Sleepless in...

After an early morning and five+ hours on an airplane, some folks would have sought a welcoming coffee shop (of which there are many in Seattle!), a comfy bed or sofa, and a good book or movie to spend the afternoon recovering from a wearying journey. 

We are not "some folks." 

We opted for an exploration of Seattle's Pike Place Market, where merchants throw fish across hallways, flowers are cheap-cheap, and all sorts of foods abound, from Mexican to French, from Indian to mid-eastern. 

 Of course, being in a coastal city, we had to somehow get close to the ocean, so we wandered down by the Seattle Aquarium to smell the ocean breezes, feel the wind in our hair, and admire the mountains across Pugent Sound.

Being the adventurous sort, and having already forsaken the comfy beds, a 2 mile trek across the city center seemed no big deal, especially since we had discovered on the map a rather impressive goal: the REI Flagship Store.

For the uninitiated, REI is an epic store with all sorts of outdoor and adventure gear. Who knew you could look so cute while trekking through the woods, rain, mud, and bugs for weeks? 

Finally, the day drew to a close. Our feet were sore, our bodies were tired, but we had another 3-4 hours to go! So we hoofed our way back to the market for some flowers, acting on the theory that beautiful flowers would inspire us to continue (and the theory that one should always bring a gift to one's hostess!).

If you look closely at that bouquet, you'll notice kale. Yes, kale as an integral part of a decorative bouquet. Seattilites are very smart--if the apocalypse begins while you are taking flowers back to your lover, you have something to munch while you wait out the zombies. Or if your commute takes longer than expected. 

Our commute was no longer than expected, so the kale stayed intact for our hostess. The border crossing into Canada involved questions such as "Have you ever been handcuffed or arrested?" Thankfully, none of our party had participated in criminal activity, so we entered the Great White North.

And despite the natives' claims that we are nowhere near the Great White North, let it be noted that there was a brief period of snow this morning.