A few days,
blogging silence... Been too busy, not been in the mood, and the hotel didn’t
have free wireless anyhow. But, I’ve got
23 hours to kill on the train now, and whilst the scenery is beautiful, there
is only so much gazing out the window a girl can do... So, catching up on the writing...
The last
day in Vancouver, it rained, pretty much incessantly. Which meant my plans to go back up to Stanley
Park which I’d loved my first time around, were pretty much nixed. So, tired of my nails chipping, after
breakfast I went to a nail salon and got them shellac’d, a gel polish that is
supposed to last a couple of weeks – so far so good... Then, it was back down
to Gastown to visit a boutique store I hadn’t realised was there when I’d been
there the previous day... Spent some time there, trying on dresses and enjoying
the company of the designer and the sales assistant... Made a very expensive purchase once the
designer had agreed to alter the halterneck for my height, and deliver the
dress to my hotel that night... How could I refuse that kind of service..? :-p
Still
pouring with rain, and I realised that I was actually in the heart of what they
call Vansterdam... I took a wander
around the store, but didn’t buy anything... When I was in Seattle too, I
noticed a full page spread advertising legal majajuana stores... Cool... Then, to steer clear of the rain,
lunch at an Italian called the Bellagio (well, who wouldn’t?), and then to the
Vancouver Art Gallery for the Surrealism exhibition. Really expensive, no headphones guide, and no
leaflet to help guide you around. But
she gave me a student ticket because I looked like one even if I said I wasn’t
one!
Back to my
hotel, I switched on the TV and realised I was watching the first episode of
the new season of Gossip Girl. Result!
Although it won’t be too soon when that annoying French prince leaves
and we can go back to a straightforward Blair/Chuck/Dan triangle... xoxo
Decided to
get dressed up and go out to the Keg for steak – overpriced but a Canadian
chain that I do love. Delicious.
The bus
across the border to the United States the next day, Tuesday, was fairly
uneventful. We had to disembark, pick up
all our luggage and queue up through passport and baggage control. They took my fingerprints and mug shot, and
charged me $6 to do so – quite confused as they did that last time too, but
hey, they let me in. A sniffer dog had
been on the coach too, checking for contraband.
We got into the Seattle a few minutes ahead of schedule, and there were
some lovely views of the Space Needle as we approached.
Shared a
taxi with a very dull British couple who were only in Seattle for the night,
and couldn’t leave soon enough... Checked in at the Hotel Max, and I knew it
had been accredited as LGBT friendly, but it was definitely cool & funky
enough to have been a destination boutique hotel for any discerning
characters. Every floor showcased art
from local artists, with originals in the rooms. Walking down the hallways, every door had
unique black & white photographs the length of the door. In the mini bar you could buy the book of all
the art in the hotel.
But my room
was really noisy, on the alley at the back, and where the trash vans seemed to
dump or pickup from throughout the night.
I complained the next day and was told for my last night I could get a
better room. Except when I came back
from my excursions on Wednesday I found my room door wedged open by a towel...
Thankfully nothing was taken but it was absolutely staggering that it could
have happened. They upgraded me straight
away, and gave me vouchers for free dinner at the neighbouring restaurant...
But, I get
ahead of myself. When I first arrived at
the hotel, I took a little nap – I was feeling a bit overwhelmed by the new
city, somewhere I hadn’t been before. Eventually,
I forced myself to not let the city beat me, and I pulled myself out to Pike
Market – which pretty much shuts by 6pm.
I made it to the Old Starbucks though, bought a gift for Van, and a mug
for me, wandered around and found a little restaurant where I had seafood
risotto. I was glad I’d made the effort
to get out, and to get my bearings for the next day.
Wednesday I
went straight to the Space Needle via the monorail. Amazing views, took lots of pictures... then
to the EMP for the Nirvana exhibition.
Did take a wander around the Avatar one too, but definitely gave
Battlestar Gallactica a miss!! Then back
into the centre to Pike Market – just like at Granville Island, a feast for the
senses, flower stalls and fish mongers, next to kitsch little jewellery stores
and glass ornaments. But I do prefer
Granville Island... I ate some chowder
and some fish n’ chips at Lowells, which was just delicious, my table next to
two men from the Air Force, also quite delicious... the Air Force was in town,
everywhere you looked a uniform or three walking past....
