Seattle

Steve at Pike's Market, Seattle

This was another Harcourt trip where I hid in the suitcase and went along for the ride. Seattle weather was wonderful, like Southern California, and the locals were all thrilled. We stayed at the new Marriott Waterfront and got a room on the 5th floor overlooking Elliott Bay. We had a great view all up and down the embarcadero and across the bay to Bainbridge Island. As soon as we arrived we wandered up the hill behind us to explore Pike's Market. It was jammed with tourists, of course. All these places are identical. I'm constantly amazed at the ridiculous junk people will buy. Later we walked back and had dinner at Cafe Campagne. I had the pork pate and the trout almondine. Both were delicious.

Hector had to work the next two days so I just wandered. I took a Grey Line tour of the downtown area and had the worst tour guide I've ever had. She was so boring that I got off after 2 stops, at Pioneer Square, the "old" section of downtown Seattle, where I grabbed a bite to eat and spent a lovely couple of hours browsing in Elliott Bay Book Co. I bought Freddy and Fredericka by Mark Helprin, What's The Matter With Kansas? [How Conservatives Won the Heart of America] by Thomas Frank, The Clumsiest People in Europe or: Mrs. Mortimer's Bad-Tempered Guide to the Victorian World (hilarious), In A Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (travels in Australia) and The Geographers Library by Jon Fasman, which I since discovered I already bought and never read, damn it!
I also stumbled around trying to find Seattle's "Chinatown" which was clearly marked on the map but it turns out it's 2 Chinese Restaurants and a laundry and that's about it. Got back on the next tour bus to come around three hours later and it was HER AGAIN! Got off at Pike's Market and just walked back to the hotel.
Tuesday night we met Hector's co-worker, Enrique, at Salty's. Big seafood restaurant across the bay in West Seattle with gorgeous views of Seattle skyline at night. It was okay. Tourist food. Weak vodka tonics.
Wednesday night we ate at the much-recommended Pink Door, sort of a bohemian bistro with no sign out front just a, you guessed it, pink door.
Thursday home. Horrible flight. I was stuck in the middle seat surrounded by babies screaming in my face and blowing drool everywhere. Foul babies.