Let Me Take You To The Ghirardelli Square In San Francisco

              When you think of Ghirardelli your first thought may be of chocolate. However, Ghirardelli Square isn’t just about chocolate, it’s about  history,  tradition and enjoyment.  Ghirardelli Square translates into  “a fun destination with a vibrant atmosphere”.   Ghirardelli Square restaurants  offer something for everyone. 
Today, Ghirardelli Square is a unique San Francisco destination that includes a mix of upscale shopping, fine dining, wine bars, spa facilities and live entertainment. 
Ghirardelli Square is a historic San Francisco landmark, located on the beautiful San Francisco bay just a block from the cable car turnaround on the west side of Fisherman’s Wharf.




Ghirardelli has established its position as America's premium chocolate company for more than 150 years.

They are one of very few American manufacturers that make chocolate starting from the cocoa bean through to finished products. Throughout the process, they take special steps to ensure that their premium chocolate delivers their signature: intense, smooth-melting chocolate taste.

Incorporated in 1852 and in continuous operation since then, Ghirardelli has the richest heritage of any American chocolate company. Ghirardelli continues to honor its heritage to this day.

Ghirardelli is one of the few companies in America that controls the entire chocolate manufacturing process, from cocoa bean to finished product. This control over the manufacturing process, combined with Ghirardelli's proprietary bean blend and unique methods of roasting and processing, ensures that you are rewarded with the highest quality and richest products. 

There is an interesting story regarding the name:

Say Gear-ar-delly!

The correct spelling and pronunciation of the Italian name "Ghirardelli" has long stumped even the most avid consumers of Ghirardelli Chocolate. 

Domingo Ghirardelli, the founder of Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, must have resigned himself to the fact that only by a miracle was anybody going to get his name right: the original name of the chocolate company when it opened for business in 1852 was "Ghirardely & Girard."

The spelling of the name Ghirardelli may have been an early attempt to indicate the correct pronunciation.

Throughout its early history, the company has had to cope with all this and even incorporated it into early packaging labels and advertising campaigns.

For many years, a bright colored parrot and the words, "Say Gear-ar-delly," (a phonetic spelling of the name) were used to help solve the pronunciation problem. The strategy proved to be very successful.              

During the late 1800's, Ghirardelli hired the best available artists and advertising experts to saturate the West with the Ghirardelli name and logo.

As a result, Ghirardelli's chocolate products were marketed to a nation of homemakers and became a household staple.

Today, these advertising images can be seen on the walls of Ghirardelli Soda Fountain and Chocolate Shops, some of which are displayed.

Ghirardelli chocolates are simply delicious making you savor each bite.
Remember to pick up some chocolates from here.

Ghirardelli Chocolate Shop
& Ice Cream Parlor

And one can never come here and  leave without  tasting  their wonderfully delicious ice creams ..... words fail to describe ....just let yourself go.... don't even think of your diet or even how much it would cost you in Rupees, just do it !!!


I have this theory that chocolate slows down the aging process.... It may not be true, but do I dare take the chance?
-- Author Unknown

And look out!  there is the famous Loris Diner: 

 There's a new girl in town! Introducing their new addition to the family: Lori's Ghirardelli Square! opened in summer 2000, this upscale diner overlooks the beautiful San Francisco Bay. Right in the heart of the famous Ghirardelli Chocalate factory, this diner offers fabulous  atmosphere of both indoor and outdoor dining, and counter service.

 Looking for a vintage diner that takes you back in time to the good ol’ days reminiscent of the 1950’s and the birth of rock and roll?
  Check out Lori’s Diner, a true classic, where you will find traditional American fare including hamburgers, French fries, Coca-Cola, malts –  Lori’s the most classic of diners!

Specialty shops, breathtaking bay views and beautifully landscaped plazas, no trip to San Francisco is complete without visiting Ghirardelli Square. Experience the ambience and entertainment at Ghirardelli Square!

How was this trip?

Ocean Of Abundance

I love the visualization of standing at the sea shore looking out at the vast ocean and knowing that this ocean is the abundance that is available to me....

Rejoice in other's successes, knowing there is plenty for us all. 

There is a natural rhythm and flow of life. Things come, and things go. It is good for, when something goes, it is only to make room for something new and better.

Rejoice in the abundance of being able to awaken each morning and experience a new day. I am glad to be alive, to be healthy, to have friends, and to be creative.

Visualize standing at the sea shore : this ocean is the abundance that is available to all of us. Check your hands and see what sort of container you are holding : is it a mere teaspoon, a glass, a paper cup, a tumbler, a pitcher, a bucket, a wash tub,or maybe a pipeline connected to this ocean of abundance, or maybe your soul?

