all that happens...

...will eventually repeat itself. Our lives are a cycle of events that sometimes repeat itself. We return to places in our childhood and relive moments... yesterday was a busy day for me, starting as usual very early for me till I finally practically collapsed in bed and fell asleep quickly sometime after 1am, the act of sleeping easily and soundly being something that has evaded me for years, if not decades.

I met a new friend for a walk.... a slow enjoyable walk from North Beach to the base of Telegraph Hill, then up the steps to the top. I recalled that area below the bushes where I spent many a day away from school, and with a friend later who liked photography as much as I did then, and still do.

I often wonder what happened to all those I knew in San Francisco as a young lad, then leaving and not returning till four decades in the future.

From there we took the back route of Telegraph Hill: the infamous long and steep steps of over 200+ steps and leading down toward the Embarcadero... while on this jaunt down into a green lushland, this friend pointed out to me the passion flower (Passiflora incarnata)
which I have never seen, and as I didn't have my camera with me, borrowed her small camera to snap a pix! On flat land again, we continued slowly towards the Ferry Building, stopping often to see things and to take paths closer to the water to relish the spectatular views of the San Francisco Bay and the bridge. It was a cloudy overcast day, and in the distant I pointed out the heavy gray clouds and the steaks of darker color below those vaporous masses, a sign of falling rain.

Inside the Ferry Building, we walked around mixing with the crowds - the farmer's market was in session so the crowds weren't as numerous but still, there was a mess of people looking here, and many dressed in the spirit of Halloween! I stopped at several stands offering a taste of sourdough to be soaked with different flavors of olive oil. I am still amazed how - after living in southern Spain for so long - how olive oil sold in the USA is soooo expensive, often $10USD higher than priced in Spain! sigh

We eventually departed the Ferry Building and returned to North Beach via the Embcarcadero again, soon passing the cruise boat terminal where a huge new cruise ship had just moored, and a mess of people busy on the wide sidewalks with suitcases, maps and more. Some were boarding the ship here and their bags were being wrapped with tape, and their boarding tickets being verified, while others left the building in confused steps, seeking buses, taxis and little more to get to other destinations. We passed that crowd and soon crossed the street and headed toward North Beach. Soon we arrived at a quiet corner where a neighborhood grocery store sat opposite a middle school. This store was my lunch-hour snack and where I purchased my sandwich during my lunch: I can still remember the fresh smell of the tan-colored french roll, the taste of the ham. Back then I was still adjusting to wearing glasses just a few years ~ now I didn't need glasses any longer. Today it was a choice of three types of buns and I chose the dark french roll, ham and topped with mayo and shredded lettuce. The roll wasn't fresh as I once remembered, though the amount of ham was plentiful. We went to Washington Square to eat this and sat there taking in the scene, while my friend threw pieces of the hard dark french roll crust to the grass for the birds. It doesn't matter that two dogs found and ate the bread crusts instead....

In a few more hours I departed to the Western Addition near the Golden Gate Park panhanld - for a Halloween party and after finally finding a place to park - where is there parking in San Francisco - discovered a small side street closed off to car traffic allowing lots of big and short trick-or-treaters to walk about for their share of candies and other treats of the eye, before going to my friend's party!
It's been over four decades since I played any type of active role during Halloween and as innocent as it seems to be just walking through the streets of San Francisco seeing strangers in full paint and costume - even during the day - was throwing this soul into the deep dark well full of memories. I got home well after 10pm and had no problem maneuvering the wet dark but not empty San Franciscan streets. My new eyes were doing me good tonight!!