Biking the bridge - 16/05/2016
To convince the people of the Ufonds (who subsidized the study tour) that we actually went to San Francisco, we have to prepare photographic proof of our visit. What place in San Francisco could be better than the Golden Gate Bridge? This has to happen in (Dutch) style of course, so we decided to rent bikes and afterwards make our way across the bridge. Conveniently, this also served as a nice way to burn off some of the burger calories that we've gathered over the course of our trip (and the IHOP breakfast that kicked off our day).
After surprising the employees of the bike rental by declining to wear a helmet and showing off our natural bike riding skills, we set off towards the Golden Gate bridge. We found the perfect picture spot on a beach with an beautiful view of the bridge (which actually is red) and our master photographer materialized our moment.
Following the formalities, we took off in groups using different routes through the Golden Gate National recreation area across the bridge. The plan was to return by ferry from Sauselito or Tiburon.
One group's return with the ferry turned out to be a bridge too far; the boarding was interrupted because the ferry was delayed. So we cycled back up the hill, once more experiencing the bike ride across the bridge. This time, with the view of a setting sun and the upcoming fog over the sea, cooled by the sea breeze.
Around 8 pm, we returned our bikes and set off to eat in San Francisco. Finally, we went back to the Goodnight inn, so everyone could (in theory) get a good night's sleep. After a long weekend of travelling , the next day required an early awakening once more, as we're going to visit Gainspeed, Cisco Systems and the Intel museum!
By: Gertjan Eenink