One of the loveliest parts of my long weekend to Seattle was taking some time out for myself and wandering around the city early on Sunday before the wedding.

Very few places were open so early — a far cry from the way I used to travel, starting out at around 2pm.

I wandered down to ‘Pike’ (Pike’s Place Market) and watched all the vendors set up as the rain fell. I feel a real affinity with people who don’t bother about the rain and umbrellas, and these were my people.

It was Mothers’ Day, and slowly, middle-aged men with little tykes perched on their shoulders or holding the miniature hands of their offspring (sometimes both), descended upon the market to pick their favourite tulips for their mums/wives. Much discussion was had about colour and taste (“What color do you think Mom would like, Maddison?”), with few tantrums.

There were some amazing tulip hybrids, and am loving the tulip/daffodil and the tulip/peony combinations. I couldn’t get enough of their colour, their perkiness, their beauty: I was dying to take them all home.

As I wandered around the market, the other sellers started arriving. The fruiterers, the organic doughnut lady, the leather men, the newsagent, the nut and berry lady, the hippies selling homemade clothes from their homespun wool. I bought some pomegranate white tea from the spice shop, and enjoyed free samples of various types of dried apples from the dried fruit lady.

The fishmongers were setting up for the day’s trade, getting into the spirit by singing local ditties as they threw the fish down the line.

There’s few things I love more than enjoying the sights, the smells, the colour of the markets around the world. The coolest thing I saw for sale: edible ferns. Apparently you saute them with a little butter and shaved parmesan cheese and voila!

What’s one thing you love doing in a foreign city?

A few hours later, we were on the lake meeting new people from all over (did you know the Ontario accent sounds somewhat Scottish?). Thankfully, the omnipresent rain held off so Terry and Amelie were married outdoors. It was a beautiful wedding and we had a great time. Félicitations Terry and Amelie!

Can’t wait to see the pics from the wedding, particularly the photos from the photobooth… we had a lot of fun!