Leave your heart in San Francisco

Whether or not you like Tony Bennett, the city he still sings about does steal most visitors’ hearts. (As one wag recently wrote, “I Left My Heart in Toronto” simply doesn’t work.) The city by the bay is famous the world over for its natural beauty and cultural attractions, and May is an excellent time to visit.

You might want to go a diet before you go, however, as San Francisco has more than 3,000 restaurants. Critics rate most of them from ‘good’ to ‘terrific’, and several fall into the “world-renowned” category. The culinary emphasis is naturally on fresh ingredients, the sign of “California” cuisine around the world.

It’s also a walking city, so you shouldn’t have trouble burning off your goat cheese pizza after lunch. Union Square and the Financial District are known as “shopper’s heaven”, with all the major American department stores around Union Square and dozens lining Post Street and the Embarcadero Centre. And as soon as you tire, grab a famous cable car up Powell or California street to Nob Hill, Chinatown, or Fisherman’s Wharf. The view from the well-known Bank of America Building is spectacular.