Galway Girl: Seattle

On Wednesday, we were scheduled to take the AmTrak from Vancouver to Seattle, but ended up taking a bus instead. A landslide had washed out part of the train track. We arrived in Seattle with no maps and little information about the city. Having both traveled around Europe, Travis and I managed to navigate the city very well. We found a bus information station, gathered maps and worked our way to the Inn of Twin Gables Bed and Breakfast. After checking in with our host, Emily, we ventured down to the heart of Seattle. Needing some afternoon coffee, we stopped at what we thought was the very first Starbucks in the world. Turns out, it was not the original SB, but happened to be the first completely sustainable Starbucks! Everything was made from recycled material-the counter tops, the tables, everything. After indulging in a grande slow roasted, clover brewed coffee, we made our way to the world famous Pike Place Market. We explored the market for a while, gazing at the seafood, fresh produce and flowers. Pike's Place is referred to as the Soul of Seattle and is the country's oldest publicly operated market. We were in disbelief of the size of the market, and it wasn't until the next day we discovered there were 6 more floors we did not know existed! I really wanted to see the original Starbucks and eventually located it after inquiring with some locals.
We had dinner at Delancey and you will have to wait for details about this lovely evening. It most definitely deserves its own post.
On Thursday morning, Emily prepared us a delicious breakfast. We devoured sliced pears drizzled with pomegranate syrup and fresh rosemary, followed by mushroom, asparagus, spinach, pepper, bacon and feta cheese omelets with Irish soda bread. (It's was St. Patrick's day) This, of course, brought me right back to my time in Ireland and made me extremely happy. With full stomachs, we ventured to the Space Needle. The sky was clear, which is not something that happens often in the Northwest. Atop the needle, we were able to see Mt. Rainer and the Olympic Mountain Range. It was breathtaking. The remainder of our morning consisted of tea sampling, indulging in hand crafted truffles from a local chocolatier and having a beer at Pike's Place Brewery. It was St. Patty's day after all. For lunch, we returned to the main floor of Pike Place Market and had a bowl of Seattle's best clam chowder followed by a fresh salmon sandwich. Need I say more?