Embarcadero

San Francisco is beautiful, cosmopolitan, exciting. The weather can be fine or foggy, sunshine reflecting off waves and glass. The architecture is startling in the Embarcadero where in one direction the city stretches out along Mission and in the other you can gaze upon the Bay Bridge, Yerba Buena and Treasure Island.

There is interesting history here – from the founding through the Earthquake of 1906 to the 1934 Longshoreman’s strike.

As I am walking out of the Riccon Center – I looked around at all the tall buildings.

This is San Francisco after all; why on earth would I want to be separated from the ground up 10-20+ stories above the ground. As much as the architects say everything is safe, I simply don’t want to take that kind of chance in a glass and steel building being held fast in Mother Earth’s upset hand. Let me please stay at ground level. Means I need to rethink the BART and Muni doesn’t it?

I will tell you that the small post office there is fantastic. I got in line after picking up packing materials and making up boxes. I get to the desk – my wallet is not there! The lovely man at the window says “well, no one died – leave your stuff here and I will move you to the head of the line when you get back.”

Good thing that we were actually in valet parking under the building (which is the only thing they offer since it lets them jam many more cars in the small space). I didn’t have either keys or claim check – but I could tell him where it was and where to find the passport for a positive photo id).

Back at the post office – I mailed off Carmen’s birthday present weeks early and some coffee from PEETs back to us in Germany (along with the patterns I picked up). I hope that Denise also likes coffee……