It was a glorious day and because I am still basking in the glow of this beautiful day I will be generous and warn you that this blog, this version, will be filled with a whole bunch of Artsy-Fartsy pictures. Hahahaha, I was in a mood for some picture-taking today!!
So, there you go. You've been warned.
Now, let's get down to it. A canceled appointment left us with the whole afternoon open and, since I'd not eaten anything so far, I thought it'd be fun to head downtown and have an Irish Lunch. That's my semi-funny way of saying I was hungering for a Rueben.
Mmmmmmmm . . .
So off we set for the Link.
And the good things kept coming!!
I bought our two tickets and when I went to retrieve them discovered that someone, some poor unfortunate, had forgotten to get their change and so . . . Ol' Smilin' Jack got hisself a whopping Seventy-Five Cents!!
Hahaha, Karma, sometimes I loves ya!!
Sometimes.
OK, I warned you that I was in a picture-taking mood today. It started early.
There will be no Artsy-Fartsy Alerts today. You'll just have to deal with them as you come upon them. I mention this because I'm starting early with 'em.
Here's a semi-Artsy-Fartsy shot as we were coming up the escalator from the Link. Oh, we're at the International/Chinatown Link Station. I wanted to stop by that Starbucks and take a closer look at a series of pictures we'd seen the other day.
And I did.
I've shot these chairs before but today I noticed that someone had mysteriously left two solitary rocks on the seat of one of these chairs.
Hmmmmmm, I wonder ...
I've been fascinated by the two large lights in the plaza at the International/Chinatown Link Station. I've mentioned before they reminded me of the large electrical generators Doctor Frankenstein used to animate the lifeless corpse of John Kerry . . . Oops!! I mean Frankenstein's Monster.
Sorry 'bout dat!!
Anyway, I thought I'd try and get a close-up and so I did. Yes, I did.
I was really into lines, angles and architecture. And as we were crossing 5th Avenue, I saw these forms on one of the older buildings in Chinatown. I'm sure this building was erected with some kind of Chinese influence.
Carol spotted these lines, roof upon roof. I liked the alternating white/blue theme. With a little bit of red thrown in the mix.
It was a great day. The skies over The Emerald City cleared and were brilliantly blue. To the south you could see the clouds that would eventually sully up the day but for now, it was magnificent and I was feeling good!!
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| Columbia Center |
Since we were in Chinatown already, I thought it'd be fun to stop by the Pacific Rim Center. I mentioned seeing it from Rizal Park a week or so ago and this seemed like an opportune time to get on over there and check it out.
So we did. Shooting all the way over, though.
Like this detail of the overhang of the old Publix Hotel.
Fun Facts: The Publix first opened it's doors on December 29, 1927 and, like other hotels in Chinatown, catered to waves of migrant workers from Asia - China, Japan and the Philippines as they passed through Seattle on their way to work in the farms, canneries and lumber mills of the Great American Pacific Northwest.
The Publix is going to be renovated into market-rate apartments as the owners want some tenants that generate income. As they said, they already have a lot of affordable housing in Chinatown and need to diversify by attracting a more disparate population.
And what a place it would be right there on 5th Avenue across the street from the Link and all the major bus routes. Plus, you'd have Chinatown in your back pocket.
And plenty of great photo opportunities.
While we were still on 5th Avenue before we headed up towards the Pacific Rim Center, I was able to get this shot of the Campanile at the King Street Amtrak Station and the back of the old Union Station.
So we ambled up King Street heading east towards the Center. It was fun to wander along and catch all the sights of the Chinatown markets and stores. Again, you're reminded that Seattle has a whole bunch of hills.
Looking up King Street. The light was great and playing all over the buildings.
Isn't this great? I do like me some bay windows.
OK, Artsy-Fartsy Alert here. This was just interesting and I'm really pleased with what the camera did with my shot.
I had it on program and auto ISO so there wasn't any thinking on my part going on. The only thing I did to affect this shot was to stop the exposure compensation down one click. Way back in '78, I had a friend who was into photography and I was just really getting started. I was experimenting with chrome film and he said that he always stopped his ASA (now known popularly as ISO) down one stop to saturate his images.
I tried it and, yeah, he was right and so I always adjusted the ASA (ISO) whenever I shot transparency film.
Nowadays, it's called the ISO. An ISO measures a photographic film's sensitivity to light. Because it is a familiar term and photographers understand its relationship to how film reacts to light, it was adapted to the digital system. It's another tool to use in creating your photographs.
