There are 3 things of interest in this first picture: the sea lions, pier 39 and the city scape of San Francisco. This was taken from the boat as we were leaving the harbour for our cruise of the Bay on Monday, January 29, 2007. The sea lions get quite vocal at times and while some thought they were begging for food, I don't think they were addressing humans at all - they seemed to be talking amongst themselves. They like to hang out at Pier 39 because there are plenty of fish in the shallow waters and the harbour offers protection from rough water.
The second picture was taken on the one-hour boat tour just before we went under the Golden Gate Bridge. It was really the only magnificently sunny and clear day I had while I was in the San Francisco area, and I was grateful for a chance to remove my jacket and use my sunglasses. I did not complain about the wet weather as my friends said they really needed the rain so who was I to demand personal comfort instead of eco-balance? Nevertheless, many thank-you's were given by me on said Monday for the beautiful sun, mostly clear blue skies (it did cloud over in the afternoon immediately after I finished the cruise of the Bay, but there was no rain) and the ability to walk outside for 8 hours a day without encountering a speck of snow or a hint of frostbite.
The third picture was taken from the end of a cul-de-sac street that one had to climb a very tall set of stairs to access. The architecture of the city is very colourful and fairly new because most of the city had to be rebuilt after the majority of it was levelled in a major earthquake in 1906. The somewhat hostile hilly landscape and the recurring earthquakes have not deterred the people of this city from staying and making this a thriving and vibrant place to live. I admire that kind of perseverance.
Enjoy your view today, whatever it may be, because you will never see it exactly that way again.
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