Seattle: the sunniest city with the rainiest rep

Seattle wasn't quite the foggy, dark-walk-on-a-poetic-pier romantic place I thought it would be based on certain movies involving Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. In fact, it was disappointingly sunny and warm and perfect. Its Pike Place Market was a rowdier, messier version of San Francisco's Farmer's Market (with the added benefit of happening every day) and the waterfront--be forewarned--was the spitting image of Fisherman's Wharf, down to the crab stands and blinking lights and overpriced seafood restaurants with plastic outdoor seating. 

Away from the wharf, though, there were so many places worth visiting: there was Bell Town, a hip urban stretch full of the latest in the food scene, Pioneer Square (less a square and more a really, really quaint neighborhood--much to our under-researched confusion), full of precious, little bookstores and paper shops and tours of the city's underground (which didn't seem an appealing way to enjoy the fine weather, though it did look like fun), and of course Alki Beach in West Seattle, which you can access by water taxi and wile away easy hours in the heat...

And on a completely different note...I have taken two different pictures of the same set of cranes using various camera settings, and I'm completely torn as to which is better. Please do to tell me which you prefer:

And just because I like it: tourists on the harbor bay cruise:

It was also lovely catching up with old friends who now live in the 'rainy' city: Ronda, Cosito, and Andy--you made our time there really special. Thank you so much.

Next up: Vancouver and ohhhhhhhhhh my Cinderelli...