It works like this: Relatively insensitive film, with a correspondingly lower speed index, requires more exposure to light to produce the same image density as a more sensitive film, and is thus commonly termed a slow film. Highly sensitive films are correspondingly termed fast films. In both digital and film photography, the reduction of exposure corresponding to use of higher sensitivities generally leads to reduce image quality (via coarser film grain or higher image noise for digital). In short, the higher the sensitivity, the grainier the image will be. Ultimately sensitivity is limited by the quantum efficiency of the film or sensor.
So this picture is stopped down one ISO and it really does saturate the color. That is, when you have enough available light.
And that set up this shot of, yeah, I know, a seagull.
There's the Smith Tower!! Can you believe that there is an apartment at the top? It begins at the floor with 3 windows in the top part of the building. Yeah, that's the observation deck just below the apartment so they ride up to the observation deck with all the tourists and then walk up a private stairway to their apartment.
I'd love to have that apartment. I think I could probably buy a house out-right with what the rent would cost for this apartment for one year. Still, wait until I win the MegaMillions on Tuesday. It's up to $246 Million right now.
A semi-open air market in Chinatown.
One of the back alleys. You can see how life goes on as the folks use the fire escapes to dry out their delicates. Some things are timeless.
OK, this one is a bona-fide Artsy-Fartsy shot.
As we were heading towards the Center we crossed under the I-5 and I was able to get this shot of some of the overpasses with the traffic whizzing by.
Then, as we got closer, I saw this reminder of just how liberal Seattle really is. Hahaha, I don't know what the strike was about and, possibly, neither do they.
Maybe they want a baseball game. In the small print it does say "GR-R-Reat!! For a life worth living shut down Seattle." Craziness.
Hahahaha, let's all strike!!
OK, I am curious so I went to May1stSeattle.org and found this . . .
Don't ask. I don't know.
The picture I captured was titled "satueikai-model", and there was a whole page full of Chinese writing . . . kinda like a flyer or newspaper.
If you know, give me a clue, K?
We finally got to the Pacific Rim Center. They have the shops in the basement and on the first floor. Then there's parking and on top they have condominiums. Works for me. Wouldn't have to drive far to get to the store.
Semi-Artsy-Fartsy shot. I was really working the wide-angle and shooting some unusual angles today.
OK, we both noticed that there wasn't a lot of foot traffic going into or out of the Center and we were both wondering why not.
Then we found out. It's pretty much closed. Empty. Shut-down. Kaput.
Don't know why, but the majority of the stores were empty. They had a couple, like this one, still open but they were awful lonely.
Pacific Center - You're a bust!!
So if you're contemplating a trip to Seattle soon, be aware that, regardless of what the Internet says, this place ain't open!!
I was wondering if this guy was laughing at me after we came out of the now closed Pacific Rim Center.
#paranoid
Looking west down Jackson Street going towards the Sound.
And an obvious disregard for law and order . . . traffic signs.
As we were going under the overpass (I love English, I really do!), Carol spotted this plant growing out of the side of the retaining wall.
Hahaha, life in all its many forms is so doggone resilient.
Uh-oh!! Yeah, another one. Trollies used to run all through the city.
Artsy-Fartsy Alert. We couldn't figure out this building. I leaned toward an old movie theater but Carol argued, somewhat convincingly, that it might have been a garage citing the open bay on the right as a possible reason for that conclusion.
What do you think? What might it have been when it was originally built?
I think the camera did a nice job capturing this scene.
And this one. Hahaha, I was feelin' it today!!
The Goddess of Art, Minerva, was whispering in my ear today. Unfortunately she wasn't composing the pictures for me.
I was shooting everything and playing off my enjoyment of architecture, too.
A detail. See what I mean? Look at the thought and care that went into the design and craftsmanship in creating this building.
What a great place for a post office!! They're everywhere!!
Some shots of Chinatown on Jackson Street.
This was a great opportunity to shoot the Campanile and Union Station. I haven't been over to this side of the street before and, while I've shot both of these buildings numerous times, I have never gotten this good of an angle, despite the lines running all over the street.
We finally hit the limits of Chinatown, marked by dragons mounted on poles.
And I indulged myself with some Reflected Window shots. I know, but, honestly, I don't care.
See where I got the above picture from?
Yeah, that's right. In the lower right-hand corner of this building.
We finally made it to 4th Avenue where I got this shot of the downtown. There's Smith Tower to the left and Columbia Center stretching up just a bit right of center.
