Pike Place Market in Seattle

Pike Place Market

July 21st, 2007… In summer of 2007, Pike Place Market is celebrating 100 years since it was opened in August 1907. One of the things the organiser has done is to “place” pig icons, 100 of them, I think, all over the downtown Seattle including in shopping centres. Click Pike Place Market below the picture to see some of the pig icons.

It is a place for small businesses with stalls selling fishes around the region (including salmon), home made crafts and other items like dungeness crabs, flowers, fruits of the season, honey, etc.

If you are in Seattle, Pike Place Market is within walking distance in the tourist area of downtown Seattle, a place worth paying a visit and have a seafood buffet lunch in the variety of restaurants and coffee outlets. Short boat rides are also available along the Elliott Bay waterfront.

Voyage of the Glaciers

In summer of 2007, my wife and I went for an Alaskan Cruise. The cruise ship started from Vancouver (Canada Place) and northbound to Whittier in Anchorage. The cruise is wonderful. You can eat as much as you can, 24-hours a day. The ship is very steady – big ship and not crossing any ocean. You don’t even know you are on board the ship if you don’t look out of the balcony. You jog three rounds around the ship, you have covered a mile. The ship has 18 levels, four night clubs, one theatre, five swimming pools (one heated and enclosed), number of jacuzzi whirlpools, five restaurants and one buffet restaurant, shopping areas, photo studio, etc. Activity rooms available for the very young to seniors, even for those on wheelchairs. This ship has a capacity for 2000 passengers.

This cruise to Alaska has given me an opportunity to Reflect on Life. It reminds me of the Five Elements. I found some notes in the Internet on the Five Elements…

The Five Elements, according to eastern philosophy, are the fundamental components of the Universe. The Five Elements are Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal and Water.

Going to remote areas, where population is zero in the Glacier Bay and Fjords, you have to respect the Five Elements around you – though the obvious around us in the Alaska bays & Fjords are the Wood (the forest), Earth (the mountain) and Water (the Fjords, Bays Rivers, Streams, Ocean, etc). Beneath – Metal (especially Gold) and Fire (Plate Tectonics), the causes of earthquakes.

Within the Bay and Fjord proper, you have the tranquility, calmness, peacefulness and serenity – mother nature in its total equilibrium – the Five Elemental energies in balance. You can also called it, God’s creation.

Read more …Wikipedia – The Five Elements

More pictures on Alaskan Cruise, click here.

Butchart and the Japanese Gardens

Butchart Garden in Victoria

The video show are pictures taken in Butchart Garden in Victoria - the British Columbia's provincial capital It lies at the southeast end of Vancouver Island, 90 km southwest of Vancouver. One of the ways to reach Butchart Gardens is from Seattle, purchasing a Victoria City and Butchart Garden Tour on the Victoria Clipper. Butchart Gardens has an area of approx. 20ha/50 acres. This Garden was started in 1904 by Jennie Butchart to beautify the quarry pit resulting from her husband's cement business. Still operated by the family, the grounds are maintained year round by a team of gardeners. The floral attraction is the beautiful sunken garden with its green lawns, trees and exquiste flower arrangements that create a whirl of colour. The other Gardens include, the Rose Fountain, Rose Garden, Japanese Garden and the Italian Garden. An average visit is about 1 and a half hours, in time to catch the 7.00 pm boat trip (about 3 hours) back to Seattle (on a day trip ticket).
The second part of the video show are pictures taken from the Japanese Garden in Seattle (Washington).