Sunny Sunny

The floors are done and we start moving back in today. It was actually sunny all day yesterday, and Dean and I both had the day off and were able to wander around downtown like tourists (only better, because we live here). We walked to our gym (just two blocks from the hotel) and had a leisurely workout. Then we walked along the waterfront up to the stair climb to Pike Place Market, visited Left Bank Books and De Laurenti's Italian Market, and then went along Post Avenue to the original Starbucks (which is actually kind of a dump, how did he even make an empire out of this?), and then to this little specialty shop that makes everything to do with truffles (not chocolate but fungus): truffle oil, truffle cream, truffle sauce, truffle soup, dried truffle, canned truffle, truffle truffle truffle. They also serve a small lunch and wine. We had cream of celeriac soup that was divine, especially with a drizzle of (you guessed it) truffle oil!

We walked back down First Avenue to the Seattle Art Museum, which is closed for a remodel (the Hammering Man sculpture in front has a whole new meaning now) and then we went down Harbor Steps and visited the high end furniture stores on Western Ave. (everything so over-designed, we would never use it). And then we stopped at an old antique store with all of these reclaimed pieces from torn down houses: five panel oak doors, mantle pieces, and my favorite -- old stained glass windows, with patterns of iris, roses, tulips, diamonds, etc. I want to get some for the house, with the old wood frame intact, and the rusted hinges still on, to hang on a wall, or put in front of a window so the light can shine through it. Hmmmm.