Blogs from Seattle, Washington, United States, North America - page 5

7/26 We woke to sunshine, albeit chillier than what we are used to. The 1906 11th Avenue Bed and Breakfast provided a hearty breakfast that we enjoyed amidst fellow travelers. My friend Bob had arrived as promised to give us a tour of Seattle. We fastened our seatbelts and were off for a whirlwind tour of Seattle! I don’t think there was a highlight or historical detail that was missed. We began with a quick tour of the lovely little Chapel of St Ignatius at Seattle University. This tiny church, striking as it was reflected in a long pool, was designed by Architect Steven Holl who designed the chapel using vessels of light to define physical and spiritual spaces. Pools of light separated the dark spaces within, asking the visitor to experience light as it passes ... read more

Day 2 in Seattle found us in different places. Sue looking for a Museum and me in an Irish bar watching the England Columbia match in the World Cup. A tense affair which unbelievably we won on penalties - footballs coming home. Met up with an old friend and his wife (Dave and Jen) who kindly took us to their home in Ballard before showing us a different part of Seattle and fantastic hospitality. Visited Rays, a lovely restaurant and had a great meal there with wonderful views across the bay. http://www.rays.com/boathouse/ thoroughly recommend it. Later walked along Ballard beach watching all and sundry having fun and playing beach volleyball Next morning 4th July we visited the Ballard salmon locks and managed to see salmon leaping (well sue did) and seals with Dave. Followed up with ... read more

Does having the most coffee shops per square mile mean that you have the best coffee? Yes, there is a Starbucks, and usually one other competitor on every block. There are a few Peet's (our favorite), so there is hope for this city. But do they have really good coffee? Here is an "expert" at the Stranger: Coffee shops in Seattle function as social clubs, community forums, shared office space, and study centers. Even the most utilitarian place offers mind-boggling overheard conversation and fascinating people watching. In my opinion, Starbucks's coffee tastes burned and people look dumb walking around drinking coffee out of giant paper cups like they're constantly at a high-school kegger. Espresso is best sipped scalding hot from a ceramic cup without a weird plastic sippy-cup lid filtering it through a petroleum product. Try ... read more

We’ve made it to Seattle after a slightly tortious journey from Banff. First we went to Calgary for a few days to stay with an old school friend of mine who I hadn’t seen in over 30 years. It was good to see him and to meet his wife and teenage son who I’d not met before. Whilst we were in a major city we also sorted out the shipping of our ski gear back to Australia and took the opportunity to buy some much needed clothes that should last us until we reach Europe. On a fine day we walked into central Calgary, which is an OK city but too be honest not desperately interesting for visitors, but I did like the connected walkway concept that links the business towers and shopping areas with each ... read more

Getting to Seattle My spouse Jeff was selected to judge a springboard and platform diving competition in Federal Way, located south of Seattle, last weekend. I decided to join him for the weekend. I had been prewarned that Seattle was unseasonably cold and that there had been snow, so I was prepared accordingly. I arrived in Seattle on Thursday, February 22. The scenery on approach to Seatac Airport was amazing, with the ground blanketed in white and spectacular snow capped peaks on both sides of the approach path. After arrival, I took a shuttle to the hotel, collected my key from reception (Jeff had already checked in a day earlier) and walked to the nearby strip mall to enjoy a bowl of hot pho. After that, I napped until Jeff got back from judging. That evening, ... read more