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UNESCO City of Literature

Posted by golfkat on June 12, 2018
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I can’t think of a better city than Seattle as the very first UNESCO City of Literature.  The unique and massive Seattle Public Library, itself an icon of literature, stands as a visible reminder of this city’s great literary reputation.  They say the long, wet, dreary winters, and the abundance of coffee shops make it perfect for readers.

For starters, the four decades old Elliott Bay Bookstore attracts readers of all kinds. I love the name of their little cafe’ in the back, the Oddfellows Cafe’.  Maybe it is staffed by a guy named Longfellow?

As you know, I love visiting libraries and bookstores around the world.  My favorites are City Lights (San Francisco), Powell’s (Portland), and The Last Bookstore (Los Angeles).

For rare, and out of print cook books, head to the aptly named Book Larder.  It even has a kitchen in the back!   Every Monday, they host a lunch break cooking class.

So, where do techies go for books?  How about Ada’s Technical Books?  But not in a high tech setting, but an old world hipster style of techie madness.  Events range from lock picking to female scientist meetups.

Seattleites love the sea, and sometimes the Old Man, right Ernie?  For them, Sea Ocean Books rates high, particularly since their hours are by appointment or by chance!

Where do beatniks and the ultra cool people go for their poetry fix?  None other than Open Books, Seattle’s go to place for poetry books and events.  For example, you can find:  The shelves are stocked with progressive local books like Tess Gallagher and Lawrence Matsuda’s collaborative Boogie Woogie CrissCross, a book of poetry based on their three-year long e-mail exchange while she was in Ireland and he was in Seattle.

Even touristy Pike Place Market has a bookstore, Left Bank Books.  The place is described as an anarchist’s collective, with books on feminism, graphic novels, and the labor movement.  And rather interestingly, they publish books written by prisoners.

One of my favorite bookstores is located at Uwajimaya grocery in the International District.  Yes, most of the books are in Japanese, but that does not stop me from visiting Kinokuniya when we shop for Asian foods of all kinds.  They have great T shirts, and art books for those of us who do not read Japanese.  We stopped by on Sunday to buy several great gifts.

My second most favorite is both a bookstore and a cartographer’s dream, Metsker Maps, near Pike Market.  I have purchased maps for some of my trips, such as my Trans Siberian journey in 2014.  They have the best collection of globes, maps, and travel books I have ever seen.  We stopped by on Saturday, to buy a gift for my granddaughter, Kaila.

Believe it or not, Ripley, Amazon has a bookstore here.  I have visited the branch in Walnut Creek.  Because of popularity metrics, they have the type of books that you can read in three days, in either hard copy or Kindle.  But they say it is worth a visit,  just to see how the internal internet brain of book shoppers plays out in real life!  It is located at the Amazon campus,  just a few blocks away.  True to form, they have no cashier!!  Just carry your purchases out, and Amazon Prime figures out how and what to bill me.booksbooks1books2Seattle public library

So, will I spend my days in a bookstore while in Seattle.  It depends on the weather, my mood, and if I need a book!  Go figure.  Or go read!

Uniquely Seattle

Posted by golfkat on June 11, 2018
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Aside from being home to the world’s largest coffee chain, what else is Seattle famous for?

Boeing, originally a boat company, was founded here in 1916 by William Boeing.  It was Seattle’s largest employer during WW2.

The Space Needle was built in 1962 for the Seattle World’s Fair.  It was built in just 400 days.  At the time, it was the tallest building west of the Mississippi River.  My grandparents went.  It sways one inch in either direction for each 10 mph of wind.

Contrary to popular opinion, the world’s richest man, Bill Gates, lives in Medina, WA, not Seattle.  I have driven by his compound on a power boat.  Seattle’s first millionaire was a sawmill operator by the name of Henry Yesler.  You can decide which photos above is Gates’ mansion, and which one is the famous gum wall.

Seattle still ranks as the most literate of all American cities, with the highest percentage (over 50%) of residents with a college degree or higher.

I love the Seattle Public Library, a true architectural gem.  But more importantly, Seattle has the highest percentage (80%) of library card holders in the nation.

Seattle was the first city in the US to play a Beatles song on the radio.

While we complain about the rain in Seattle, its annual rainfall is less than Houston, New York City, Boston, Atlanta or Chicago.

Pike Place Market is the longest (1907) continuously operating farmer’s market in the U.S.

Seattle is the birthplace of grunge, as if you did not already know that.  It began with Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Soundgarden, and now Macklemore and Heart.  In between were Kenny G,  and Sir Mix-A-Lot.

