New Year's Eve on the Bay

Angelika Michael already mentioned our Christmas decorations. Of course, we also celebrated New Year's Eve in style, as you never know how long we'll be in San Francisco, and we have to celebrate the occasions as they come. Our first New Year's Eve in the city two years ago was spent cruising on the Bay (that's the water around San Francisco) on a ship, and since we enjoyed it so much, we thought we'd do it again this year.

After all, two years ago, I was struggling with the phenomenon of "jet lag" (fatigue due to the long flight and the nine-hour time difference) because I had just flown into San Francisco the day before (you might remember, I left for America on December 30th, and Michael had already set off into the wide world in mid-November) and therefore fell asleep at the table a few times. This time, however, I was wide awake: In our finest evening attire (Michael actually had to part with his beloved sneakers, jeans, and his favorite Adidas sweater, which is quite worn out, for one evening), we enjoyed the good food, danced (I only had to slightly force Michael), and kept gazing lovingly at our San Francisco.

For those of you who have never been to San Francisco, it's worth noting that one of the most beautiful views of the city is from the water. You can see the entire cityscape, which is especially enchanting in the dark because of the sea of lights. Naturally, you also get fantastic views of the Bay Bridge and Golden Gate Bridge. The highlight was when the captain announced that we would now be passing under the Golden Gate Bridge. You must know that everyone who lives in San Francisco develops a special relationship with this bridge. It's not only a landmark for many tourists but also something like a good friend for the "locals" (residents). And I swear, you can drive over this bridge a thousand times, and your heart still skips a beat when you see the first bridge pillar. In any case, the cruise was very successful. We only missed the band's rendition of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco," which they played the first year, but no worries, we just hummed it to ourselves!