundabout.

A drum man nearby performs on empty buckets and water jugs.

A cable car ascends a steep hill against a backdrop of tangled overhead wires, with Chinatown and the Bay Bridge visible in the back.

No tour of the cable car is complete without a peek at the fantastic engine house, which is open to the public, free of admission, to show off the machinery driving the cables.

The golden gate bridge pokes into the fog on a very chilly day in May. We all know what the rest of the bridge looks like, so nothing else to see here...

Exploring some caves near the ruined Sutro Baths.

A historic streetcar runs along the Embarcadero down to Fisherman's Wharf...

Where a giant sign welcomes visitors from all over the world to overpriced lunches, cameras, and souvenirs.

Along the marina, a great number of private boat owners peddle tours of the Bay, and sea lions occasionally swim in to poach at the fish that fall from fishing boats.

Even the McDonald's is so fancily decorated.

The sidewalk is lined with a healthy mix of energetic busker shows with huge crowds and the homeless who implore passers-by for a quarter. At this latter category, passing tourists are often heard to say "that's not so impressive..."

The annual Pride Parade is quite the singular affair. A huge crowd watches a huge parade with enthusiasm.

And it's the only time of year when certain types of people can do certain things without being charged for assault. (It gets a lot more crazy than this...)

And so, without turning this into an overly lengthy gallery, these are my main impressions of San Francisco. There are many more photos if you simply click on any of the ones above and navigate the full albums.