I took these two photos on my first full day back in SF (and the US) last month, near the top of Twin Peaks which contains three of the highest points in SF city itself, the higher of the twins clocking in at 282 meters (925 feet), making it nearly as high as the highest point in the Netherlands, to which I returned last week. The Vaalserberg’s peak is actually in Belgium (google “highest point in NL and see what you get – it’s a bit funny tbh), but before the hill crosses the border it becomes NL’s highest point at 322 meters. By comparison, at the top right above and top left below, you see the diamond-shaped top of Mt Diablo, second-highest point in the bay area (the counties which immediately border that bay you see down there). Diablo’s highest point is 1,173 meters. Later on I’ll share some lovely photos I took with Diablo as seen from the northwest in Sonoma County – very different profile, and we caught both Mt Tam and Mt Diablo in the frame :-). Anyhoo: lovely to be back in Amsterdam, but I do miss the mountains and the immediate proximity of open ocean.
City & County of SF in the foreground; Marin County on the far side of the GG Bridge, and bits of at least Alameda & Contra Costa counties on the eastern side of the bay (top right).
I’ve known the city of San Francisco for so long – from a childhood summer in Berkeley, from living in the city and/or staying for long period quite often in recent decades – that I tend to assume everyone is aware that it’s surrounded by water on three sides; that it’s full of hills which give beautiful views of its other hills, of the bay and the ocean that surround it, or of lovely San Bruno Mountain which draws up its southern border…that it’s full of beautiful Victorian houses nicely maintained and painted for the most part…that it is chock-a-block with parks at the tops of many those hills, giving thus even better views with greenery and flowers in the foreground, hills and Victorians n the background. But I realize, when I return to work and my international team of folks from Haiti and around the world, that my little corner of the world is one to which most people actually have not yet been. And so herewith some photos from lovely sunny days where I enjoyed the freedom to stroll at will and to pull out my camera any moment I felt like it. They’re all named in a way that intends to inform you of what you’re seeing. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed those strolls :-).
Readers may be aware that I’ve recently taken a short holiday from work in Haiti, to soothe my soul and celebrate another birthday in my home counties of the bay area. The airline complicated my return, much to my chagrin, with the silver lining of an extra, unplanned day in the city — which I used to take in a big-screen movie & walk some parts of the city that I frequent somewhat less often. From that day emerged these shots, which I hope you’ll enjoy. 🙂