As I wrote in my last post, I've just come back from some time in Seattle. I got to spend a lot of time by myself wandering around the city, which was an interesting experience so I thought I'd write down some of my thoughts.

Bikes! Lots of them. Bike commuting is fairly common around Seattle, much more so than Sydney. A bunch of my new co-workers commute by bike, unfortunately I won't be working anywhere near them. Not only that, there are lots of lovely quiet country roads to do long rides on in the area, these are a bit harder to find around me. Next time I'm there I will have to hire a bike and get some riding in. The logistics and timing this time around didn't really make it possible.

Probably linked to the number of bikes, both the motorists and pedestrians are more polite and patient in Seattle. From walking around Sydney for years, I have developed a nasty jaywalking habit. I was pretty much alone in this while walking around downtown Seattle. In Sydney, you often can't trust the cars to do what they are meant to, so I tend to walk when I assess it to be safe, so I am in control of the situation rather than some lights. In Seattle, the motorists are more patient and obey the lights, so pedestrians stop and wait their turn too.

Moving away from the topic of transport options, I wasn't expecting much in the food and beverage department based on what I've been told. I have to say I was surprised. I ate some really good food in some of the downtown restaurants, Seattle is known for seafood, and it didn't disappoint. The area also has a lot of small breweries, and I had some really good beers over there. I was particularly fond of the Pike Brewery Pale Ale. I figure that the staff in these places must really rely on tips, because the service pretty much everywhere is great.

While I was there I also managed to go up in the Space Needle and admire the view. I was also able to attend Mark's wedding in a private suite at Safeco Field, where we got to see the Seattle Mariners defeat the Texas Rangers.

I'd hoped to see some good music while I was there, but it didn't happen. There just didn't seem to be much of a scene anywhere I went. I've since found out that there is some good stuff but it happens outside of the downtown areas I spent most of my time, and you need to know where to find it. Maybe next time. I did see some buskers who were really good though.

Obviously I was expecting wet weather the entire time. I got really lucky  there, with nice sunny days most of the time.

It seems I don't have a very strong Australian accent, and most people must expect Australians to sound like Crocodile Dundee or Steve Irwin because I kept being asked if I was English.

All in all, I liked Seattle. It's a really nice place, I was expecting it to have a lot more differences to Australia than it did. Have we reached a point where all major western cities are essentially the same ?

A couple of other travel related things.

Airport security. Yep, that sucks. However it wasn't as bad as I thought it could have been (and I'm sure having white skin helps here a lot). I figure that the people in those jobs are enjoying it as much as I am, so I smile and be polite and nobody seems to give me any hassles. Juggling a laptop, overloaded bag, a jacket and a pair of shoes through the scanning area is really no fun though.

On Monday morning  (the 11th) I looked out the hotel window and saw the American flag flying half mast on the building across the street. It really hadn't hit me until then just where I was and when. It was very strange being over there for the 5 year anniversary.

Lastly, I really missed Sam and Miles while I was away. I was very happy to get home.