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

Feet only!

Day one in Seattle
Nicola had put a lot of thought into planning our three days in Seattle so we didn't have to consult any guide books or anything to work out what we would do while we were there. Fab!

On our first morning Nicola took us to one of her favourite walking spots - Green Lake Park. We got some coffees and started walking around the lake. The path was divided into two lanes - one for pedestrians, and the other for bicycles and things with wheels (roller blades etc). The inner pedestrian lane is bidirectional, while the outer wheeled path is unidirectional (counter clockwise).

Nicola said that there are a few people who get very vocal about people on wheels who cross over on to the  pedestrian lane and shout "Feet only!" at any offenders. It was a lovely place to walk, chat, people watch and look at all the lovely homes on the way around the lake.

Feet only!

Green Lake turtles suning themselves

Nicola and Hamish

On the Amtrak train to Seattle, WA

...

On Thursday 30 September, in the early evening, we caught the Amtrak train from the Pacific Central Station in Vancouver, to Edmonds, Washington, US.

We didn't get grilled by the US Immigration and Customs officials nearly as much as some of the people who we lined up with to get on the train...especially not as much as the woman I sat on the opposite aisle of did by the US Customs officials, who boarded the train at the US border.  (After which, said woman, wanted to tell me her life story and become my 'new best friend'...she asked if I knew of a 'Professor Smith' in New Zealand?!) After a while I asked Hamish to swap places with me, and he pretty much got the same story.

NBF aside, it was a great way travel to Seattle and we saw some very nice scenery as the sun was setting along the way, including Mt Baker.  We were very pleased to see Nicola at Edmonds Station, after a couple of months of email correspondence while organising to have this long weekend with her in Seattle. Here are some pics from the train trip.

Mt Baker, Washington, US

Trying to photograph the boys

After the harbour cruise, we had an hour or so at Leanne's before we needed to be at the Pacific Central Station, to catch our train to Seattle. Leanne and I sat outside for a while and had a cuppa, and I attempted to get some photos of the beautiful boys, White Spot and Rudi. Neither of the cats were very interested in having their photographs taken. They either turned their backs to the camera, or frowned!

White Spot and Leanne 

White Spot on his special pink deck chair

White Spot has had enough of photos!

Rudi enters - not happy to see the camera!

Leanne and I are happy to be photographed. The cats are not!

Enough photographs already! Aren't you meant to be catching a train outta here?!

On the harbour cruise

Teresa had given us some tickets for a boat cruise of the inner harbour. They were due to expire on 30 September, so as Susannah was not starting work until the late afternoon on that date, we all went on the harbour cruise. Thanks to Teresa for the complimentary tickets.

Oh, I don't think I have mentioned that we bought a new camera before we came away on this trip.  It's a ***Canon*** PowerShot G11. (OMG it's not a Panasonic camera?! some may say?)

The G11 has been FAB to use and I love it to bits. I feel a tad guilty that it was supposed to be "our" camera, but within a very short space of time it quickly somehow became "my!!!" camera.  Sorry Hamish!

Fortunately, we managed to share the camera on this cruise... and because of the fact that between Hamish and I we took over 100 photographs in one afternoon, I have posted more pics about today's outing than words.

Our boat was called Constitution

After the cruise we wandered back towards Canada Place and stopped for a look at the Olympic Flame.

We met Zeus, the Mexican iguana, sunbathing, on the way