Better yet, Seattle was the first major American city to elect a female mayor.  Bertha Knight Landes (1926-1928) was known for being tough on crime.  But no female mayors since.

For more BS about Seattle, just fly on up and see for yourself.  You will love it here.

Since I enjoy live music, Seattle has the second highest per capita rate of live music performances in the US, after NYC.

I have mentioned before that Seattle was the birthplace of the greatest guitar player of all time, Jimi Hendrix.  Bruce Lee’s grave can be found at Lakeside Cemetery.

If you saw “Sleepless in Seattle”, you already know that Seattle has over 500 houseboats, the largest of any American city.  That particular houseboat sold for over $2 million recently.

I have a difficult time believing this one, but there are more dogs (140,000) living in Seattle than children (93,000).

I love the public transportation options here.   We take the light rail from the airport to downtown and back.  And we use either the light rail or city buses if we get tired of walking this very walkable and somewhat hilly city.  A giant drill named Bertha is digging her way under the city to replace the Alaska Way Viaduct, an elevated section of Highway 99.

Traffic is quite heavy in the downtown areas.  We rarely rent a car here, unless we head out to the countryside or to the National Parks.

What I like here is that people wear shorts here, even in cold weather.  And they do NOT carry umbrellas!

Wyatt Earp opened a gambling house here in the 1890s on Second Avenue, even though gambling was illegal at the time.

The REI flagship store is located here, as well as the Nordstrom flagship store.  We enjoy both!

One more thought regarding music here.  The Seattle Symphony crowd is quite different from the San Francisco Symphony.  Perhaps if the big boys in this city get involved?

Some sun, some rain, lots of good times!gates homemetskersstarbuckss mono

If It Is Saturday, It Must be Vancouver!

Posted by golfkat on May 25, 2018
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Most of you who have been to Vancouver know that they started the farm the table restaurant movement.  And yes, the food up here is great.  I particularly enjoy the seafood, fresh greens, and their best kept secret, ice cream.

But what do you really know about this great west coast Canadian city?

One of the most clever names for this city is Vansterdam.  I wonder why!  Are they trying to emulate one of the most interesting cities in the world?  Experts say they have a notorious love affair with marijuana.  You can find an Herb Museum, as well as a New Amsterdam Cafe.

I never knew there was a Forbidden Amsterdam, a walking tour of “off the beaten track” attractions.  One of Vancouver’s most infamous strip clubs was The Penthouse, known to have been visited by Sinatra.  Might you learn some secrets of the penthouse?

Wreck Beach is the area’s only clothing optional beach.  Perhaps it is just too cold here for a nude beach?  But along with some nudity you will find a definite hippie vibe form the 60s.

Who would expect this buttoned up city to have a geeky burlesque show?  It is called Geekenders, who often poke fun with shows like “A Burlesque Tribute to Nicholas Cage”, and “Star Wars, A Nude Hope.”

If you have been here, I am sure you have been to Granville Island, the best foodie place in the city.  Besides being a great place to buy ingredients for cooking, the area also has some good places to eat.

Then again, street food has come to Vancouver, as it has most big cities in North America.  There are more food tours in this city than tourist bus companies.  My closest friends of Chinese descent all claim Chinese food in Vancouver as the world’s best.  Quite a statement!

Along with great ice cream, I have always been told this city is known for their chocolate.  Since I am not a chocoholic, or even much of a taster, I will take their word for it.  Check out Best Vancouver Chocolatiers for more information.

Did you ever play Button, Button?  There’s no need to collect buttons anymore because this quirky store does it for you. With buttons from all over the world, their collection is constantly growing. Of course, it’s not just a button store, but a magical experience of colors and tastes of the world’s different cultures.

Vancouver may have better donuts than anywhere else, including Portland or New York.  Why?  They call them deliciously non-artisanal.  Yet, Vancouver is considered the third best city in the world to live in.

Did you know there is a website for “9 Touristy Things to Do in Vancouver If You’re Broke”?  One is to explore the bars in Gastown.  Another is to rent a Mobi bicycle.  Obviously, walking everywhere instead of suing public transport is a good money saver.

Since I recently finished my Anthropology class, I should go to the Museum of Anthropology.  FYI, I got to skip the final, since we had to compete against other teams in our class.  We had to create a new religion!  It was so off color and so funny, we got the most votes.  So, our team, myself and three 19 or 20 year olds, got to skip the final and received “A”s for the class.

Greenpeace was born here in 1971.  Have you seen Russell Dalrymple?  On the other hand, or face, that is, Botox cosmetic treatments began here.

Real estate is expensive here.  A single, detached home in the city costs, on average $1.2 million CD.  Yet, there are no freeways in the downtown area!  And over 40% of the residents are immigrants.  So, yes, it can be done!

