Hip hip hooray, it’s Mette’s birthday!

We woke up at 3 AM because of the time difference. But hey, that just meant we got to kick off Mette's birthday celebrations early! I gave her a diamond ring, and she was over the moon. We had breakfast at Mels Drive-in, which is a replica of the restaurant from Back to the Future with Michael J. Fox. American breakfasts are quite the change, but you definitely won't leave hungry! Next, we headed down to Fisherman's Wharf, which is such an exciting place with tons of attractions. There’s an arcade with endless machines, and everywhere you look, there are stalls selling food, clothes, jewelry, and all sorts of quirky items. They also offered boat tours out to Alcatraz, the famous prison, under the Golden Gate Bridge—once the longest suspension bridge in the world—and along the coast. We hopped on one of those tours, which was a really nice way to experience San Francisco. We sailed for about two hours while the pleasant San Francisco sun warmed us up. However, it’s important to check the countless discount coupons floating around in the US. We paid about $20 for a smaller boat, which could easily have been found cheaper. But we were new and inexperienced travelers in the US and didn’t know any better. Fisherman’s Wharf is a must-visit! There are endless attractions and entertainment options, but it can be pricey. A tray of strawberries costs 80 kroner... It’s also worth remembering that the cable car from Union Square to Fisherman’s Wharf is free on Sundays. So it’s easy and cheap to get down there and have some fun. Of course, Mette’s birthday needed to be celebrated in style. So in the evening, we went up to North Beach, where Little Italy is located. But it seems not many people in San Francisco are aware that it’s Little Italy! At least, a taxi driver who has been driving in San Francisco for years didn’t really know about it. It’s such a cozy neighborhood with plenty of Italian restaurants, strip clubs, and nightlife. We chose Stinking Rose, which was recommended by the taxi driver. The food was good at the restaurant, but a bit pricey for us; dinner with wine cost around 450 kroner. But you can easily find more expensive places in North Beach. After dinner, we headed to an Irish pub called Condor. It’s one of the cheaper places to drink in North Beach, so we stayed there for a while. We struck up a conversation with a girl who had a Danish friend. We just had to chat with her, so we called her up! The pub also had quite a few pool tables, where you put in a dollar per game. So, of course, I had to show off my skills and beat Mette in another game of pool! Later, we went to one of the many strip clubs in North Beach. A guy outside the club told us we could get in for just $5 each, which was incredibly cheap. He promised us that we’d get the first two drinks for free. But when we got inside, it turned out you had to order two drinks on your own dime to stay! What a scam! Well, Mette’s camera was in my hand, and we took a picture. We really shouldn’t have done that! Anyway, we ended up getting kicked out, and they took the film with about 20 pictures from us! So remember, never take pictures inside a strip club if you’re not aware of the rules beforehand :) But it didn’t ruin our mood, and we had a great evening.