On The Waterfront

Most of San Francisco seems to have deserted the city over Christmas and New Years for holidays in Tahoe, Thailand or family in Fresno, so that the place has been blessedly empty.



The cold, clear weather has been perfect for long walks, so a couple of days after Christmas we meandered along the Embarcadero under surreal skies and saw a half dozen container ships docked in the middle of the bay waiting to unload their cargo.



The West Coast maritime unions have been negotiating a new contract since last May and slowdowns have become routine from Tacoma to Long Beach (click here for a Reuters article).



At the Giants ballpark further along the waterfront...



...there is free admission every day at the back of the stadium into the children's play area, and if you are between 4 and 14, you can go down the Coca-Cola slide...



...while those outside that age range can snap pictures of the marvelous view.



Heading inland along Mission Bay, huge housing developments are rising swiftly next door to the dwindling houseboat community on the narrow inlet...



...which are facing already completed luxury condos across the water.



It's a perfect snapshot of San Francisco right now.