Compliments are gifts of prosperity: accept them graciously with a smile, and say "thank you", and return it so that the giver feels as though he or she too, has received a gift . Keep the  flow of good going.....

It is interesting to just look around us and see, that no matter how many people are there and no matter what kind of container they have, there is plenty for everyone. We see reality staring at us, and the sea roaring at us loud and clear : you cannot rob another, and they cannot rob you, and in no way can you drain the ocean dry. Isn't it wonderful to have so much abundance?
Why don't we release our jealousy, our inadequacies, our feeling of lack and realize that:

There is plenty for all of us. We don't want someone else's good. We want to have our own good. The ocean seems to say, "your container is your consciousness, and it can always be exchanged for a larger container." The choice is right within each of us.

Time,Time...... I have all the time but no time to kill !!

People are always curious to know how I kill "TIME". They keep asking me whether I kill time watching all the TV serials on offer on Tata Sky, probably imagining I was a serial time killer. And there are others who can't understand how I am not bored with all the time in this world, and there are still others, who volunteer to give me unsolicited advice on how to use my time productively.

Strangely I am not a TV addict as some would presume, for despite having so many channels begging to be watched, I rarely see anything that captures my attention, maybe one or two in a day. The earth would not come tumbling down if I happened to miss them.

As far as boredom is concerned, I am never bored with time or my life. I am just tickled pink thinking of those people, who are so worried / jealous about how I spend my time : it is so hilariously entertaining that it banishes and kills all boredom in my life forever.

Now, for the people who come with all kinds of ideas and advices to use my time productively, I have only one question: "did I ask you? Instead why don't you use your time more effectively than breaking your head about my usage of my time?"

The obsession to use time in a more productive way makes one more obsessed to be more productive, and more and more and more " productive" leaving one no time to realize, that one is getting sucked  into a whirlpool from which there is no escape. I believe such people should pause to think (and stop to smell the roses too) and see where they are blindly heading, lest they drown in their own productive whirlpool.

Well, for me Time has always been a friend, a guide, a mentor, a father all rolled into one.

He has always been there, is always there and would always be there for me.

He is my constant companion, hand in hand we have traveled together, in good times and in bad, never leaving each other's side, even for a second : our bond is strong.

I don't need to fight time, race with it or race against it, or outwit it, or even kill it. I feel so blessed to have time constantly with me, nurturing me, healing me, encouraging me, changing me,and inspiring me.

Thank you dear time, for I cherish every minute of our togetherness in this great and wonderful journey called Life.

Rama (The Timeless) Ananth.

I left my heart in San Francisco to be where little cable cars Climb halfway to the stars.....

As promised I am taking you on a tour of San Francisco: there is still so much to see, so hop along with me and lets go check out the cable cars...  San Francisco is an array of hills and valleys, and the cable car will take you up and down like a slow roller coaster ride. The views from the bay are fabulous and something you cannot miss. Ever wonder how the cable cars work, well here it is:
The cable runs underground. It’s a set of steel strands wrapped around a rope core. The cable moves at a speed of about 15km per hour. The car grabs onto the cable and is pulled along the track. When it reaches the end of the track, the car runs onto a turntable:
Now people have to turn it around by hand so that it can go in the other direction: The star of the show is the gripman. This is a highly skilled and physically superior being. The competition to become a gripman is strong and the training is harsh. Only 30 percent of trainees pass the course.

Behind the gripman you will see the impressive array of levers he has to manipulate. He is the man who makes the car grab or release the cable. He also has to judge the gaps across intersections, where the cable does not run. And he has to watch out for unaware motorists and pedestrians and other mere mortals who don’t know just how out-of-control a cable car can be.

How many times I have seen pictures of people hanging from cable cars like this in travel channels, well I did too!!

For a visitor to San Francisco,  cable cars are not a means of transportation but a destination, one of the things one has to 'see', and be 'seen' in, if they go to the City by the Bay, (like me : I am very much one of them).  Powell-Hyde: (blue on the map) : Goes from Market and Powell to Aquatic Park, past Union Square, the Cable Car Barn Museum, Nob Hill, Russian Hill, .Lombard Street, ends at the Ghirardelli Square. Look out for the brown signs on it.
In this picture, you can see the Golden Gate Bridge, and the scenery behind me is so breath takingly beautiful. 

This where you have to keep your cameras ready to get a shot of the Lombard Street from the Cable Car

While waiting for the Cable Car: you are never bored as street musicians keep entertaining you all the while. The waiting too is just 10 mins.

Don't ever make the mistake of sitting inside the cable car, for that is not fun, either you sit on the open sides or just stand near the entrance, also only 2/3 people are allowed to stand in the front near the entrance. You want to be in the front of the cable car and for Maximum Fun you want to be hanging onto a pole while standing on the running board.

