The world is health crazy these days and if you’re following the trend for fresh produce, the Pike Place Market in Seattle is the place to go! It’s also a great way to fill in the time if Seattle’s having one of its regular rainy days and you don’t feel like wandering around in the rain.
I’d heard of the market, but never actually realized how big it was! I was expecting something along the lines of a small shopping mall circa 1900, but that’s by far an under-estimation! Pike Place Market is huge and it took a few hours to wander around the various buildings, alleys and other areas which make up the market place. I’m not a shopper by nature, but I do like markets and I think this has to be one of the biggest I’ve ever seen! I didn’t get to see the salmon getting thrown around at Pike Place Fish, which is located in the Main Arcade, but I did almost fall over the piggy bank sculpture in the same area! The antique and handwork stores were my favorite discoveries – each new discovery offering items that were more interesting than the store I’d just come out of!
There’s something about this marketplace that makes it feel more European than American. Sitting in one of the bistro’s thoughtfully stirring my cup of coffee, I could almost feel as if I were in France, or Italy and not in NW USA – and I’m sure it was something to do with the ambiance and not just because of the rain outside!
