Dear San Francisco,
Perhaps you are now still under the blankets of your bed overlooking the beautiful morning cityscape captured in the frame of your window, or you are already having a cup of your long brewed coffee, planning to meet some friends for brunch in Downtown. Yes, we have this huge time difference in between but this only fosters my imagination what are you up to right now, when I am having an afternoon cup of tea on the patio of our house.
Meeting you last week gave me a pleasure only a new friend could bring in our life: first moments of getting to know each other, enjoying the first pieces of conversation, being curious. Yes, you made me curious about yourself and all those sparkling stories and subjects hidden behind the corners of your streets and now when I think back about our time together a smile appears on my face.
I remember how we were having a coffee in the foggy morning of your Haight-Ashbury crossroad, hoping the weather will get better so we could take more photographs of the funny billboards, when we were getting lost in the colourful lantern-covered streets of Chinatown or when we were following the uphill route of the cable car, just to stop on the top of steep street and discover the piece of bridge and ocean locked in the end of the street.
Thank you for listening carefully to my footsteps and rewarding me with those breathtaking views. It was great to meet you and I hope we will be back together soon.
Keep your city rhythm so enchanting for all your residents and visitors.
Warm hugs from Milano,
L.
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On the transatlantic flight back I kept building pleasant memories about San Francisco with the book of Gary Kamiya, Cool Gray City of Love: 49 views of San Francisco, where the author, similarly like the Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai who depicted 36 different views of Mt. Fuji, revealing the mountain beauty from different angles.
Gary Kamiya says: I do not personify San Francisco quite explicitly, anyone who loves a city inevitably comes to think of it as a true companion, a faithful friend who grows old with us.
I recommend the book to everyone who likes San Francisco and who likes urban exploration. It really does contribute in a great manner to my understanding about the place.
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