MY EXCELLENT WEEKEND IN SEATTLE Part II: FUN AT MINER'S LANDING

The Great Wheel

 

 From my hotel I spotted this giant Ferris wheel. It reminded me of The London Eye, only not quite as big, so I decided to go down the two flights of steps from Union Street to the waterfront area below.

 

 

 

 

It turned out to be Miner's Landing, a historic area on Seattle's waterfront where miners landed in the 1890's. The famous "ton of gold" that started the Alaska Gold Rush was unloaded in here in 1897.  Pier 57 has been refurbished and is now a lively area of shops, restaurants, a vintage carousel and the Big Wheel.

I too some time to explore inside the market area where there were a number of amusing statues depicting the gold miners as well as  my favorite, a pirates shop.  I just had to go in there and buy myself a couple of pirate souvenirs. 

The Pirate Shop

Inside the little mall there were also a couple of restaurants and some other small shops.

I decided to go back that evening to have a feast of oysters at one of the sea-food restaurants at the Pier. I had been entranced on my first evening in Seattle by the brightly lit Big Wheel so it was fun explore the Miner's Landing by night.

I chose Elliot's Oyster House as the place to have my feed of fresh Pacific Coast oysters. It had a large selection of various kinds of oysters as well as other seafood. Raw oysters seemed to be the favorite choice, and there were dozens of varieties to choose from. 

The oysters are kept smothered in ice and are picked fresh every day.  The staff shucks the oysters at the counter and prepares the trays of customer's selections.

Freshly shucked raw oysters ready to eat!

 

 

I prefer my oysters fried so I ordered a plate of a half dozen along with mashed potatoes and asparagus.

 



And a crisp warm bun made with basil served with fresh whipped butter.  And of course, a glass of white wine!  Mmmm, delicious! 

Elliott's Oyster House at Pier 56
www.elliottsoysterhouse.com

NEXT:  My Excellent Seattle Weekend Part III:  BEER & CLAMS AT PIKE'S BAR

 



AROUND ATHENS

Anna Britt and I at the To Kati Allo Taverna

JUNE 18/19, 2009

I love hanging out in Athens with my friend Anna Britt. She had come all the way from Norway to help me celebrate my birthday and when I went off to the islands with my sister and niece, she was undecided about where to go. She usually goes to Santorini but I wasn't sure. So when we ended up unexpectedly on Santorini I was thinking about her, and keeping watch in case we ran into her. She always stays at a 'monastery' there and for some reason I didn't stop to think it would be a Catholic monastary.

We were on the ferry preparing to return to Athens from Santorini, just stowing our luggage when I heard this familiar voice say "What are you doing here?" It was Anna Britt. She had been in Santorini all that time and in fact was staying only a few blocks from our hotel. What a co-incidence that we met up on the ferry!

So when we got back into town, after Jean and Debra had left for Canada, AB and I set off on some adventures of our own. We always like cruising around town, checking out various shops and tavernas...always looking for new places to hang out in preparations for our next visit. The To Kati Allo Taverna in Magkrianni is a sort of 'base camp' for all of us, but we also like venturing farther afield to the Plaka and Monastiraki areas.

Somehow I never get tired of wandering those same old streets, looking in the shops, retracing my steps from all the years I've been going to Greece since 1979, and all the years I lived there from 1983 - 1987. It's all so familiar to me. I could walk around blindfolded.

That evening we went and sat at a sidewalk taverna on Makgrianni st. and watched the hologram show that is projected on the wall of the new Acropolis Museum each night. I tried taking photos of it but they didn't turn out. It's quite a show and a great way to spend the evening being entertained.

On the weekend I'm going to stay with Dinaz and Andreas and we are going to Euboeia for the day, a trip I am very much looking forward to. I haven't been back to Lala for 4 years, not since my shepherd, Mitso, died. So it will definitely be a sentimental journey.

Here are some scenes from the Monastiraki district. (Above) nut sell- sellers.
Below, a busy street of tavernas where you can buy delicious souvlakia for real cheap!

BACK IN ATHENS: The Icon Painter

Dimitris Zazanis, the icon painter

JUNE 18,2009

A couple of years ago my friend Anna Britt introduced me to this talented icon painter who she has been friends with for several years. I got interested in Dimitris Zazanis' icons after she had bought me one for a gift. So for the past couple of trips to Greece going for a visit to his workshop has been part of my visits to Athens.

Dimitris has a tiny shop on a ramshackle narrow street off the square of Monastiraki near the flea market and bazaar. He wasn't always located there. Anna Britt tells me that when she first met him, he had a much better shop on one of the more tourist-popular streets in Plaka. But, due to the hot real estate market in Athens some years ago he had to give up his shop and move to a more humble abode. Dimitris isn't into the posh touristic boutique style of shop. He works alone, a dedicate artist in a real workshop. His tiny space is crammed with the fruits of his labours: Icons of every size and religious subject, all hand-painted with loving care.

When Anna Britt and I visited him this trip, we sat and chatted awhile as we usually do. Dimitris speaks English and is in fact adept at several languages. He's an interesting, intelligent man. Despite health set-backs he runs his business on this shabby backwater street where few tourists would ever venture. Anna Britt and I encouraged him to get a website and advertise. He doesn't know about these things so we are thinking of setting one up for him, because he certainly does deserve publicity. His icons are beautiful works of art, not the mass-produced icons you see in tourist shops. I have two of them now and have bought icons for my children and my friends.

