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Kamis, 08 November 2012
MY SEATTLE WEEKEND: PART III: Browsing around Pike Market
Pike Place Market
One of the great things about the hotel I stayed in (The Four Seasons) was that it was right in the midst of all the downtown action. I only had to walk a short block to arrive at the legendary Pike Place Market which is a farmer's market extraordinaire. The vibrant atmosphere, the crowds of people some come to shop, other (like me) just to browse, make it one of Seattle's most popular destinations. Some even say it's the 'soul' of Seattle!
The fish is kept smothered under ice to keep it fresh.
Besides the entertaining guys at the fish store, you can interact with other farmers and merchants all through the market area which stretches for quite a long way and includes various levels. Peruse the fresh farm vegetables, stalls selling honey, home-made chocolate, herbs, and many other food items. There's even some entertaining curio shops in the downstairs area.
Lots of crafts to choose from.
Or browse along the colourful tables of craft items and other shops. You'll find almost every kind of craft there from candles to ornaments carved out of the ash left from the Mount St. Helen's volcanic explosion. There's more than sixty places to eat as well as live music to entertain you.
Red Hot Chili Peppers
When the market first opened in 1906 there were only eight farmers displaying their wares. Now there's more than 200 businesses, 190 craftsmen, and approximately 100 farmers. The Market is one of the most popular places in Seattle for both locals and tourists. I could have spent much longer there than I did but in the time it took me to wander around I think I saw most of it. Another time I'd like to make it a shopping trip. This time I was just a curious tourist. But I did stop by one of the Japanese food booths and have a delicious chicken teriyaki on a skewer for my lunch. Just $3.75! Then I headed down to pay a visit to Pike Place Brewery for a cold Indian Pale Ale.
NEXT: Part IV: An Entertaining Evening at the Pike Brewing Company and Pub
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Senin, 05 November 2012
city sites
,
family fun
,
food
,
harbor
,
heritage
,
heritage buildings
,
historical sites
,
outdoor activities
,
seafood
,
shops
,
sightseeing
,
travel
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MY EXCELLENT WEEKEND IN SEATTLE Part II: FUN AT MINER'S LANDING
The Great Wheel
From my hotel I spotted this giant Ferris wheel. It reminded me of The London Eye, only not quite as big, so I decided to go down the two flights of steps from Union Street to the waterfront area below.
It turned out to be Miner's Landing, a historic area on Seattle's waterfront where miners landed in the 1890's. The famous "ton of gold" that started the Alaska Gold Rush was unloaded in here in 1897. Pier 57 has been refurbished and is now a lively area of shops, restaurants, a vintage carousel and the Big Wheel.?
I too some time to explore inside the market area where there were a number of amusing statues depicting the gold miners as well as my favorite, a pirates shop. I just had to go in there and buy myself a couple of pirate souvenirs.
The Pirate Shop
Inside the little mall there were also a couple of restaurants and some other small shops.
I decided to go back that evening to have a feast of oysters at one of the sea-food restaurants at the Pier. I had been entranced on my first evening in Seattle by the brightly lit Big Wheel so it was fun explore the Miner's Landing by night.
I chose Elliot's Oyster House as the place to have my feed of fresh Pacific Coast oysters. It had a large selection of various kinds of oysters as well as other seafood. Raw oysters seemed to be the favorite choice, and there were dozens of varieties to choose from.
Freshly shucked raw oysters ready to eat!
I prefer my oysters fried so I ordered a plate of a half dozen along with mashed potatoes and asparagus.
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And a crisp warm bun made with basil served with fresh whipped butter. And of course, a glass of white wine! Mmmm, delicious!
Elliott's Oyster House at Pier 56
www.elliottsoysterhouse.com
NEXT: My Excellent Seattle Weekend Part III: BEER & CLAMS AT PIKE'S BAR
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Minggu, 20 Mei 2012
SNIFF,SIP,SWILL,SWALLOW,SPIT (and don't forget to DUMP)
SNIFF,SIP,SWILL,SWALLOW and don't forget to DUMP. Those are the rules of wine tasting.
I went to the New Zealand Wine Fair recently -- me a wine lover from away back who can never quite remember the names of wines that I favor. And there I was confronted with HUNDREDS of bottles of wine waiting for me to taste, from the twenty six participating wineries of New Zealand. Boy! Where to start?
Once we had finished tasting the special collection, we moved into the larger room where long tables were set up with reps from all twenty-six participating wineries. You could take you pick and taste any one of the wines they had on display.
It was one big wine-tasting party. Soon we met up with Lenora, one of the travel writers, and the three of us cruised the room sampling and stopping to chat with the wine reps. There was a lot to taste: Riesling, Pino Gris, Gewurztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir,Chardonnay,Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. How do you keep track of it all? Well, I made notes in the little book provided and marked the * to ***** stars but in looking back at them all I still decided it was definitely the Riesling I tasted when I first started out that I liked the best.
Of course, you can't drink all that wine (oh yes! I didn't spit ALL of it out!) so there were tables of the most delicious foods to sample as well, all aromatic New Zealand varieties to compliment the wines.
Then, for a little dessert:
Wine tasting is fun! But I must remind myself next time to pay closer attention to the particular brands that I like most and make more detailed notes about them.
If you want to read a good blog about wines, check out my friend Mari Kane's wine blog. She's an expert! www.tastingroomconfidential.com
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