Monday, July 21, 2008

Seattle and Victoria

Over the July 4th weekend we visited our friends in Seattle, Washington and took the ferry to Victoria, B.C. to visit our Canadian pals.

Being the 4th, there were beautiful fireworks we watched from under the Fremont Bridge and signs along the way reminded us that Independance Day celebrates our fight to (or is that right to) vote!
If you want big juicy Cuban sandwiches then Paseo is for you - the pink straws make everything taste better I think. Curtis Steiner's Souvenir in Ballard was hosting a show in their windows featuring these beautiful glasine dresses by Albuquerque artist Ann Dunbar.



Pink hollyhocks and pink elephants and my host Rudy who walked me past tree ladders and pretty houses with pink doors.



Dale Chihuly's glass at the Tacoma Glass Museum reminded me of fireworks too!

Speaking of Dale, his boathouse studio is next to this bench overlooking the water where bike trails meander and white barked trees offer shade.




After visiting the boathouse we hung out in the locks where boats hang out too - I love the mossy green walls and the salmon ladders.



One morning we got up and took the ferry to Victoria to see old friends and have tea at Murchies because tea at The Empress Hotel was $58 a person! The Canadian economy really must be improving. A great bargain is Red Fish Blue Fish where they serve fish & chips on the waterfront and it's delicious. Last stop was a walk on the beach before we took the ferry back to Seattle - so good to see old friends and celebrate summer.

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

New Zealand - Once were Warriors

Once Were Warriors

I've been thinking about New Zealand a lot lately where my father was born & raised. This is Milford Sound - possibly one of the most beautiful places on earth.

Of course one thinks of the funny looking flightless bird and the proud warriors rowing their canoes out to meet Captain Cook - my dad used to tell me and my brothers Maori folktales and spoke quite a bit of the soulful vowel-laden language.

My grandmother would send me tikis made from green jade like the one above and paua shell pins made from abalone that lives in the waters off the coast.
My dad grew up on a sheep station and went to Timaru Boy's School on the South Island.

He often compared Northern California when I moved here to New Zealand as their growing seasons are very similar and I love kiwi fruit!