And if you turn around, you get this great view of CenturyLink Field, Home of the Super Bowl Champion Seattle Seahawks and SafeCo Field. Some other team plays something over there but they never, ever win any championships. Evidently.
Looking up 3rd towards the King County Courthouse.
Both Carol and I have admired this old building for a long time. Forgive the paint, but isn't it a great building? It has a kinda Spanish touch with the balcony on the third floor. And on the first floor, they have shelves underneath the windows above the door and they've got things displayed on them. I don't quite know what it is. Kind of a cross between a Thrift Shop and an Antique Store.
Here's what they had displayed in the front window.
But we were a couple on a mission . . . Feed Bruno!! Hahaha, Jackie was hungry! I had thought we'd take a short look at Collins Pub and then, if it weren't up to par, go on over to Fado's. Both of them, if you didn't already guess, are an American version of an Irish Pub.
So up 2nd we went. Coming up to my favorite tower in Seattle, Smith Tower. Hey, remember that apartment I told you about up there on the top? Hahaha, what a view today, eh?
And I was enjoying it. Oh, yeah, look at what the polarizing filter is doing for my sky!! Pretty doggone good, right? Hahaha, love the polarizer.
And this tower.
OK, OK . . . I'm working it here so bear with me. These are details of Smith Tower.
Hahaha, just enjoy fer cryin' out loud.
And there we were, at Collins Pub. It is just two doors down from O'Donnell's Pub where we ate a couple weeks ago.
Hahaha, right away I felt at home. Seattle is STILL sore about losing the Sonics.
We went in and, not surprisingly, they were busy it being 1230. We waited and took a quick look at the menu.
OK, so far, so good. Then the greeter came up and we followed her waaaay back to the rear of the restaurant to an open table set between two other tables. I know, we're fussy but when we go out we like to enjoy ourselves and sitting almost elbow-to-elbow (on both sides as our table was in the middle) with some strangers while we ate didn't sound like fun. But when the greeter smacked the table with her hand and said here's your table and left, well, so did we.
No use in not enjoying yourself.
So we excused ourselves and headed on over to O'Donnell's. Hahaha, neither of us wanted to wait for lunch so Fado's was out.
Hellooooo, O'Donnell's!!
It was pleasant, relatively quiet and they seemed like they actually wanted us there.
BINGO!!
We really didn't need this. Carol sorta went over it and then went for the Fish 'N Chips. Hahaha, they make it with fresh fish, not that frozen stuff and it is GA-OOD!!
And as for me, the last time here I tried the Cuben Rueben. It was OK, but, c'mon, it didn't even have sauerkraut!! This time I went for the real deal . . . A Rueben, puh-leese!!
And then I looked around. Hahaha, I should have been in the Irish Guards!! Obviously I meet the primary requirement!! I'm a man!! Hahaha, and I could totally work that hat!!
Fun Facts: The Irish Guards are part of the Guards Division. Along with The Royal Irish Regiment, it is one of the two irish regiments remaining in the British Army. The Irish Guards recruit in Northern Ireland and the Irish neighborhoods of major British cities. Hmmmmm, you can tell the O'Donnell's were never part of the IRA.
The cap they were is called a bearskin and is usually worn as part of a ceremonial military uniform. Traditionally, the bearskin was the headgear of grenadiers and it is still worn by grenadier and guards regiments in various armies.
Also, I think that building in the picture, the one with the columns, is the General Post Office in Dublin where the Rebels set up their headquarters during the Easter Rising against the British Raj in 1916. Kind of pushing the button here with this poster.
OK, getting Artsy-Fartsy with this shot. These lamps served no real purpose seeing as how they were up by the front door and, really, gave out no real light. But they looked good from where I sat.
Another nice thing about O'Donnell's is that it has kept a lot of the original walls and ceilings intact. Remember, Smith Tower was completed in 1914 and these are the original ceiling tiles popular during that period in commercial businesses.
Now this looks Irish!!
And so does this.
Mmmmmmm, Harp. Either that or Smithwick's.
And, quick as that, our meals were served.
And they wuz good.
And, before we left, we got into a great conversation with Nikita, our server. Hahaha, she'd tried Collins and come out less than satisfied, too.
Thanks for the great service, Nikita!! Sorry 'bout the fuzzy picture. Hand-helds in low light are never a good idea.
Ah, tis a fine thing we were doing, there.
Hahahaha, and good food, too.
Travel Tip: When you visit Seattle, plan on going up to the observation deck in the Smith Tower. Worth it!! Plus, with your ticket to the Smith Tower, you get a coupon for a discount for lunch in O'Donnell's!!
