Category Archives: Armchair Tours

Salutations From Seattle…

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Salutations from Seattle peeps!

While we’ve been managing to get out and about each day during my Seattle sojourn, this has been somewhat limited to shorter outings that we can manage with the babies in tow, who by the way, have been rather busy melting Aunty Kym’s heart. And needless to say blogging has taken a back seat while I soak up as much Seattle-A time as possible while I’m here. 

But as the boys had a hot date with the paediatrition last Thursday (and Mummy and Daddy had the whole deal covered more than adequately), I decided to make myself scarce and get into Seattle for a day of sightseeing and shopping.

Seattle is a relatively ‘new’ town having been founded in 1851. That’s more than 70 years after the First Fleet sailed into Australia’s Sydney Cove, so this is an unusual position for an Aussie, used to being the youngster in the global village, to be in. It is also reasonably compact and very walkable, the streets are wide and tree-lined and there are coffee shops absolutely everywhere where you can rejuvenate. And despite my general aversion to Starbucks, the coffee, service and free wi-fi were both excellent and eminently helpful.

All up I spent six hours and only covered the Downtown area. Arriving at Westlake on the express bus from Overlake Transit Centre (near Husband of Seattle-A’s work and a bargain at only $2.50 for a single 20min trip), I picked a few choice morsels from the guide book and just wandered around in between (more on that in another post). 

And the highlights? Well the weather was absolutely glorious but I have a feeling that was more good luck than good planning and quite frankly there’s not much anyone can do about that. But for spectacular views no matter the weather, take the express lift up to the Chinese Room on the 35th floor of the Smith Tower just around the corner from Pioneer Square.


The 36-42nd floors are occupied by a penthouse (yes, just one penthouse) but the 360 degree observation deck around the 35th floor is fantastic. Let me show you what I mean.

Here’s a shot of the ‘other’ observation deck, the Space Needle. According to my Frommer’s guide, you get to pay about $17.50 for the privilege of being rotated (versus walking around the 35th floor of the Smith Tower for $7.50).

The Mountain is out! Mt Rainier looms through the clouds, an apparently unusual occurrence so I was thrilled to get this ‘on film’.  

A glorious view over Elliott Bay to the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.

After you’ve had your fill of amazing views, it’s just a couple of blocks down the hill to Pioneer Square and into Doc Maynard’s to take the 90 minute Underground Tour of Seattle ($17.50 per person). Filled with historic sound bites, this unique tour takes you beneath the streets of Downtown Seattle to explore this outpost of the Pacific Northwest’s seamy past. And me being, well me, I bought the book that forms the basis for the tour, Sons of the Profits by Bill Speidel. Absolutely fascinating stuff.

School buses lined up in Pioneer Square.
 
Doc Maynard’s: your underground tour starts here!
 
Heading underground…

 …to see the city from another perspective.


And a visit to Seattle wouldn’t be complete without a wander through Pike Place Market.

There’s plenty of fish to buy (among other things)…
 
 …but don’t forget to give a nod to the original Starbucks. These happy buskers were playing a few tunes when I wandered by.

Speaking of nods, being back in the States reminds me just how wonderful it is to be served. From the locals in the street to the staff in the stores and restaurants, people cannot do enough to help and want to make sure you have an amazing time in their city. Something that the rest of the world could take a few notes on.

And finally it was time for a spot of shopping at Macy’s who were having a sale – God Bless America I say!


And after finding some great bargains and nothing less than exceptional service, I only had a short block to walk to take my tired feet and satisfied smile back to the bus for the ride ‘home’.

ps…You may have noticed that I didn’t race around to try and squeeze everything in (as I am usually wont to do). Well I figure this might just be the first of many visits – presuming Team-M will have me – so I thought I’d leave some stuff for next time!

Atlantic Crossing…

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I am travelling again. And again it’s personal but this time it combines old friends and new places.

Yesterday I arrived in the city of sleeplessness, Starbucks and sitcoms – Seattle. It’s a city I have never visited and while I’ve had nothing particularly against it, it’s never been high on my list of places to visit. Until September last year when Team-M moved across the Atlantic and A-down-the-hill became Seattle-A.

Recovering from jetlag a little today I’ve just mooched around, getting started on the ‘Aunty Kym induction’ into the world of their two-month-old twins (those of you who know me well can stop laughing now), getting acquainted with Gunnar the super-dog, and getting to know this whole new world. It’s been quite surreal. It’s a whole different world for Seattle-A and Team-M here but our ability to just hang out still remains despite the months apart and the added attentions of the newer, younger members of the supersized Team-M.

