The first and last thing I saw of Seattle was Mount Rainier, an active volcano.
My biggest takeaway from this trip is getting to know Eve and her hubby, and exploring a new city. My biggest regret is not making it to Forks, Washington. Seattle, I will return again!
Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery
Today was the perfect day to visit the beautiful grounds of Chateau Ste. Michelle.
The oldest and most acclaimed winery in Washington State.
We decided to take the tour first.
Which lies behind these doors.
Award winning wines are made here. After the tour, we were led to their shop and purchase a bottle of sweet Muscat to accompany our laksa dinner. Their Muscat is not distributed to the stores so it was a real treat.
Look what greeted us when we left the shop.
"What you looking at?"
A huge wine barrel! Wonder how many trees it's made from.
The Manor House behind Kelly.
We walked around the beautiful grounds and chance upon ...
Peahens! There's a whole harem living out there and only 2 peacocks. Do the Maths.
Neighbourhood of Fremont
We couldn't bear to leave charming winery but there are more places to visit such as the arty neighbourhood of Fremont.
Where lies a angry troll crushing a Volkswagen Beetle in his hands.
I am only slightly taller than his arm!
I decided to blow a kiss to Mr Troll while ...
Kelly looks up his nostrils ???
The girls hold tight to Seattle's Best to keep them cosy in the cold air.
Sometimes referred as 'The People's Republic of Seattle', Fremont was once a center of counterculture but has gentrified in recent years. A mark of its past remained in this Lenin statue salvaged from Slovakia by a local art dealer.
Kelly refuses to let go of the communist father
and I refused to let go of this humongous packet of fries.
When I finally made Kelly let go of Lenin, he decides to sulk like Anakin Skywalker.
Another distinctive landmark of Fremont, an old rocket fuselage.
We spent a ton in this store while the sky turned dark overhead and started to snow!
Post Alley
The snow didn't deter us from heading to more places. One of which is Post Alley famous for its Gum Wall.
Some conscientious guy's effort to create a message.
Pike Place Market
We didn't stop long at the disgusting wall and went over to Pike Place Market next door.
This is the famous fish throwing stall that inspired the self-motivation book, Fish.
Fresh produce at the market. Have you ever seen such a strand of chilli peppers?
First tulips of the season! And cheap too.
All these beautiful bouquets go for $20 each. I have never seen these flowers before and never seen them combined like that.
These colourful sticks are dried fruit logs rolled in coconut. Kelly's favourite thing in the market.
Erm, me pretending it's a cigarette...
We chanced upon this beautiful sunset. Which wet market has a view like that?
The FIRST Starbucks Store!
This is the first Starbucks that started the whole coffee empire.
It retains the original Starbucks logo with the naughty siren.
Captured this beautiful scene as we were leaving Pike Place.
I don't know why they have pigs instead of reindeers.
Saw this as we were walking to the car. Hehehe...
Chinatown, Internationl District
We start the day with a Dim Sum breakfast.
Since
the area is shared by Chinese, Vietnamese and Japanese, the title of International District was added to Chinatown.
Our first picture of 2009!
After brunch, we decided to walk off the calories. I spotted this weird parking payment box which works on a trust system. Decide how long you need to park, calculate the cost and insert the money into a tiny hole next to your parking lot number.
Another payment kiosk but definitely more high tech.
I like this pic. Looks like I am in London.
In the background is Seattle's Downtown and the Pioneer Square Historical District. The foreground shows train tracks for their new 'MRT'.
Pioneer Square, Historical District
My fav photo of the trip. Love the moody feel.
Look at the ivy creeping all over the face of the building behind us!
Sculpture in the Plaze depicting firemen at work. A nod to the city's heritage.
The Native Americans settled in Seattle long before men from the midwest arrived and took away their lands.
The totem pole and sculptures commerate the history of modern Seattle.
It was cold and rainy. Lucky the boys had hoods to shield their heads. Aren't they adorable?
Another old building in Pioneer Square.
It was so foggy that the top of the building was shrouded.
A missionary.
Museum of Flight
After exploring the historical district, we headed to University Village for shopping. At night, we visited the Museum of Flight.
How cute is this? I like how this Christmas display reflects the theme of the museum!!!
Planes in the air, planes of the ground. They were all life size. Imagine how big the museum is!!!
I like the vintage planes best. Don't they look like toy planes hanging in the air like that?
