I am writing this last travel blog post from my home in Brisbane, Australia, so I hope I don't forget anything.

We had negotiated with the owner of our apartment that we could store our suitcases there (11 of them, eeek!) until about 3:30pm, as long as we vacated the premises from 12:00om so the cleaner could do her thing for the next rental.

Having packed the night before, we realised we needed one more bag into which we could cram the souvieneers we'd purchased in San Francisco, so the two Big Kids and I walked down to the cheapie shops and stalls around Fisherman's Wharf, where we'd noticed inexpensive suitcases previously. As before, we were a little early for the 10:00am shop opening, so we had a bit of wandering around before we were able to buy a largish 4-wheeled case for the bargain price of $50. On the way to the cable car, dragging our new bag, we passed many more stalls opening with idenitcal bags advertised cheaper...of course. We were the first to get to the cable car, and the operator stowed our bag with a cheerful "I'll take that, Little Momma" to Siobhan.

Once back to our apartment, we crammed the remainder of our belongings inside the new bag and after a quick tidy up, we set forth to do some serious walking - our plan was to soak up some final SF experiences, tire the children out so they'd sleep on the plane, and get some exercise seeing as how we'd be sitting down for 24 hours or so once we went to the airport!

Last time we'd visited Chinatown, the shops were not open, and we'd forgotten about the Fortune Cookie Factory Tour. We discovered the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory ( see here: http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/attractions/ggfortunecookie.html )

was a stone's throw from where we had been living for the past week, in a tiny alley off Jackson Street. When we got there, there were tines of kids from a school excursion clogging the alley, so we kept going and determined to come back on the way back home.

Having time to kill, we were able to meander through shops and past windows this time. We were starving by 12:00pm, so we stopped at a restaurant for Dim Sum (we know it here as Yum Cha). Paul and I were keen for the fresh, delicious Chinese food, but some of our party complained bitterly and picked at plain rice. Sigh.

We decided to go back to the cable car to have dessert at Ghiradelli's back at Ghiradelli Square, and on the way there we visited the Fortune Cookie Factory, empty of long queues now. It is an unassuming hole in the wall, but the Manager(? Owner? Not sure) is quick to offer everyone a free taste of the product - a warm cookie wafer, too defective to be folded into the familiar crescent shape. We watched as a line of cookies was emptied from the mould to be bent into shape while still warm and soft with the fortune inside. There was a sign indicating photograps would cost $5 each, so we satisfied ourselves with a purchase of a $3 bag of cookies (which we carried home, a little battered).

Next we took the cable car to Lombard Street - Matthew and I were particularly keen to get off there and walk the famous winding, steep stretch. Paul and the two little ones stayed on the cable car, to meet us at the Ghiradelli Soda Fountain later. Siobhan was initially unimpressed, but she soon enjoyed the fabulous views and sense of accomplishment earned by walking first down the street (stairs make it easier) and then back up. We were on a high and decided to walk the rest of the way to Ghiradelli rather than wait for the next cable car - a decision made easier by the fact that it was all downhill. My knees started to complain - they really ached later that night when trying to sleep on the plane. Not the first time I've wished I was twenty years younger.

We met up with the others and the kids enjoyed a final ice cream cone (generous servings - the cone is served in a dish, lying on its side!) and I a hot chocolate earned by the walking we'd done.

We said our goodbyes to San Francisco Bay, and caught our final cable car back to the apartment to meet the car taking us to the airport.

The kids were very good, especially considering how tired they were - our AA flight went from SF to LAX, then we transferred to our QANTAS plane for the USA to Sydney leg, after walking about a hundren miles. How wonderful it was, to have the QANTAS crrew come up to me (I was sitting with Joe asleep in my lap) and tell me we'd be the first to board with the children when the time came. I could have kissed her. it was close to 10:30pm by the time we got on the plane, I think - which was excellent because the kids all slept on the way home. Paul and I not so much.

We arrived home on Sunday 5th February at about 11am, having missed Saturday altogether, to be met at the airport by both sets of grandparents, and we were pleased to see them. Home sweet home.