Walking in Seattle

We decided to go downtown and walk around today.  I'm still too cranky for my shorts so we decided that walking would be good.  The first thing we saw was a protest action at Westlake Center.  It involved Bulgaria, but the crucial parts of the posters people were holding up were not in English.  I must confess I'm not up to speed on what's up with Bulgaria, so I can't even speculate as to what the issues are.

 

See the red sign in the window?  It's advertising space for lease. This was the former home of City Kitchens, one of the premier kitchen stores in the north west.  We are absolutely heart sick that this store is gone.  Walking through the shelves full of cool stuff was one of our favorite things to do in Seattle.  Plus, they did a really good job on knife sharpening. 

 

This is Seattle's heart of darkness.  The homeless are on too many street corners.

 

Pike Place Market.  See how cloudy it is out over the sound?  Classic marine push.

 

In the market there is a cheese maker.  The man is dragging some sort of blade through what ever that is.  It was taking a fair amount of effort to do it, so I surmise that it's heavy and not light and fluffy.

 

Every time we have been downtown for the last five years, the man in the hat and the woman in the visor have been on that hill protesting the Chinese government's persecution of Falun Gong.  I admire their tenacity.

 

Looking down toward Harbor Island.

 

It was cruise ship day. They have changed the Pike Place Market.  Vegetable stalls have been crowded out in favor of flower sales, because that's what the people from the boats purchase.  That has not pleased the people who actually live downtown or the veggie growers.

 

Look at all the dang people in the street.

 

Look at all the dang people in the market.

 

These three young women were singing close harmony, like the Andrews sisters used to do.  They were really good.  It takes a lot of gumption to stand on the sidewalk and sing.

 

There is a military surplus store close to the Patagonia store.  They have a lot of cool stuff.  This is a late 40's/early 50's pressure suit.
 

 

We obtained much walking, so it was not a totally wasted day from an exercise perspective.  Seattle is known for its hills, so there was a fair amount of up down.