The Thursday after the Folklife Festival, I had a free day to roam around Seattle. As is my wont, I celebrated my first day of freedom from walking around the festival grounds all day by… walking around the city all day. I started out the day by meeting Jerin for morning coffee/tea at Elliot Bay Books. After that, I spent awhile shopping in and around Pioneer Square and Pike Place Market. I had an amazing lunch at the Three Girls Bakery — a big slab of baked salmon with havarti, spicy Dijon mustard, and lettuce on fresh rosemary garlic bread. It was the best sandwich I’ve had in recent memory. I ducked into a little record shop at Pike Place before moving on. In the jazz ‘New Arrival’ bin, I found an LP by the Australian Jazz Quintet — a group that featured Erroll Buddle on bassoon and tenor sax, and whose LPs I’d heretofore only been able to find on eBay.
Next I headed to the relatively new Olympic Sculpture Park, an extension of the Seattle Art Museum that sits right on the waterfront. The park has quite a few permanent pieces by sculptors such as Louise Bourgeois, Ellsworth Kelly, and Alexander Calder. There are also a number of temporary pieces on display, most prominently (right now, at least) a number of giant orange safety cones by Dennis Oppenheim. The park is also home to the PACCAR Pavilion, an expansive gallery space that currently houses a large and interesting installation by Geoff McFetridge called “In The Mind”.
After spending awhile in the Sculpture Park, I continued strolling around town. I stopped in at the magnificent Rem Koolhaas–designed Seattle Public Library to pick up a little something for Veronica. I’d been there before, so I didn’t stay too long. Next, I wandered past City Hall and up into the International District for some sushi. Along the way, I spotted the fanciest fire station I’ve ever seen, and a very decrepit former hotel. Soon, I’ll have some pictures to post from the last portions of my trip — involving boats, trains, and an eccentric millionaire.