Hahahahahaha, Win-Win!!
Then we headed down to a place we've sorta avoided the past few months, Pioneer Square. It's a beautiful place with a lot of interesting shops and sights, but . . . well, there's another element there that sorta dominates the Square at times and it's not very pleasant for us.
Here's some of the detail in the Pioneer Building on the Square.
From Pioneer Square, we enjoyed the afternoon and taking the air to help walk-off that big meal we just had. Hahahaha, food dictates my life in sooooooo, many ways!!
Reflected Shop Window Selfie!!
Hahaha, we're so witty. She's sitting in one chair and I in the other.
Hahahaha!!
Whup!! There's Chief Sealth!!
Chief Seattle (Seattle is an Anglicization of the modern Duwamish conventional spelling Si'ahl.) He was born in 1786 and passed on in 1866. He was also known as Sealth, Seathle, Seathl, or See-ahth. He was a prominent figure among his people and he pursued a path of accommodation to the settlers, forming a close personal relationship with Doc Maynard. The city of Seattle was named after him. He was a respected warrior, but he was kept his people out of the Battle of Seattle in 1856. He was also, by all accounts, a powerful orator and gave a widely publicized speech arguing in favor of ecological responsibility and respect for land rights. Ahead of his times.
This is believed to be the only known photograph of Chief Sealth.
Carol particularly likes this abandoned factory smokestack. Hahaha, it adds to the eclectic nature of the Square.
I've been trying like forever to get a decent shot of the pergola at the Square. It's always eluded me and, sadly, today was no different.
But I'll keep on trying. There's a small corner of the pergola in the lower right corner.
I can't seem to catch it looking at it straight on, so I thought I'd try seeing it from the ground up.
Someday I'll get something!! I promise you!!
One of the windows in the Magic Mouse Toy Store. Toys handpicked from around the world by a Professional Child.
Hahahaha, not a bad job if you can get it.
Heading down Yesler Way towards Elliott Bay.
Annnnnd, we got another view of the old smokestack. There is a certain beauty to it, isn't there.
I like the designs made by everyday things.
Whoa!!
Mylar Window Reflected Window Selfie!!
Hahahaha, we're shameless. This one was just too good to pass by.
I really enjoy strolling through this city o' mine. There's so much to see and do. And it dovetails so nicely with my little photography hobby. And, hahaha, my love of eating.
I wasn't seeing things straight up and down today.
I do like the patterns made here and the brick work.
Oho!! There's the Federal Building. I know I shouldn't have taken this picture but after the time I was rudely detained, I just wanna take a picture of it every time I go by it.
FYI, the red brick building on the left is where I signed up for my Social Security!!
Woo, woo!!
We made a short loop around a couple blocks and now we're coming back to the Square. See the SeaHawks flag? Those things are going to become more prevalent as we move closer to the play-off game against the Packers this Sunday.
This town is gonna go crazy if the 'Hawks win and go to Super Bowl XLIX.
While there are some real architectural gems near the Square, there are, still, some rough and uncut stones still about. Lotta potential here.
We've been by this I don't know how many times. I'm a thinking it's about time we stopped by for some lunch. Maybe dine al fresco.
(Hahaha, you didn't think I knew what that meant, did you!?! Was that a little note of surprise there!?!)
#inyourface
(OK, to be honest, I originally thought it was something to eat sorta like alfredo sauce. I'm not up on much other than meat and potatoes.)
Looking south down 1st Avenue. Pretty cool how they've kept the trees there. Lookin' good, Seattle!!
And Carol was caught by this coffee-colored fellow who was strutting round the Square.
Windows. These were the apartments over the Merchants Cafe, the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Seattle. Hahaha, these rooms were probably part of a booming brothel back in the halcyon days of The Gold Rush.
Taking the Underground Tour!! Always a popular tourist destination. Oddly enough, after being here over eight years, I can say I've never taken that tour. Maybe I should. Someday.
See the alley there in the middle going between the Merchants Cafe and that newer building on the right?
That's where I found this. Sometimes there is simply no rhyme or reason to what you see in this city.
Hahaha, but I get the reason for this old sign.
Oh, yes. I do.
Occidental Park with the Sam Choy Poke' Food Truck!!
Aloha, y'all.
This is a beautiful park but it is also a popular gathering place for many of Seattle's Valued Homeless.
I've tried this. I've stood there and tried to figure out the next move with these large chess pieces and I can't do it. My mind can't see the board clearly enough when the pieces are this large to be able to figure out what to do.
