There are few things we like more than travelling, though after the fifth hour of being cooped up in JFK’s decrepit terminal 8, I was starting to question that wanderlust. Our trip out to
Seattle to see family was epic in length: 26 hours, which included a cab ride, two train journeys, a seven hour flight, six hour lay-over (two of which were unplanned), another six hour flight and then an hour car ride. Suffice to say, fly direct between the Pacific Northwest and London!!
Regardless of the lengthy journey, it was a great week spent with family. After a rather deep sleep, we awoke feeling less than certain of what time zone we were in, but very happy to see the family, including a precocious toddler that we all know. Conrad was in good form, though slightly shy at first, as is his wont. It didn’t take long for him to remember us though and by the time our afternoon excursion to the park came around he was more than pleased to throw rocks with his Uncle CW.
The week was a nice mixture of time to relax around the house playing with Conrad and day trips out and about in the Seattle area. We went to the aquarium, which is certainly a favourite of Conrad’s, along with Pikes Place Market, the Sky Needle, Pioneer Square and Safeco Field for our first live baseball game in three years. All in all it was very nice to wander around Seattle, even under Seattle.
Sharon and Conrad at the Seattle aquarium
Fresh crabs at Pikes Place Market
At the new sculpture park in Seattle
Enjoying a game at Safeco Field
Underground Seattle is certainly interesting. There was a slightly misguided series of civil engineering escapades taken in the late 1800’s that cumulatively led to a period in which storefronts were actually buried underneath the city streets and sidewalks! Strange yes, ineffectual yes, but lucrative for tour guides now! It is a strange thing to envision entire groups of people shopping, drinking and in general getting on with life in the complete claustrophobia inducing atmosphere of what amounts to a series of underground caves.
A crapper, buried beneath the seats of Seattle (watch out for geysers)
Some old furniture - some from a movie filmed in the underground
However, if parts of Seattle are closeted and densely packed, there is always the peace that comes from standing on top of 9 feet of snow more than a mile up Mt Rainer in the gorgeous sunshine of a late May afternoon. Rainer juts more than 14,000 feet up, totally dominating the horizon southeast of Seattle. On a clear day it is visible from just about anywhere within a hundred miles and is well worth the drive out of town to see. We enjoyed wandering by glacier fed streams, beautiful waterfalls and the aforementioned snow at the visitors’ centre. It was nice to be back within mountains and breathe air that is about as clean as possible these days.
In addition to seeing the family we also were able to spend time with CW’s good university friend Nicole who now lives in Portland and made the drive up to spend the night. It was really great to see her, since we hadn’t done so in almost four years.
Must say that moving an ocean away does put a dent in the ability to see family and friends, but hopefully those who we care about will always understand our affection and desire to see you all never diminishes with time.
Cora and I chose to stand in the Yard and it was well worth the sore back the next day. This production used two staircases from the Yard to the stage as major entry/exit points throughout. At times the set of stairs we stood next to - made to look like a bridge over one of the canals - had parts of scenes enacted upon them. It is quite strange to have to make way for actors as they enter or leave the stage, as well as peer up at them from no more than an arm's length away! It made for a very exciting and enthralling couple of hours, made all the better for the dry weather, since as you can see, no roof overhead!
A highly recommended unique theatre experience for any of those planning a future visit to London.
