Seattle, Starting The Adventure

Here we are back in the AZ. heat after 9 lovely days in cool, rainy weather cruising to Alaska and back.
No quilting the past week obviously, but I did manage to visit three quilt shops and make a few small purchases, I will show these at some point in the next few days.
I ran up and down the stairs between 12 decks, refusing to use the escalators, hoping it would help to substitute for the gym. We walked 6 rounds of the promenade deck [two miles]on several occasions and I made it to the ships gym once! Plus we walked onshore in each port, exploring the areas and observing wild life, human, feathered and 4 legged!
However, there was much indulgence of foods I otherwise would never have eaten and a lot of adult beverages!
First stop after checking into our hotel in the city center, was Pike's Market Place, an amazing collection of merchandise, nine acres of vendors with everything under the sun for sale and to eat, including an astonishing selection of the most gorgeous fresh flowers, I wanted to buy them by the armfull! Here you may also have coffee at the very first Starbucks if you care to stand in a loooooong line!

A delicious lunch at this German restaurant brought back memories of our years living in that beautiful country.
Then we visited Seattle friends on their beautiful 48ft. boat in which we cruised around the bay......

it was a treat for all especially the "kids" who hadn't been to Seattle before. The bay is quite picturesque with all the quaint houseboats.

We stopped to eat at a dockside restaurant...........

yummy fresh seafood naturally!

 Our hosts were celebrating their 45th.wedding anniversary and I had brought this quilt for them.

 I hope they put it to good snuggling use!

DIL and I enjoyed chatting with our hostess in the large living area between the top deck and the two large sleeping cabins on a lower level.

A night view of the dock and the boat.

End of the first day of vacation and we were all ready for bed!
Next morning.........

I passed up these delicacies for breakfast with our friends,

in favor of Eggs Benedict with smoked salmon, it was a tough fight!

The young folk arrived after we had eaten and they too enjoyed hearty breakfasts. Oh dear, I can feel the pounds adding up already and we aren't even on board the "Oosterdam"!