I’ve only been here 24 hours and already I’m stunned by the beauty of the scenery. As the plane flew over Seattle yesterday, Mount Rainier loomed crisp and clear against the blue sky and on the drive from the airport, I caught glimpses of lakes sparkling like dark blue crystal in the sunlight and travelled roads fringed by trees of deep deep green. The view around the new pad (which is surrounded by woodland) is equally sublime.

So in the spirit of easing my jetlagged self into the next week here, this afternoon we took a little excursion to Cottage Lake.

It was stunning.

No doubt there will be much more to discover and enjoy during my visit here so I’m looking forward to immersing myself in it all and sharing the choicest titbits with you along the way. So stay tuned…

My Paris pastiche

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So here we are at the last of my Paris posts. There have been more than I expected to write from a 4 day trip but the juice of the moments – the ones when you breathe a sigh and say to yourself ‘I can’t believe I am here: life is good’ – were far too good (I thought) to squeeze into less.

So how do I sum up such a fantastic trip? A break from the ordinary? Or immersion therapy of sorts?

The word pastiche emerged in French language in the late 19th century as a derivation from the Italian ‘pasticchio’. The Oxford Dictionary defines a pastiche as an artistic work in a style that imitates that of another artist, work or period. Paris is certainly that. But rather than being the imitator, the modern city holds quite a candle to its revolutionary past, the blood of hundreds of generations and thousands of iterations of itself embedded in its cobbled lanes and wide boulevards. So this post is my candle to the City of Lights. My Paris pastiche…

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Art De Rue…Gidday goes walkabout

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One of the things I enjoy most about living in London is the diversity of street ‘art’. Whether it’s from a time long gone or more modern mastery, I love the surprise of it as you round some corner and some unexpected express of imagination catches your eye.

Well, I think Paris is the same, a city where old and new mix unapologetic with effortless chic and during my recent sojourn in the City of Lights I really enjoyed walking around and discovering all of its ecclectic self-expression. If you take to the streets like I did, you might just see some of these. Continue reading →

Misplaced in Montmarte

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I’m not one for getting lost. My sense of direction is pretty good and while there are usually a few minor detours, I’m never really too far from where I want to go…until this, my third visit to Montmarte.

In normal Gidday style, I checked into my hotel mid-afternoon, sorted a few things and was out the door ready for an afternoon meandering around Montmarte. The purchase of a 10-ticket carnet for the Metro had me flushed with early success and I emerged from Lamarck-Caulaincourt station to head in the general direction of Sacre Cœur…or so I thought.

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Paris pas de deux

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When I announced to my French colleague a couple of weeks ago that I was heading off to Paris, she gave me some great tips on her favourite haunts – more on that later – and also loaned me Paris: The Secret History, a book by Andrew Hussey which is a potted history starting with AD 987 and continuing right through to 2005 when the book was published. Being the history lover that I am, I delved right in a few days before I left. And I was still reading it while I visited – in parks and cafes and before going to sleep at night – and turned the final page on the Eurostar trip home.

Why is this important? Because Paris’ history lay not only beneath my sneakered feet but more specifically in a couple of the museums I chose to visit over the four days and this incidental reading material brought key events and their protagonsists more sharply into context and focus than any audio guide I could have hired.

So let me tell you a little about my pas de deux with Paris’ past.

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Isn’t it iconic

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I’ve spent the last three nights sorting through my Paris pics.

Yes I took a few. It is such a picturesque city that it’s hard to resist whipping out the Nikon every few moments to capture a scene made magic by light, position or just plain novelty.

Going through photos after a trip usually helps me to frame a few armchair tour ‘themes’ to give Gidday-ers a flavour of my experiences. In this case, these are still percolating away and over the next few posts I’ll attempt to re-capture the enchantment this amazing city wrapped around me a decade after my last visit. Delving into nooks and crannies, climbing up and down hills and staircases, reclining in parks, gardens and cafes and negotiating the eponymous – and largely escalator-less – Paris Metro. (A girl’s got to work off all that cake and cheese somehow!)

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Creative cacophony

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It’s Day 2 of my five day Easter staycation and today I hopped on the tube to spend a couple of hours over lunch at a friend’s new pad in Chalk Farm. Exiting Camden Town Station and turning right for the very first time, I found myself thrust unceremoniously into the throng meandering along Camden High Street. Determined to arrive on time, I hurried along, eyes focused on finding the gaps in the crowd, without much of a sideways glance.

