San Francisco with Louise Rose

So, yesterday, Eden and I went with Louise Rose by way of the BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, I assume) to San Francisco proper. We are all new to the area and yet somehow fumbled our way along with the help of kind residents, and knowledgeable tourists. The first picture is of Eden and Louise looking back across the bay and the Bay Bridge, from where we had lunch outside the Ferry Terminal Building.
We didn't know what to do next, but ultimately decided that riding one of the cable cars up one of the ridiculously steep San Francisco roads was a must.
We rode the California street cable car, which was a blast. Louise's wide smile was probably a mirror of mine. It is astonishing how long and steep these hills are. I pity the first horses brought to the area. The pictures really don't quite show how dramatic the climb is. Nevertheless, here I am, with Louise hiding behind one of the posts, and a friendly resident who told us lots of interesting San Francisco trivia as we climbed. A very nice man.
At the top of the climb we jumped off and caught our breath at a Starbucks, trying to decide what next to do.

We had heard that we must see Lombard Street, "the crookedest street in the world." So we decided to hike to it, since it wasn't too far. Well, when we struck it, west of the famous "crookedest" part, we certainly were impressed by how STEEP it was! We had to climb it to get to the crooked part.
These pictures don't show the reality, but see how ridiculous the angles are, if you can. Find the horizontal from the window lines or the tops of doors to soak up just how steep the angle of the road is. See how creative residents had to be just to have a level entrance to a garage, and how the cars are parked, looking like they are

about to roll over sideways down the street.
Well, we climbed up and up, stopping to pant and look back at the view occasionally, and exchange remarks with some tourists trying to ride their bicycles up that hill.
(They walked them.)
When we finally got to the next cross street, we panted and rested, with just a short climb to the crest, and whatever this "crookedest" road could be that waited for us on the other side.
Here is a picture, looking back from that cross street westward as a car emerges from the climb as if up out of an abyss. Can you see, from the scale of the apartment buildings behind the car just how long and steep that climb is?
We couldn't picture, by looking at the map, how the short little bit on the map ahead of us could be the huge hair-pin turns we were picturing, or anything like as remarkable as the climb we had just accomplished.

WELL......

Get ready....

Over the top we go...........

This is the view from the walled railing at the top. There is a one-way, brick-paved insanely curvy and beautifully landscaped road going down the other side. There are stairs for people on each side instead of sidewalks. You can see some people descending the steps, and the top of a small silver car as it heads into the first insane curve. Just beyond the second curve you can see the top of another vehicle. Look at that view!

People LIVE on this street. They have short little parking areas, or carefully leveled entrances to garages, and front doors. You can see that the white house in this picture has its front door just off the edge of the picture, and an abreviated parking area coming off the second curve.

It is one of the craziest things I've ever seen.

Here is a picture of the curviest road in the world from a distance. See how the houses are practically stacked on top of each other. This is a stock photo as is the closer one, showing the amazing gardens and hedges they have cultivated along the curves.

It was quite the thing to see! We had no idea. And our day was not over! But I need to sleep!