Sometimes
though, I’m a rubbish tourist. I seem to
always end up shopping or going to the cinema.
And I managed to do both – being quite tired I stumbled across the
Cheesecake Factory, decided to take the weight off my feet by adding body
weight with a cheesecake – but not just any cheesecake, a chocolate tuxedo
cheesecake which was just absolutely sublime, smooth as mousse... and across the
street, the cinema seemed to beckon me in... So I saw Drive with Ryan Gosling
which wasn’t at all what I’d thought it would be, but was excellent... And then, on my way back to the hotel,
Macy’s, Nordstrums, mall after mall, seemed to be begging me to come visit...
Learnt my lesson though, getting on the Amtrak this morning – had to buy a
shipping box because my bag was 10lbs over the maximum... I’m going to have
problems with the flight on the way home at this rate....
So, get
back to hotel, room door open, move rooms – much better room. Free dinner of sashimi and black cod was
delicious, and back to my room, exhausted, but this time a great night’s
sleep. I slept in yesterday, still
feeling a bit jeg-lagged, and sometimes sucking the marrow out of life is just
simply about taking the time to do nothing at all... Then, it was down to the waterfront, to
Miner’s Landing and the Fisherman’s Wharf for brunch (I don’t think that
Seattle knows how to do fish meals badly).
I decided to give the Aquarium a miss, not wanting to spend another $20
or so on one more attraction... Then, along to Pioneer Square and Bill
Spiedelman’s underground tour. Which was
both hilarious and informative – hugely enjoyable, a real highlight. Up the Smithson Tower for more views and
photos, and back up to Pike Market area for the night’s highlights at the Hard
Rock Cafe.
I had a
ticket to the 80s rewind gig but decided to eat there first. Giving fish a miss, it was time for a real
American burger... with mushrooms and swiss cheese of course, because this is
me, and if I can get a burger with mushrooms, I will have it with mushrooms...
And a cocktail. Because I was at the
Hard Rock... Up the stairs to the gig, and it was a band with a cute, slightly
ageing girl, in a gold sequinned dress.
Kind of Michelle Pfieffer like from that film with the Bridges brothers
and she sings Making Whoopee on the piano, but not the same genre of song at
all... So not then. The Fabulous Baker
Boys. That’s it..
The band
was good. Not my first time at a gig by
myself, but it felt like it – I guess other times it’s been at V and I haven’t
really been by myself, just temporarily...
I had another drink – voda soda – to take the edge off but I still felt
like I was sticking out like a sore thumb... It was amusing watching some of
the dancing, one bloke seemed to just dance with his crotch... another girl,
crazy dance girl, just seemed to keep sliding, kneeling, onto the floor, or
bending backwards into people... there were lots of all girl groups and whilst
my gaydar isn’t really any good at all, I wondered if some of them weren’t from
the upstairs event... I knew from my previous research that the GPIS (Gay
People in Seattle) group was meeting on the roof – at one point I went up,
bought a drink and stayed long enough to drink half of it, which wasn’t very
long at all as I drank fast - either there were no lesbian or bi women in
Seattle, or that they were all downstairs at the 80s rewind gig. So, I went downstairs again too...
Decided to
leave at the half way point... The band was good, but I’d had enough of feeling
like a wallflower. And I was worried
about getting back to the hotel, and an early start for the train today.
I must be
about the only person in the world who can go alone to an 80s gig, which is
full of very drunk people, some of them obviously enjoying the kind of
munch-like antics I know so well back in London, and not pull or be pulled...
Perhaps I had a big flashing light above my head that said ‘freak’, or ‘not
interested’. I don’t know. But, I so far haven’t got asked for ID once,
so I guess that’s something.... (Or do I now look my age, and that’s what it
is...?)
Today, the
Coast Starlight. Seattle was good to me,
I liked it, and it didn’t rain on me once.
By comparison, Vancouver rained a lot.
But it’s Vancouver I want to return to again, I still love it the second
time; Seattle is alright but it’s a pale imitation of its Canadian cousin.
