Pike's Place Market

I am in Seattle, a city that I like, but somehow a little bit less than everybody else seems to like it. I am not sure why--it is gorgeous, mountains in abundance, and spectacular views galore. It just is not a place that I have fallen in love with. We are just friends. It does have one favorite spot for me. I love to walk and I love to cook, and a am perhaps a little overly fond of eating, so Pike's Place Market is someplace that I love to visit. There are crowds of people milling about, the market itself is packed with seafood, vegetables, crafts, and fruits, and it is a full sensory experience to be there. It smells like the ocean, the visual array of fruits and vegetables piled beautifully and neatly in stall after stall is a feat for the eyes, there is a constant crush of people, and the whole place is essentially indoors, so there is a dim that is overwhelming--you really can't talk to anyone while walking so it is a strangely crowded and solitary experience.

One thing that I really miss about where I live is that there is not "local seafood". We have amazing possiblities for grass fed, locavore, free range land animals of any sort, and the quality and affordability of these options is something to be thankful for. But the stacks and stacks of fish that you walk past at the market are a thing of beauty.