This city is starting to really endear me, there’s this arty, warm character to the place. Driving from Sunset through the Haight I was constantly sighing and woo’ing over the georgous terraces, and great little shops and restaurants. Pacifica was the same - just sooo sweet, with a lovely beach covered in mist and cute little houses painted in Pastels like Edward Scissorhands.

 

But then for contrast when you travel further south to the middle of the Bay area and Silicon Valley (where I was working) it’s amazing how much character is missing...it’s like a big concrete business park with bland suburbia filling in the gaps. 12 lane freeways, massive malls, overgrown stores and supersized cars. And I mean HUGE CARS, SUV’s that make a landcruiser look pocketsized. Just rude. But then fuel is really cheap in the US - around half the price of Oz.