If you go to Athens, look for his humble little shop on this street, just off the main street that runs by Monastiraki. Aghias Theklas St. 13. The name of the shop is Zazanis Icon Shop.

After our visit to buy some icons, Anna Britt and I meandered around the old haunts. This street (below) is Vironos St. where I used to live at #14 Vironos all during the '80's. I always like to pass by and stop outside the gate. There are so many memories on this street!

Then we went over to Makgrianni to our favorite taverna and had something to eat and a cold Mythos beer (our favorite drink). It was good to be back in Athens and to have some days to spend with my girlfriends, wandering about all the old familiar places. On the weekend I'm going to Euboeia with my friends Dinaz and Andreas to visit the little village, Lala, where I used to live part-time and also to pay a visit to the cousins of our dear friend Graham who inherited his house in Stira after he unfortunately died. Five more days to catch up on news, memories and enjoy this city that I love so much!

MERRY MYKONOS

JUNE 8 & 9, 2009 MYKONOS

The word "merry" being another word for "gay" seems appropriate for this fun-filled island which happens to be the gay capital of the Mediterranean, a title it's held for quite a few years. I've found though, that if you visit there before the height of the summer season you'll not be shocked or bothered by the antic of the groups of partying gays who descend on Mykonos each year. Believe me, I've heard the stories, straight from the mouths of friends who have worked there in tourism. But the town folk put up with it, because it's money. However, each time I've been to Mykonos, (this was the fourth time) I've always gone there before mid June and there has never been anything 'shocking
or lewd happening there. In fact, in spite of it's crowded narrow streets and the fact that next to Santorini it's the most expensive Greek island and the most touristic, it's quite a pleasant little island. Definitely the 'post card Greece', so unlike the little mountain villages I so love.

Mykonos is one of the Cycladic islands. The town of Mykonos, the island's main port, is build with a whorl of narrow streets. It's tricky to find your way around the warren of allyways but you'll never get really 'lost'. The town is not very big. The population is around 7,000 but when the cruise ships hit town and the ferries unload their hordes of tourists, you'd think the little island might sink.

The last two times I've been to Mykonos I chose a small hotel just on the outskirts, only about a 15 minute walk into town, with beach access. (Mykonos Beach: see top picture) I recommend this comfortable little hotel with it's lovely view and pleasant ambience. Just down the road is a wonderful beach taverna "Joanna's Nikos Place". Joanna, the proprietor is a British woman who has lived on the island for many years. If you eat or buy a drink at her taverna you can use the beach chairs. The beach there is small but sandy and reasonably uncrowded.

Of course there's a lot to do in this tiny town, especially if you like shopping like my sister and neice do. I love browsing the trendy shops too, and bought myself some gorgeous jewelry with money my Athens friends had given me for my birthday.

We wandered all around taking photos. Every corner you take is a photo op. There's the famous windmills and the sugar-cube houses, and the many churches with their red or blue domes, especially the famous and much photographed Panagia Paraportiani, which is actully 3 churches in one and looks like it's covered with white icing.

There's lots of good restaurants and taverns and yes, gay bars too. One favorite place to go is Little Venice which is right on the water (see photo above). It may be one of the most romantic spots in Mykonos. Especially if you go at sunset. Although not as spectacular as the Santorini sunsets, the ones you see on Mykonos run a close second. People cluster around the shoreline waiting for the right photo moment. The night we were there, a cruise ship was anchored off-shore.

We stayed on Mykonos for two days, then caught the ferry on to Naxos.

A LOVELY DAY ON HYDRA

HYDRA'S DONKEY TRANSPORT

JUNE 3, 2009. MY BIRTHDAY!
Today was my birthday, although the big party isn't until the weekend. So to celebrate it, we took a day trip on the Fast Cat (catamaran) to the lovely island of Hydra (pronounced EE-dra)
One of the nicest things about this island is the lack of motor vehicles. Donkeys are the main mode of transportation and they carry everything from riders and luggage to merchandise and lumber supplies. Hard working little creatures!

The gracious old houses of Hydra are stacked up the side of a bluff overlooking the harbour. It was a popular island for film makers back in the '50's and later the home of noted poet/musician Leonard Cohen. During the '70's this attracted all sorts of his followers to the island. I made my first visit there in 1979 on my first trip to Greece. Like Aegina, another small island off the Attic coast, it's a good place to go for day trips. Several boats a day go from the port of Pireaus. It's fastest to take the Flying Dolphin or Fast Cat which gets you there in just over an hour.

TYPICAL STREET SCENE

It's fun to explore the narrow little back-street of Hydra town. You can escape the crowds of tourists that congregate around the port itself where there's lots of shops and seaside tavernas where you can loll away the afternoon.

There is a paved path around the edge of the coastline that eventually reaches a small beach. And along the way there are tavernas overlooking the sea where you can swim from the shore or the floats. It's steep and rocky though, so not good for non-swimmers.

Little Hydra was one of those islands that weren't invaded by the Turks. Many people from the Peloponnese settled here and by the 19th century the island was an important maritime power.
The Hydriots made a fortune by running the British blockde of French ports during the Napoleonic Wars. Wealthy shipping merchants built most of the town's grand old mansions. Hydra contributed 130 ships to the Greeks during the War of Independence.

HYDRA TOWN