Sadly, I cannot buy beer or alcohol in a grocery store, it must be a liquor store.

Did you know Perry Mason is from Vancouver?  Yes, Raymond Burr was a lifelong Vancouverite, along with Lonnie Anderson, Jason Preistly, Margaret Trudeau, Michael Buble’, and one of my favorite singers, Sarah McLachlan.

Tax on everything except food is a whopping 12%.  Manitoba and Ontario are 13%, Quebec is 14.975%, and the four easternmost provinces are a whopping 15%!!!!  I guess I will not buy much here.

Stanley Park is 10% larger than New York’s Central Park!

Sushi experts say the famous California Roll was invented here.

What else would you like to know?

We did not arrive in Vancouver until Sunday afternoon.  Scheduled time was 9am YESTERDAY!

I have changedl my flight home 3 times, and my hotel twice…..so far.  I hope to get home Monday for our usual Monday dinner with dear friends.

Even Amtrak never gets this far off schedule.  It has cost many of my fellow travelers big money, with change fees, non refundable fares, lost hotel rooms, and most importantly, some quality time in Vancouver.  Perhaps VIA Canadian will reimburse some of it.

The poor crew must turn around this evening at 7am, Monday, for the return train to Toronto!!!

It is now Sunday eve.  I am off the train, staying in my favorite Vancouver hotel, The Listel, on the best street, Robson.  Yes.  I am so happy to be off of the train.  I am even happier knowing I get to go home to my two best girls.

I had a great happy hour dinner at Coast, on nearby Alberni Street.  The manger, Alex, waited on me at the bar.   Ihad my half dozen oysters, followed by calamari and Brussels sprouts.  I washed it down with a few glasses of Prosecco.

I bought some clothes for another day’s stay, and head for home tomorrow.  I have a four hour layover in Seattle, so, I may head downtown for a few hours.

Edward or Edmonton?

Posted by golfkat on May 22, 2018
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One of the few reasons Edmonton is even a thought is their famous hockey superstar hero, Wayne Gretzky.  And yes, it is the capital city of Alberta province.  Edmonton is known in Canada for its theater, year around festivals, national sports teams, and year around outdoor recreation.

The town developed by Hudson’s Bay Company because of the fur trade, much like other towns in the region.  When wealthy families arrived in the late 1800s, the town was officially founded.  Oil was discovered in 1947, forever changing life here.  The VIA train station is a short distance to downtown.  Jasper Avenue is the heart of the downtown area, and the area is known for its great biking routes (over 274 km of trails).

The Edmonton Oilers (NHL hockey) are one of the most recognizable sports teams in the area.  They also have a Canadian Football League team, the Eskimos.  The city sits on the Saskatchewan River, which splits the city in two.

The biggest event of the year here is the Edmonton International Fringe Festival, the largest in North America.  Attended by over 500,000, it boasts over 1000 performances!  Over 30 festivals are held here each year.

For those getting hungry, Edmonton is the birthplace to two Canadian chains, Boston Pizza, and earl’s (small e).

Famous people:  Michael J. Fox (Alex Keaton), Tommy Chong, k.d. lang, W.P. Kinsella (Field of Dreams),  Robert Goulet, Leslie Nielsen, Mark Messier, Marshall McLuhan, and Nickelback.

Edmonton is the northernmost North American city with over a million population.  It also has the largest mall in North America, the West Edmonton Mall, the equivalent of 48 city blocks.  It was the world’s largest until 2004.  It is so large it has a gun range!  It still contains the world’s largest indoor lake.  And it has parking space for 20,000 vehicles.

There are no rats in Edmonton, or in Alberta!  Two legged or four legged?  The University of Alberta has produced 67 Rhodes Scholars.  Jasper National Park is a 4 hour drive from Edmonton.  It is also a gateway to the Aurora borealis.

Green onion cakes from Tsingtao, China, are one of Edmonton’s favorite dishes.  It may soon become the official dish of Edmonton.

That is probably more than you ever wanted to know about Edmonton.edmontonedmonton1edmonton2edmonton3edmonton4

America’s Most Overlooked City

Posted by golfkat on April 14, 2018
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We are on our way to UC Davis, near Sacramento, on a trip of indefinite proportions.  We are not sure how long we will stay, one day, overnight or more.  But it does make one realize that our state capitol, Sacramento, is an underrated place to visit.

From Cheapism:  In a state packed with tourist meccas such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego, Sacramento will never get top billing, but there’s still plenty to see. The Old Sacramento Historic District is a charming, kitschy window into the city’s Gold Rush past, and the California State Railroad Museum is a train buff’s delight.

