Seattle

I finally have a few photos from my trip to Seattle on flickr. Apparently, I am crazy about flowers because I took a million pictures of the flowers for sale in the market. Most of them didn't even turn out well because I used our old camera as to avoid leaving Dan's fancy company camera in a bar. (Good thinking. I DID leave my wallet in a bar but safely retrieved it the next day.) When I get copies of Connie and Allyson's photos, I'll have more to share, but for now it's pretty much cheese, flowers, and the cityscape. (There are also a few photos of Allyson and I dancing in the hotel bathroom after a few drinks that I will just keep to myself.)

Allyson, Connie, and I had a great time checking out what we could around our hotel downtown. We visited the Space Needle (atop which I had my first experience of vertigo--but it was beautiful!) and Pike Place Market, sampled the wines of Washington, and tried fabulous restaurants including Wild Ginger and Restaurant Zoë. The nightlife was ho-hum...Everyone just sent us to the same place, of which we weren't greatly impressed. I think we would have had a pinch more fun if we were with native Seattleites, who could have guided us to the best places.

My favorite part of the trip was super touristy, though--the market, where we took a Savor Seattle tasting tour. I made myself try every sample, no matter what it was! I tasted old fashioned donuts, spices, tea, fresh smoked salmon, handmade cheese & cheese curds (eckh!!!!), clam chowder, fresh local fruit, chocolate covered cherries, piroshky pastries, and coconut cream pie by the famous Pacific Northwest chef, Tom Douglas. Allyson and Connie were very proud of me for trying different foods, but I drew the line at dinnertime. They happily indulged in copious amounts of local seafood--mussels, fish, sushi rolls, scallops? I couldn't keep track. At some point I think EEL WAS INVOLVED. I stuck with chicken and vegetables, thank you very much. They were yummy. The third day was a bit of a bummer because I felt sick, so I spent most of the day in my fluffy bed watching a flat screen TV. Connie ventured off by herself to take a winery/falls tour in the country, and Allyson walked just about every inch of downtown and then checked out a boat tour.

I did miss Dan, even though it was only a few days. The photo above is of my peonies he gave me for graduation. He put them in a bouquet so I could take them with me on the trip and enjoy them before they died. I love that photo because it seems peaceful, and the trip was that for me--peaceful and relaxing. I am so thankful that Allyson came and whisked me away somewhere new for a few days!