But when lunch was over and we’d said our goodbyes, there was time for a little exploring. Yet after wandering around The Stables section of Camden Market, it left me feeling that I’d barely scratched the surface.

Entrance to The Stables section of Camden Market
The market is filled with figures which pay homage to the area’s equine past.
One of the exits back on to Camden High Road

Alas I’d dressed more for a quick stroll between the warm tube and the cosy climes of Gidday HQ/my friend’s new pad (versus braving the chilly air for an extended period) so after an hour I set my pedestrian compass for a return to the tube station…which took a little longer than I thought.

Here’s why…

3D efforts made a corner interiors store stand out against the grey sky…
…as well as letting passersby get under foot.
Hard to see the detail in this photo but this building is a riot of colour and imagery.
This extraordinary dragon marks the start of a triad of creative retail frontage.

 

Hard to choose a favourite but I loved this frantic kitty best of all.

This riot of colour and expression exists in just a 5 minute walk between Camden Town tube station and Castlehaven Road. And I can’t believe it’s taken me 9 years to get there.

I’ll definitely be back!

London’s Hip Pocket..

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Last Saturday I had one of those wonderful afternoons when I rediscovered a forgotten part of London.

After a lunch with the girls at the fabulous Banana Store, we emerged into the chilly air right in the midst of Southwark – the Catherdral rose grandly in front of us and with The Shard looming in the background, it was an amazing view of old and new.


Peeking around the corner we could see another nod to London’s historic past.

The Golden Hind was the vessel that carried Frances Drake and his crew around the globe during the latter part of the 16th century and there is a full-sized replica of this berthed snugly at St Mary Overie Dock. Amazing to think that such a small craft carried a crew and supplies while it circumnavigated the world – it must have been cosy on board!

Just nearby are the remains of the Great Hall of the old Winchester Palace, built in the 13th century for the Bishops of Winchester.

 

And finally, not to be outdone, there was the famous Borough Market and we eagerly joined the late afternoon throng, milling around the stalls and soaking up the foodie atmosphere. We even added our own pecuniary contributions and came away with fresh produce to inspire the balance of our weekend eating – bread, fruit & veg, cheese, fish just to name a few of our respective vittels.

Gone fishing
Say cheese
That’ll do donkey
This little piggy went to market

So that was my few hours exploring this jammed-packed hip pocket of London and I finally bundled myself on the tube home happily tired. Hope you’ve enjoyed your armchair tour and it inspires you to visit for yourself.

Everything Old Is New Again…

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Being in Melbourne over these last couple of weeks has given me the opportunity to revisit some of my favourite haunts and one of these is Southgate. This cosmopolitan stretch of shops, restaurants and cafes line the Yarra River between Princess Bridge and the Crown Casino complex and offers wonderful views of the City Centre across the tree-lined river.

This view takes in the ‘expensive end’ of the City – where Victorian Parliament, designer shops and many of the banks’ head offices are located – as well as the spires of Melbourne’s own St Paul’s Cathedral in the foreground.
A great juxtaposition of the elegant clock tower of Flinders Street Station (built in 1910 to replace the previous station built in 1854) against the more modern buildings behind.

The day we were there it was a gloriously sunny Sunday morning and this riverside precinct was buzzing with activity.

Street entertainers attract a fair crowd…
…while quirky sculpture adds local colour.
Crown Towers Hotel offers premier accommodation for both high rollers as well as those wishing to spend just a few dollars.

But being away means that each time I come back, there’s something new in the landscape. Six years ago, Melbourne’s newest tallest building, Eureka Tower, sliced into the skyline.

Eureka Tower is Melbourne’s tallest building…but only since 2006.

This time it was The Docklands that captured my imagination. When I left in 2004, this area of Melbourne was early in its development so I was curious to see how things had turned out.

View of Melbourne from The Docklands with Etihad Stadium (venue for football matches, concerts and the like) in the centre.

The thing that struck me most were the stark and modern shapes…

New ‘rooms with a view’.
This ‘car park in progress’ generated discussion about its interesting facade.
I love the use of adventurous shapes and textures which really typifies iconic Australian architecture for me.


And there’s even a nod to old London Town with Melbourne’s very own ‘Eye’…

Melbourne’s Southern Star awaiting the installation of its viewing pods. Again lots of opinions amongst Family Hamer about its false start (cracks found in the infrastructure apparently) and its location overlooking Melbourne’s Western suburbs.

So whilst my Melbourne meanderings evoked many wonderful memories, I found much to admire about the clever blend of nostalgia and innovation into a spectacular cityscape…

…and it just makes me wonder what I’ll find next time.