A New World Order

I didn't have much time this day to explore the city but I managed to get in some sights that may not be as well visited but are important none the less. I returned to the Transamerica Pyramid and took some more photos of it. It really is one of the most interesting buildings in the world. The joke going around is that whoever has the office at the very top must have a pointy head.

I went to visit City Hall, which had been closed the day before. I spent quite a bit of time exploring the building, though the Mayor's Office and the Council Room were closed. The entire structure is built in a grandiose neo-classical style. It was built following the great earthquake of 1906 which levelled most of the city. The city rebuilt itself into one of the finest in the world and its emblem is the phoenix rising from its ashes, just as the city did. In 1989, during the Battle of the Bay, the World Series between the Oakland As and the San Francisco Giants, there was another powerful earthquake which occurred right in the middle of the game as Jose Canseco was stealing second base. It only last 15 seconds but it did cause considerable damage, though thanks to stricter building codes it was not as extensive as the 1906 quake.

Following my self-guided tour of City Hall, I travelled across the street to the Veterans Memorial Building which houses the Herbst Theatre (notice the British spelling). It was in this room that the UN Charter was signed and the post-war world took its shape. In many ways, we are still living with the consequences of the event, most notably, a belief in a system of international laws. Unfortunately the theater was closed so I was unable to see the actual ceremonial place though a quilt given to the theater on the 50th anniversary of the UN I saw hanging in the lobby. The building, along with the Opera House, was built in honour of American World War 2 veterans and the Memorial Building still houses veterans' associations.

With this, my adventure in the City by the Bay drew to a close. I explored much of San Francisco but I still have much to explore. As I left the city on the BART to the airport, I passed through a region of fog. I worried that my flight would be delayed but it cleared long before I reached the airport. While this adventure drew to a close, more lay ahead across the Pacific in the Land Down Under. Although I had a measure of trepidation, I was excited to once more glimpse Australia. I hope that my adventures here are many and exciting.