Who agrees with me?  First, Sacramento is easily reached via freeway or Amtrak.  Old Town Sacramento is walking distance from the Amtrak station.  So is the state capitol, numerous places to eat and drink, and the above mentioned Railroad Museum.

What else?

Paris currently holds the record in the world for the most trees in one city, but Sacramento comes in at a very close second.

Only in Sacramento will you find a national landmark named after its previous title of a once proud music retailer in history: Tower Records. The same building is now known as the Tower Theater, and it’s so popular that within that intersection is Tower Liquors, Tower Books, and Tower Video.

Sacramento’s California Railroad Museum is the largest establishment of its kind in the entire country. The museum houses an astounding 21 restored locomotives.

The largest almond processing plant in the world, Blue Diamond, is headquartered right in town and processes 12 million pounds of almonds every day during harvest.

At one point in 1866, Sacramento was considered home to one Mark Twain back when the Sacramento Union newspaper was operational. This was actually when Twain began writing long before even considering the adventures of one Huckleberry Finn and one Tom Sawyer.

Fast forward to today, Sacramento is home to nearly 500,000 people, the sixth largest city in California.  The city was named for a friend of Cosmo Kramer’s, named Bob Saccamenna during a long lost Seinfeld episode.  The name somehow morphed back in Gold Rush days by the Spanish into Santisimo Sacramento ( Blessed Sacrament).

So, who might some of their famous residents be, besides my old buddy, Governor Jerry Brown?  How about Barbi Benton, Mark Goodson, Pat Morita, Herb Caen, Lester Holt, Joan Lundenucd1lodi3bistro33, Mark Twain, Joan Didion,  Mayor Kevin Johnson,  Andrew McCutcheon, Mark Spitz, Kyle Larson, Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, and Evelyn Ashford.

Sacramento is also home to the California State Fair, the Sacramento Kings NBA team, and the Sacramento River Cats, the Triple A affiliate of our San Francisco Giants.

From the Daily Meal:  Sacramento is a sacrilegiously overlooked food city, plus it’s in the top three for weather conditions, making it a fantastic summer stop. The Californian capital is home to many museums as well as the Sacramento Zoo, and it made the list as part of the Sacramento–Roseville–Arden-Arcade metro area, giving visitors easy access to other attractions such as Lake Tahoe and the Davis Farmers Market, one of the best in the country.

Back in the 80s’ I was a consultant to the statewide hospital association, as well as the state pharmaceutical association, both based in Sacramento.  Even back then, I was impressed by the quality of restaurants and food in the downtown area.

More Morocco

Posted by golfkat on March 16, 2018
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Morocco recorded a bumper year for tourist arrivals in 2017, breaking through the 11-million barrier for the first time, the tourism ministry announced Monday.

Visitor arrivals numbered some 11.4 million, a 10-percent increase over 2016, with tourists from “emerging markets” such as China and Brazil joining those from France, Spain and Germany.

Revenues from the sector jumped to 69.7 billion dirhams ($7.55 billion, 6.16 billion euros) in 2017, up from 64.2 billion dirhams the previous year.

Fez, Tangiers and Marrakesh, along with Ouarzazate on the edge of the Sahara desert, recorded the strongest growth in tourist numbers, the ministry said.

After several years of stagnation, the tourism industry has turned around, partly thanks to new budget air links with Europe and increased flights by national carrier Royal Air Maroc.

Tourism is Morocco’s second largest employer after agriculture, and it ranks alongside exports and remittances from Moroccans working abroad as one of its top foreign currency earners.

We went to Tangiers, Morocco back in 2004, while we were spending a week in Puerto Banus, a small coastal town next door to Marbella, Spain.  Mike and I golfed in Spain and Portugal not long after 9-11.  So, in 2004, Sheri, our friend Ingrid, and I rented an apartment in Puerto Banus for a week.

The first photo is our apartment in Puerto Banus,  If you go to the Costa del Sol, I highly recommend staying in Banus rather than Marbella.  The beaches are better, the restaurants are directly on the water, and the town is CLEAN and safe!  The second photo is our walk through Tangiers’ medina.

Little did we realize Morocco would become a tourist destination.  We decided to go “on a lark” so to speak.  None of us had been to Africa until then.  We purchased a visa in Tarifa, in the province of Cadiz, and took the two hour ferry ride over to Tangiers.  “It was an angry sea, my friends”, to quote the famous marine biologist, George Costanza.  People were getting sick, and here I was, the most seasick prone person on earth, managing to stay well!

