Twin peaks, The Castro, City Hall & FABULOUS Thai Food

First: The pagoda style building that I saw a few days ago and did not know whether it was Japanese or Chinese style definitely is located in JapanTown, as I found out on today's ride. 

Not located in Japantown are these buildings though:

They are somewhere along the way to Twin Peaks.  Yes, there even was a TV series by that name. But those fictional twin peaks were set in Washington State.  So why am I heading to Twin Peaks, SF?  It's a place with its own name on a map. And it's supposed to offer a fabulous view of San Francisco.

View from Twin Peaks, NOT my picture

If it's not foggy, that is !

But a certain optical fuzziness only increases the further I head up the hills (A visual image of a hill per se is not discernible, but the road keeps going up). As if the fog wasn't enough, wind gusts out of varying directions try to rip me off the bike.g

Again: What you're supposed to see (not my pic) ...

...and today's reality

As soon as I head downhill again, the sun comes out.

And where does this downhill lead me to?


To the biggest Rainbow Flag I have seen in my life.




























I go to a bank here to exchange those pesky 100 $ bills that no store will take anywhere. (NOTE: 100$ bills are much more annoying if one doesn't have any !)

 I stay away from a Manicure Place with the name of Hand Job.

I wonder whether seamen come here.







Before arising out of the topographical and writing-level depths of the Castro, I find a cigarette store that sells me cigarettes for about half the price that I paid at Fisherman's Wharf yesterday. 





The way home turns into a kind of random walk, governed not by chance though, but by in which direction I spy an interesting building.

Then I see another cool looking building in the distance.  I head towards it. Two things happen when I get close to it. 1) I start assuming that it is the SF Opera house.   2) I have to pee.
So I lock the bike and start running up the fancy stairs to use the operatic facilities.  Not so fast, says the friendly and voluminous woman officer manning (?) the security checkpoint just inside the doors of City Hall.  Empty backpack, take off belt, watch, cuff bracelet. Step through metal detector. Put all the bling back on.  And run again.

Then I have time and more importantly patience to start taking some pictures inside and outside SF City Hall.

It reminds me of flowing lave !

After City Hall, I am contemplating whether I should go back to the hotel to charge the battery and find a place to eat.  Along the way, at Polk & Bush, I am lured in by a restaurant sign. Modern Thai. Why not?

I still have to get used to the fact that even Asian restaurants in San Francisco have wine lists as long as some of my longer blog posts.
Since I don't know one California wine from another one, I just take a 'cheap' one and it is not bad at all.

I order one of the lunch specials, Green Curry with Shrimp.

And OH BOY, is the food ever good. I should have checked at what time they open for breakfast, so I can come here several times tomorrow!!