Walking Haight Street

"Haight Ashbury" is a phrase that comes up as soon as you start reading about the history of San Francisco. The area was swinging in the sixties and has been the centre the hippie culture of SF ever since. It is kind of like Camden used to be when I first moved to London but with more smoke shops. 

Haight Street is long - really long. The hippie bit is near where it crosses with Ashbury St but back towards the city centre there are some amazing houses. 

I knew beforehand that there were a few shoe shops in the area and I had planned on just some window-shopping until...

That is just them in their box but you should have seen them in the window. It was like seeing the glisten of mother of pearl in the midst of a load of dull shells. I went into the shop and made straight for them. They were...expensive. I toyed with them and the assistant came over, looked into my face and said she knew just how I felt. Did I want to try them on - just for fun? Oh my. I had hoped they'd be uncomfortable, but no. They are wonderful. And now they're mine - squee! One or two other things are now mine too. 

 

There is a lovely craft shop there called Mendels and they have an awesome selection of pretty much everything, including quilting fabric which they sell in quarter yards. I only chose two but then I saw this slightly heavier, slightly lineny cat print. 

The colour is actually a dark grey-green and I got two yards so now I need to decide what kind of top to make out of it - since I feel it does need to be a top. 

One of the things I like about this kind of area of SF is the locals don't feel constrained to just decorating the walls of the buildings. 

I rather love this "Love Thyself" one I spied on the pavement. It just goes to show how much you can gain from looking where you leap.