the emerald city

since i only ever wrote about my descent into seattle, its time to do a little backtracking....

what an amazing city, seattle is! the weather was pretty nice for the few days that i was there, which, to be honest, was my biggest worry. thankfully, i wasn't disappointed at all...it was a little on the cool side - in the mid 60's - and although there were a few rain showers, they always seems to happen at night. and the sun found its way through the clouds during the majority of the hours that i was out and about.

thanks to melissa's recommendation, i stayed at a hotel that was walking distance from the down-town area, and that had an incredibly nice suite with a full kitchen, separate room with a king size bed, a balcony, and even a fireplace!

i must say, my all-time favorite experience was the public market. as i walked through the many shops, enjoyed the fresh fruit and vegetable stands, market spice, and the plethora of seafood and fresh meats, i couldn't help but think that every city should have one just like it. even i, who does not cook, would be inspired to stop by on the way home from work to pick up ingredients for dinner and fresh flowers for the table!

check out all the fresh veggies!

and yes, the fish DO fly!

there were flowers everywhere!

where else can you find tofu EVERYTHING???

the original starbucks, directly across the street:)

i also enjoyed some fabulous food in seattle, including dinner with colleagues at a french-italian fusion restaurant, chez gaudy, that we almost couldn't find. the entrance was hidden on the side of the building, and inside, we were greeted with an eclectic decor and an intimate setting, which i would highly recommend for close conversation and is the perfect place for a date. the food was excellent, as well - we shared a wasabi grilled cheese (it works, it really does) appetizer, and i had a grilled chicken breast over portabella mushroom entree, topped with chimichurri and melted goat cheese. AMAZING.

and on the last evening there, i have a fabulous crepe from a storefront creperie, filled with strawberry compote, vanilla bean sauce topped with fresh berries. what a delicious way to end my stay in seattle.