Brief notes on Seattle
I visited Seattle recently, for the IDEA 2006 conference at the Seattle Public Library. More on both of those subjects later. Meanwhile, some brief notes from my glance at the city. Sadly I didn’t have time read around the place much (as opposed to book-supported trips to Australia, Barcelona or Boston, for example) so you’ll have to make do with observations and photos.
Surrounded by sublime terrain — sublime in the original, God-fearin’ sense of the word — Seattle is one of those cities where the water reaches right in, as with Sydney, as with Stockholm. There’s a wonderfully crisp atmosphere to the place, perhaps due to the icy cold Pacific waters and all those pine trees, and also the natural focal points that a waterfronted, un-super-sized city affords. I’ve been three times, all on business and therefore with frustratingly little time for a look around. This time I managed to escape the magnetic pull of the Seattle Public Library in order to cram in couple of visits to Pike Place Market (thanks to excellent local guide, Andrew Otwell.)
I always like to check out the local market when visiting a city. David Sedaris suggests the local gun control laws can tell you a lot about a place; me, I like to get a feel of the market. The layout and architecture; the signage; the produce on display; opening times; how well-used it is; whether it’s a working market or a tourist…