Along the way you can exit the cable car at Lombard Street, if you aren't going there then get your camera ready because at the top of this hill (Hyde and Lombard) you are treated to an unobstructed view of San Francisco's Alcatraz Island. If you want to get down don't pull the rope (that is the bell-rope, exclusively for the grip person's use), just yell: "Next stop, please", about a block away before you want to get off. If you wait too long to ask, the grip person needs some time to bring the car to a halt, and he may have to take you the next stop instead. It is always better to know these things before itself, so that we don't encounter any problems.

some views taken from inside the cable car

The Famous Lombard Street: The street is famous for a small section near the top of Russian Hill, between Hyde and Leavenworth streets. Here the hill is so steep (27°) that it would be too dangerous for most vehicles, 
so between 1922 and 1923 this part of Lombard Street was transformed into a switchback with eight sharp turns. Cars can only drive downhill, east-bound towards Leavenworth Street. 

Winding down the road The sight of cars maneuvering down the winding road has become a popular tourist attraction. Some tourists even drive down the street themselves, braving the frequent traffic jams and bumper to bumper traffic. If this sounds like fun to you and you also want to feel how it's like driving down a switchback, make sure you approach Lombard street from Hyde street since this is a one-way street. In this picture you can get a clear view of the Coit Tower. 

The main attraction is watching people drive down the crooked, one block section, or driving down it yourself ( which is what we did ). On a busy day, a seemingly endless stream of automobiles, with passengers squealing in mock fear at every turn. You can also walk down or up the side walks and watch the show. I believe the best place to photograph Lombard street is from the bottom, looking up. Because we opted for driving down, we couldn't take proper pictures, as one cannot stop in the middle to take pictures, one has to keep moving on. The racket people create by shouting, squealing as if they are in some scary roller coaster is really very irritating. I wonder how people living there tolerate this nonsense whole year round. 

The Coit Tower visible from the top of Lombard street

I wonder how people living there tolerate this nonsense everyday. They have to pay exorbitant money to own a property there. Even though Lombard Street is billed as the crookedest street in the world, it is not even the most crooked or steepest street in San Francisco. The steepest street is Filbert street with a 31.5° slope while Vermont Avenue at 20th Street claims to be the most crooked. And Snake Alley in Burlington, Iowa, has even sharper turns. But all this doesn't matter for Lombard Street: it is the most photogenic of them all, especially in the spring and summer when the many chrysanthemums in the well tended flowerbeds are in full bloom.When we were there the whole of San Francisco was in full bloom in pretty colors. I really loved it .
 People who live here not only have to pay lot of money just to stay here, but also have to spend money on keeping this places beautifully landscaped and well maintained all year round. 

                                                

The end of the Lombard Street

San Francisco is well known for its support of alternative lifestyles which routinely sees families and frat boys pounding the pavement next to nudists and artists. Once synonymous with hippies and the counter-culture, today the corner of Haight and Ashbury Street is a confluence of modern, trendy shops and piercing salons and alternative bookstores.

Rising in pale tiers from shining San Francisco Bay, this extraordinary city issues a siren's call to visitors, inviting them to sample its charms, marvel at its architecture, scale its steep streets, explore its familiar and hidden places, and absorb its one-of-a-kind character. It's a city rich with possibility, abounding in diversity, and irresistibly beautiful. It claims a fascinating history, landmark sights and a welcoming atmosphere.
 San Francisco has  many more attractions to visit, which can only be covered in my next blog. Till then I leave you with my favorite song by Tony Bennett:

Did you enjoy hopping along with me?

Off To San Francisco: A Foggy City By The Bay

Today, San Francisco is a popular international tourist destination, renowned for its chilly summer fog, steep rolling hills, eclectic mix of Victorian and modern architecture and its famous landmarks, including the Golden Gate Bridge, cable cars, and Chinatown. The city is also a principal banking and finance center, and the home to more than 30 international financial institutions, helping to make San Francisco eighteenth place in the world's top producing cities, ninth in the United States, and fifteenth place in the top twenty Global Financial Centers.

San Francisco is famous for its hills. There are more than 50 hills within city limits. Some neighborhoods are named after the hill on which they are situated, including Nob Hill, Pacific Heights, and Russian Hill. San Francisco is considered the second hilliest city in the world, next to La Paz, Bolivia.
Tourism is the backbone of the San Francisco economy. Its frequent portrayal in music, film, and popular culture has made the city and its landmarks recognizable worldwide. It is the city where Tony Bennett "left his heart."
Many tourists are fooled by the claim that it is always pleasant in San Francisco, for when they come here they realize it is very cold, and immediately fall into the trap of the jacket/ sweater/ coat shops that mainly thrive on such tourist's ignorance. So it always makes sense to travel with a good jacket with a hood/ light sweater or coat.
Looking for the best hotel deals in the Internet would give you some very good hotels in the most central area from where you can just walk to many places of interest or use the public transportation for the city is small and all tourists sites are close together. Like I have said before it helps to plan your trip at least 3 months in advance so that you can really get good affordable deals especially when you are travelling by yourself and not through some conducted tours. Believe me, by planning your own trip, you not only save a lot of money, but also end up seeing a lot more, when you are on your own, and at your own pace.


