Translation by Otávio Bernardi
So, are you curious to know what we are going to do on our second day in San Francisco? Let’s go check it out!
Alcatraz Island: an island in the San Francisco Bay. In 1775, the sailor Juan de Ayala named it La Isla de Los Alcatraces (the isle of the pelicans). It used to be a military base in a strategic way to guard equipment and roughly 200 soldiers. To reinforce its protection, it was transformed into a penitentiary in 1868, in which it first served as a prison for Native-Americans, oppressed by the growing North American expansion. Later in 1934, the penitentiary complex wastransformed into a max security prison, with strict rules and a disciplinary program, holding inmates such as Al Capone. Along the years, Alcatraz had a total of 14 unsuccessful attempts of escape. Due to its high maintenance cost, the federal prison was shut down in 1963 and its inmates were transferred to the Marion Penitentiary in the state of Illinois. In 1976, the Isle of Alcatraz was considered a historical patrimony. Nowadays, it’s a mysterious attraction that brings many curious tourists looking for adventure and to learn more about the crimes and repressions that took placein that period of north American history. For ticket information, visit the Island's website.
North Beach: a neighborhood in San Francisco, perfect for cappuccinos, expressos, gelatos and more. The design is based on the Victorian age of the 1920s, because it was the style of the time they rebuilt the neighborhood after the 1906 fire. Historically, the region was home for a big community of Italian decedents, being known as Little Italy. Nowadays, the demographic has been changing, with a lot of Asian immigrants, due to its proximity with Chinatown, but it kept the charm, authenticity and history.Besides Caffe Trieste and Levi’s Plaza, you can get to see:
⮚ Washington Square Park (a park in the heart of San Francisco);
⮚ Vesuvio (an old and historic bar that was a part of the Beatnik bohemia movement);
⮚ Little Vine (wine store);
⮚ The Church of Saints Peter and Paul (also known as “The West Italian Cathedral”);
⮚ Coit Tower (considered a California landmark since 1984. It's a hose-shaped tower, which has murals that tell the history of the city inside, and at the top it is possible to have an incredible 360º view of San Francisco. Admission fee isUS$7 for adults and US$5 for seniors and children);
⮚ Chapel of Saint Francis of Assisi (founded in 1849, built in gothic style);
⮚ City Lights Bookstore (founded in 1953. It is one of the most famous bookstores in the United States for being the first American bookstore to sellpaperbacks, and for being the center of the Beat Generation counterculture movement);
⮚ Language of the Birds (a permanent sculpture connecting Chinatown and North Beach, created in 2008 by Brian Goggin e Dorka Keehn, in partnership with scientist David Shearer and the bookstore City Lights);
⮚ The Beat Music (a museum that preserves the memory of the Beat Generation with permanent and traveling exhibitions);
⮚ Condor Club (the first nightclub to feature topless dancers and is still in operation today);
⮚ Filbert Street (set of steps that allow a panoramic view of the coast, with the feeling of entering a forest).
Levi’s Plaza: the Levi’s brand is known worldwide in clothing, being private property of the Levi Strauss family descendants. The place where the first factory existed is now a complex with the company’s head office, a square called Levi’s Plaza Park, with various cherry trees, little waterfalls and benches, an open free museum telling the history of jeans and of the brand. On the way out, there is a shop with exclusive Levi’s Strauss & Co. products.The construction of this complex began in 1979 and finished in 1981.
Caffe Trieste: in 1951, Giovanni Giotta (aka “Papa Gianni”) an Italian immigrant missed the expresso caffes from his home country and town, Trieste, and founded this traditional coffee place in San Francisco. Nowadays, it is a world renowned network, with two coffee houses, a market store and supermarket. On Saturdays, the Caffe Trieste hosts the Caffe Trieste Saturday Concert, one of the oldest music concerts in the US, where members of the Giotta family perform. The walls of the caffé are decorated with photos of famous celebrities, such as: Michael Douglas, several authors, one of them being Francis Ford Coppola (director of The Godfather). It also served as the scenario for various movies, TV shows, news reports and documentaries. The Caffe Trieste became known as the first expresso shop in the West Coast, getting famous for its fusion of old Italy, bohemian poetry, art, music and, obviously, express coffee.
Are you ready for our third day in San Francisco? Then stay tuned for the next post of the Let’s Travel the World!