One of my favorite Christmas traditions is seeing a performance of "The Hard Nut" a modern version of The Nutcracker performed by the Mark Morris Dance Troupe. Many moons ago my aunt took all the nieces and nephews to a performance at the Brooklyn Academy of Music as our joint Christmas present and I fell in love. Before moving to London, J & I would attend performances at the Berkeley Repertoire Theatre on Cal's campus. This year however, the show skipped California and was up in Seattle. On a whim, we decided to buy tickets and head up for the weekend.
Friday night we walked to the Palace Kitchen for dinner which everyone gave a thumbs up. Lots of small dishes and we loved every one of them. The goat cheese & lavender fondue was a crowd pleaser.
We stayed at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco was a cute little boutique hotel and centrally located so we were able to walk to just about everyplace we wanted to go. It was a nice change from living in suburbia where the car is king and definitely had us missing London a bit.
Saturday morning we met up with friends at Etta's for brunch. After brunch we walked around Pike's Market. C bought herself at necklace from one of the stands and K was particularly enthralled by the fish throwers.
We attended the matinee performance of "The Hard Nut" which was just as enchanting as ever. My favorite scene (which I watch on YouTube multiple times a year) is the Waltz of the Snowflakes. It's quirky, joyful and magical. While K usually doesn't like dance performances, this one kept him engaged the whole time. C on the other hand, fell asleep half-way through.
Saturday night we drove out to F&A's house for dinner. J & F lived together in Boston after college so they go way back. We ordered Chinese takeout from down the block and spent a lovely evening chatting and catching up. F&A had visited us in London about 5 years ago so it had been awhile since we'd seen them. At one point, K opened a closet and found a treasure trove of Nerf guns. From that point on we lost all the kids to an epic battle in the upstairs bedrooms.
On Sunday we got up early and walked to Tilikum Cafe, famous for their dutch apple pancakes. C ordered the lemon one which was delicious. We also highly recommend their bacon!
After breakfast we rode up to the top of the Seattle Space Needle. Normally we may have skipped something so touristy but friends of ours had visited a few weeks earlier and highly recommended it. While rainy, it was still fun to explore the needle and check out the 360 degree views. The revolving floor was a big hit as well. And as a bonus (possibly for mom only), the kids were able to take photos with Santa!
The Chihuly museum & garden is right next door to the tower so while the kids complained and bee-lined to the end, J&I really enjoyed the exhibit. Chihuly was one of J's mom's favorite artist and he founded an art school in the PNW. I found so many of the pieces to be extraordinary - so complex, colorful and delicate.
After the museum we hopped aboard the monorail to take us back to our hotel. A whirlwind visit with the perfect blend of good food, friends and fun!
Peace out Seattle!
Friday night we walked to the Palace Kitchen for dinner which everyone gave a thumbs up. Lots of small dishes and we loved every one of them. The goat cheese & lavender fondue was a crowd pleaser.
We stayed at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco was a cute little boutique hotel and centrally located so we were able to walk to just about everyplace we wanted to go. It was a nice change from living in suburbia where the car is king and definitely had us missing London a bit.
Saturday morning we met up with friends at Etta's for brunch. After brunch we walked around Pike's Market. C bought herself at necklace from one of the stands and K was particularly enthralled by the fish throwers.
We attended the matinee performance of "The Hard Nut" which was just as enchanting as ever. My favorite scene (which I watch on YouTube multiple times a year) is the Waltz of the Snowflakes. It's quirky, joyful and magical. While K usually doesn't like dance performances, this one kept him engaged the whole time. C on the other hand, fell asleep half-way through.
Saturday night we drove out to F&A's house for dinner. J & F lived together in Boston after college so they go way back. We ordered Chinese takeout from down the block and spent a lovely evening chatting and catching up. F&A had visited us in London about 5 years ago so it had been awhile since we'd seen them. At one point, K opened a closet and found a treasure trove of Nerf guns. From that point on we lost all the kids to an epic battle in the upstairs bedrooms.
On Sunday we got up early and walked to Tilikum Cafe, famous for their dutch apple pancakes. C ordered the lemon one which was delicious. We also highly recommend their bacon!
After breakfast we rode up to the top of the Seattle Space Needle. Normally we may have skipped something so touristy but friends of ours had visited a few weeks earlier and highly recommended it. While rainy, it was still fun to explore the needle and check out the 360 degree views. The revolving floor was a big hit as well. And as a bonus (possibly for mom only), the kids were able to take photos with Santa!
The Chihuly museum & garden is right next door to the tower so while the kids complained and bee-lined to the end, J&I really enjoyed the exhibit. Chihuly was one of J's mom's favorite artist and he founded an art school in the PNW. I found so many of the pieces to be extraordinary - so complex, colorful and delicate.
After the museum we hopped aboard the monorail to take us back to our hotel. A whirlwind visit with the perfect blend of good food, friends and fun!
Peace out Seattle!
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