 Like many other cities, San Francisco is best visited on foot for this is the only way you'll truly get to appreciate its beautiful architecture.  It is an amazing place to walk around, we walked everywhere! No two streets are the same and that is the beauty.  We never felt uncomfortable or unsafe walking around. This way you also get an idea where you can find good food to eat. The weather too was really good, we were there in September last year.

Please avoid eating in any of the seedy restaurants at the Fisherman's Wharf. Also to get the true feel of the iconic landmark the Golden Bridge, stroll the sidewalk, even if you only go out a little way, and also make it a point to see it during  the night too.

Ferry Building Marketplace is a people's marketplace serving residents and travelers alike.

Located within the historic Ferry Building at the foot of the Market Street, shops large and small celebrate food in all its forms, offering everything from artisan cheeses to the freshest of local fish.
Restaurants and cafes serve cuisine representing the quality and cultural diversity of San Francisco's best chefs.


The Ferry Building Marketplace is located along the Embarcadero at the foot of the Market Street. It is the center of a transit hub that connects all of SF's neighborhoods and the surrounding bay communities. The market place is accessible by MUNI, BART, and Ferry Boat.

Inside the cable car

Off we go to see the Golden Gate Bridge     
One of the best ways to see San Francisco is from the waters of San Francisco Bay. There are many companies offering harbor tours of varying durations and prices they and all provide marvelous views of the bay, the bridges, the island of Alcatraz and the city.  A typical harbor tour will circle the island at a slow crawl, giving you plenty of opportunity to photograph the now-inactive prison from the water.

The view is simply superb

The Golden Gate Bridge: When the Golden Gate Bridge was first built in 1937 it was the longest suspension bridge ever built in the world. It is currently the second longest suspension bridge in the United States and the ninth longest in the world. Even though it’s not the longest anymore, it’s still the most beautiful!

The bridge was built because it was necessary to create a transportation link between the North Bay and the city. At the time, the only way to get between the two areas was by ferry. Although it’s still possible to ferry between the areas today, most people find it more practical to travel across the bridge. Before the bridge was built, San Francisco’s national growth rate was smaller than average because it was just too inconvenient to get in and out of the city. The bridge succeeded in helping to grow the city. It also became a symbol that defines the city.

The Golden Gate Bridge design echoes an Art Deco Theme. Wide, vertical ribbing on the horizontal tower bracing accents the sun's light on the bridge.
Irving Morrow- an architect hired by Strauss to design a architectural treatment for the bridge- chose the 'international orange' paint color to blend with the setting while still being visible to ships.

At the completion of his mighty bridge, Joseph Strauss, penned an impressive ode which he entitled " The Mighty Task Is Done";  it epitomizes his personal travail in building the bridge.
These lines gives evidence of the dedication of the man who brought the bridge from his brain, heart as well as his drawing board:

At last the mighty task is done;
Resplendent in the western sun;
The Bridge looms mountain high

On its broad decks in rightful pride,
The world in swift parade shall ride
Throughout all time to be.

Launched midst a thousand hopes and fears,
Damned by a thousand hostile sneers.
Yet ne'er its course was stayed.
But ask of those who met the foe,
Who stood alone when faith was low,
Ask them the price they paid.
High overhead its light shall gleam,
Far, far below life's restless stream,
Unceasingly shall flow.....

As the bridge was ready to open, his hands trembling, Strauss spoke in a low voice: "This bridge needs neither praise, eulogy nor encomium. It speaks for itself. We who have labored long are grateful. What Nature rent asunder long ago, man has joined today . . . ."

When you are travelling towards the the Bridge it is too windy, and very cold but once you return back it becomes absolutely still and more pleasant. Even on a sunny day the bay can be chilly, so be sure to bring a sweater as well as sun screen and also Sun glass.

One cannot help taking pictures of the beautiful scenery. 

Passing below the Golden Gate Bridge

Foggy SF

Alcatraz : it was not conceived as a facility for rehabilitation. It was a place for total punishment and minimum privilege. And those who survived it often did so at the cost of their sanity.... and some believe their souls.

There is lot more to see like the Golden Gate Bridge during the night, the China Town, the Union Square and many more, which I would definitely share with everyone in my next blog. 

Tell me was the trip interesting enough?