Travels of THB: Day 5: Seattle (and Day 6 on the way to the airport)

Day 5: Seattle

Weather: Raining, with brief periods of clearing, and high winds

QOTD:

Now the moon is almost hidden, the stars are beginning to hide
The fortune telling lady has even taken all her things inside
All except for Cain and Abel and the hunchback of Notre Dame

Everybody is making love or else expecting rain
And the Good Samaritan, he's dressing, he's getting ready for the show
He's going to the carnival tonight on Desolation Row

Reserved for the brunch crowd.

THB goes to the fitness center, again! Damn, it’s been a while and now two days in a row. And, the carnival is in town: there’s a yuge ferris wheel down on the waterfront just north of the hotel. It looks very impressive at night. Imagine being in a gondola with rain lashing down on you and winds exceeding 50mph. Desolation Row, right here in Sea-town.

Breakfast at one of THB’s all-time faves, Macrina Bakery. We drive the mile as it is raining. Macrina has re-made the small seating space into brunch-order-off-the-menu only, so we sit outside, semi-sheltered. Bring back selection for K&E, room is large enough for four of us to sit and enjoy the spoils. $25 or so for a good variety of excellent items.

EMP is in a Gehry building!

And the monorail comes to the front door

It’s still raining on our drive to EMP (Experience Music Project) Museum, right next to the Space Needle. We park a few blocks away, there’s a Heart March crossing our path (they are marching in the rain, nobody is holding up huge banners in this weather).

Didn't take long for EMP to adjust their display

General admission is $25pp and then you can enter other “exhibition” buildings for an additional fee. K&E take in the Chihuly show, THB and DB have seen enough of his work to last a long time!

See you in 2020 at the Tokyo 0's

THB and DB first saw this show on the south island of New Zealand (in a car dealership?)

We’re well positioned to walk back to the car (several blocks closer) and then to move a short distance to Serious Pie (the one at S. Lake Union) for two pizzas flat-bread style, an immense biscuit used as sandwich bread, and drinks. $90…and excellent!

Nobody seems too motivated to wander around in the rain and wind, so more resting up before dinner in our gorgeous rooms.

No more ice machines, just bags of ice in a freezer in front of the elevators

Dinner at Cantinetta in the Wallingford neighborhood just north of downtown, with SC joining us again. The second storm was supposed to arrive at 6pm, right when we’re arriving at the restaurant. Fortunately, it waits for about 20 to 30 minutes, then a squall lands right on top of us: driving rain, high winds, and blinking lights.

Note: nice and clear when we arrive

Ricotta Gnudi (no, not a sea creature)

The squall has passed, maitre dave is outside calling customers to tell them the coast is clear

Fortunately, as a squall must, it passes. In the meantime, we’ve had salads, pastas, osso buco with polenta, several desserts, many drinks, $410.

Day 6: Seattle to E-ville

Off to the airport early breakfast at the Macrina Bakery, at a different location…many of the places we loved 10 years ago have had multiple siblings, or gotten older and moved to new quarters.

Weather: Raining everywhere!

Just south of the ballparks, people are already arriving for the Seahawks vs Falcons game 5.5 hours from now (they aren't going to Macrina, they are tailgaters)