Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs

I started my first full day in Seattle with a run around Green Lake Park to loosen up from all the travel. After that, it was time for a walkabout to see the main sights of the city.



It started with a bus trip downtown and a look at the famous Pike Place Market.



Pike Place Market, for those who haven't been there, is a labyrinth upon a labyrinth of food vendors, shops and restaurants that was built, rebuilt and added onto over about the past 100 years. It has just about anything you might want as long as what you want is something that they have.





I took a break for a brat at Uli's Famous Sausage. It was as good as any I've had east of Frankfurt.



In the corridor specializing in Asian prepared foods I wondered where a bench like this came from and where I can get one.



Of course the main attraction of the market is the high-flying antics of the fishmongers. I didn't see these guys selling much but they sure seemed to have a good time trying. Here's one bringing in a nice two-handed catch.



There are several other markets in the vicinity of the main one, like this one that seems to cater to a more disease-conscious customer.



Up from the market is Post Alley, a small pedestrian passage cutting diagonally across the grid that is full of nice but curious establishments.







Just north of there is a park area offering views of downtown and Safeco Field.



And a little further north, a sculpture reminds you of how bad the weather is, or else makes you feel like playing badminton.



Continuing northward still, I strolled through the Belltown neighborhood, whose buildings, stores, bars and art galleries signify its place as a chic residential area.







However, there are still clues that reveal its more working-class roots.



Finally I reached the edge of Seattle Center. Like similar areas in places like Montreal, this is a park-like campus built to host a large international exposition, specifically the Century 21 Expo in 1962. Unlike in Montreal, the attractions of Seattle Center still seem to draw a crowd. However, as is often the case with cultural campuses like this, the surrounding area doesn't have a whole lot of interesting things to offer.



I knew I would probably come back to visit some of the Seattle Center attractions so I just looked around a bit, taking a gander at the Experience Music Project (EMP), the center's newest museum, and seeing another example of Frank Gehry's take on a museum entrance.



As well as his idea of a museum loading dock.



And just across from this, in what is sure to be the next new attraction, they were building the immense campus headquarters of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.



After picking up my gracious host at the airport and heading straight to a bar in the Ballard neighborhood to compete in a local pub trivia (sadly, we only took third place), that did it for my first day in Seattle. I was already liking the place and there was still a lot more to see. Since I've fallen a bit behind on postings as usual, you may see a bunch more come all in a row. Don't be alarmed, I'm not really that fast a traveler. Until next time.