Besides, I'm not that good a chess player, anyway.
Using the zoom, I caught part of the flat iron building just over the rooftops.
We were meandering in the direction of the Link. Kind of a mosey along walk in no particular direction.
Here's the pedestrian walkway along Occidental Avenue. It has art galleries and restaurants along its length. Oh, and a Starbucks, too.
But as we neared Jackson Street I remembered the SeaHawks RV that is always parked in front of McRory's. We've seen it every time we come to a game and I've often wondered if it ever moved.
Wonder no more, Jackie.
It does move!! Look!! No where to be seen. Hahaha, now I'm wondering how he always manages to get that one, particular, parking spot each and every game day to park his RV there.
Hmmmmm, I wonder if they rent it for use as an actual RV during the off-season? It would certainly be a conversation starter to pull into a campsite in that baby.
So we were getting closer to the CenturyLink Stadium and we stopped in a small sports shop to check on the price of a Seattle Seahawks Mini-Helmet. I've got one for the Green Bay Packers and I sorta want one for the 'Hawks.
Anyway, we ran into some of our good friends . . . starting from way down there on the left there was Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, Earl Thomas, Danger-Russ Wilson, 'Sherm', and Marshawn Lynch. We talked to them for a while but couldn't get a word out of Marshawn.
Gooooooo, 'Hawks!!
Everyone is feeling the fever!!
Even on this Monday, there were folks out and about hawking (hahahahaha) and buying SeaHawks gear.
I don't know who this camera crew was with but they were interviewing two guys. About something. I'm gonna go out on a limb and suggest it was SeaHawk related. Wha'dya think?
BTW, this is the same truck we saw (and photographed) at the Rally at Renton.
Then we saw this!! We'd heard that there were folks camping out in front of the ticket window for tickets to the play-off game this Sunday. The ticket window wasn't suppose to open until Tuesday morning but folks were camped out there right after the 'Hawks won on Saturday.
Craziness.
Anyway, the 'Hawks decided to have folks register and get a wrist band guaranteeing them two tickets per band so they could go home instead of sleeping out there in front of the stadium. As the word spread, the line grew with The Faithful trying to get in on the tickets.
Hahaha, we just went into another sports shop. Oh, those helmets? They are only $29.95.
This one, though, was just a bit more. It only costs $339.95.
Wha . . . !?!
Hahaha, yeah, we're that good.
These shops are so busy on game days. The last time we were in here there was a line about 20 or so people deep just to buy their stuff.
Not so much today.
Whup!! There she is!!
Gooooooo, 'Hawks!!
These signs are becoming more and more popular here.
Re Pete!!
WE ARE 12!!!
Looking back, you can still see the activity as more and more folks get in line for the wrist bands.
But we wuz feeling the walk about now and so we turned ourselves towards the Stadium Link Station.
And then we saw this sign on CenturyLink.
Yeah, it is fast becoming a Sunday Tradition!!
Gooooooo, 'Hawks!!
There's two of my favorites. The Campanile, once the largest structure in Seattle and Smith Tower, also once the tallest structure in Seattle.
That apartment at the top of the Smith Tower? It also includes a stairway up to that glass globe on the top so you can see out of that as well. What an absolute kick!!
As we ambled on toward the Link, we saw these signs. It has touched almost every major city in the U.S.
More of that Artsy-Fartsy stuff. Hahaha, I can remember taking a picture of receding train tracks way back in 1969 when I lived in Oceanside during my last year in the Marines. Hahaha, it was only slightly more boring than this one. You'd think, after 46 years I'd get a little bit better.
Hahaha, you'd think.
Love. The. Zoom.
What a great toy it is to play with!
Here comes da Link!!
Ah, enjoying the ride back to the Hole-In-the-Ground.
It was getting late . . . the sun sets around 1645 hereabouts. It was around 1500 when we were walking back and were treated to these dramatic skies.
To the southwest.
And to the southeast.
(Did I mention that I love the zoom?)
The sun was a semi-bright blob behind the clouds and haze.
And, in a tribute to this region's close ties to the aviation industry, I got lucky and caught this plane taking off from SeaTac full of fun folks heading off on some new adventure.
And I guess that is a good shot to end this rather lengthy, but always entertaining, blog.
We had a good time. It was an impromptu, let's go to lunch, kinda day. It worked out well, didn't it. What a treasure it is to live close to The Emerald City and have such an effective, easy and inexpensive way to get there anytime we want.
Life, here in The Emerald City, is good.
Hooah!!
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