A little bit of Italy

The name of the city transport operator is abbreviated as Muni. They operate a range of vehicles including buses, trolley buses and trams, with a very extensive transport network.

The Muni route we have used the most is the F Line between Market Street and the Fisherman's Wharf area. This line uses trams. These trams fall into the vintage category as they are mostly pretty old. Some have always operated in San Francisco, others have been purchased from other American cities, and from all over the world.

The tram in photograph is one of ten they purchased in 1998 from Milan in Italy. The tram dates from 1928, though we travelled in another which, also Italian, looked even older. All the trams are painted in the colours they would have had in their city of origin. All the original interior signage (entry, exit, etc.) is in the original language also. A sign inside the car shows the history of the tram in which you are travelling.

The cable cars, not sure if I posted a picture of a cable car, are strictly for tourism purposes, and are not a genuine means of transport, these trams instead are operated as part of the transport infrastructure of the city. The f Line is a popular route so they are pretty busy.

We did go for a cable car ride today, it has to be done I suppose. We were lucky, it was about 10:00 am and we were able to board the first one that came along past our hotel, so we had no wait or queue. We were also lucky in that we were able to stand outside next to the brakeman with a great view. There is only room for two people (plus the brakeman) in this part of the car. I think I read somewhere the brakes have to be replaced every two days.

Our last day today, so we went for a sunset cruise on the Bay. The price of the ticket included a very good buffet and one free drink. I may have bough a couple more beers by the time we completed the cruise. Great views of the Golden Gate bridge and of the city as it was getting dark. On arriving back at Fisherman's Wharf we returned to the hotel on one of the aforementioned f Line trams.