A busy afternoon in Seattle

In the afternoon we went into downtown Seattle city central, with Nicola driving on the I-5 (the Interstate-5), which is the main interstate highway on the US west coast that runs from Canada to Mexico. What a huge, crazy, fast, busy highway - Nicola had obviously driven on the I-5 a lot and got us from A to B very easily. I was extremely pleased that Hamish or I were not driving!

Once in downtown Seattle, we went and booked ourselves on the Underground Tour, which was a walk (with humour) through subterranean storefronts and sidewalks that were entombed when Seattle rebuilt on top of itself after the Great Fire of 1889.

Pioneer Square

 

We then went and had a look around Pike Place Market, which was had lots of fish and huge crabs and other seafood on display. The market was about to close, so there were lots of special deals on the fresh cut flowers. Really beautiful displays of flowers...and chillis.

Across the road from Pike's Market was the first ever Starbucks, which had a barber shop quartet singing outside.

For dinner, Nicola took us to this really lovely Italian-American restaurant called 'The Pink Door', which we would never have found on our own, as it had no signage whatsoever outside, just a pink door in an alley! We were brave and despite the cool temperature, sat outside - The Pink Door had funky coloured tablecloths and excellent meals. I had a delicious cioppono - an Italian seafood soup. I would definitely go back to place Pink again, for a special meal in Seattle.

Nicola and I

Hamish and Nicola

Interesting statue on the  building next to the Pink Door