Sheri and Ingrid managed to keep it together, while the toilets were lined up with seasick passengers.  It was not a good start to an unknown adventure.  But we felt secure in knowing we purchased a “package” tour with a local Berber.  Sheri says she felt intimidated by the aggressive sales people. Little did we know!

But that is a story for another time and place.  What I wanted to tell you is that if you want some adventure, into a culture quite different from our own, head to Morocco.  It will open your eyes and ears, sharpen your senses, and put you on edge.  Though we never felt in danger, we did see and experience the unexpected.  Would I go again?  YES, to see and experience more, get off the tourist trail, and learn more about this strange and different culture.Puerto Banustangiersbad2knedlicky

Czech Mate Country

Posted by golfkat on January 20, 2018
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I have not played chess since I was last snowed in during a heavy storm in Evergreen, Colorado.  But Czech mate or not, this country, formerly Czechoslovakia, became the Czech Republic after the peaceful Velvet Revolution of 1989.  The Communists were ousted, allowing democratic rule and a true market echot chockafkaCzech Republic, Prague, Charles Bridge at dawn.knedlickywenceslasonomy to begin on January 1, 1993.  The Velvet Divorce created the Czech Republic, and Slovakia.  Czech joined NATO in 1999, and the European Union in 2004.

Why do tourists love to visit the Czech Republic?  Obviously, the beer, always ranked the best in the world, according to serious beer drinkers.  The invented (in 1118) the best beer in the world, and continue to reinvent beer through its innovative microbreweries.  Since the invention of Pilsner Urquell in 1842, the Czechs have been famous for producing some of the world’s finest brews. But the internationally famous brand names – Urquell, Staropramen and Budvar – have been equaled, and even surpassed, by a bunch of regional Czech beers and microbreweries that are catering to a renewed interest in traditional brewing. Never before have Czech pubs offered such a wide range of ales.

But what about the country itself?  They prefer to call themselves Czechia now.  They are bordered by Poland, Germany, Austria, and Slovakia.  The total land area is almost 79,000 square Km, slightly smaller than South Carolina.  Agricultural land is 55% of the country with 35% forested.  The population runs just under 11 million, with ethnic Czechs making up 65%, but many claim partial German ancestry.  Czech and Slovak languages are mutually intelligible.
Czech is also the official language.  The currency is not the Euro but the Czech crown (koruna), about 26 for each USD.  Only 19% of Czechs believe in God, about 65% are agnostics.  The most popular sport is ice hockey, which may explain the religion.  Yet the literacy rate is 99%.  It is the second richest country in eastern Europe after tiny Slovenia.
The chief of state is the President, Milos Zeman.  The head of government is the Prime Minister, Bohuslav Sobotka.  It is a parliamentary republic, since the death of Communism.  Citizenship is not by birth but whether at least one parent is a Czech.  Maybe we ought to consider that?  Prague was the only major city in Europe that was not bombed during WW2.
Remarkably, the auto industry is bigger than the beer industry, with over a million cars produced annually since 2010.  The GDP is roughly $351 billion.  Their main agricultural products are what, potatoes, sugar beets, hops (of course), fruit, and farm animals.  Tourism rates highly too!  The country is famous for its many spa towns.
I will let you read about the dark and dreary days of this country, both prior to Communism, as well as during it.  But there have been some remarkable people from Czechia, such as Martina Navratilova, Ivan Lendl. Gustav Mahler, Franz Kafka, Alphonse Mucha, Antonin Dvorak, Milos Forman, Gregor Mendel, Sigmund Freud, Tom Stoppard, Vaclav Havel, and Emil Zatopek.  Otto Wichterle, a Czech, invented soft contact lenses in 1959.  The sugar cube was invented here in 1843.
Czech food is hearty, meaning heavy and fatty.  But the best part of dinner is the great beer.  Lunch is the main meal of the day, with three courses.  It always begin with hot soup and bread, followed by a meat and side dish, then topped with a vegetable salad or a sweet treat and coffee.  Czechs loves their sweets!
But getting back to beer, Czechs are the heaviest drinkers in the world at 160 liters per capita per year.  Real Czech beer is served only on tap, never from a bottle.  Most beer contains about 4-5% alcohol.  Czech lager is strong, hoppy, and almost bitter.  They do well with their heavy meals.  And much like Guinness, it has a thick head on top of it.  And it must be cold!
Waiters do not wait until you are done with a glass before placing the next one in front of you.  Nobody should sit in a Czech pub with an empty glass!
The only thing Czechs love more than eating mushrooms, is hunting for them. If town is empty on St Vaclav Day, it’s because everyone’s funghi picking in the forest.  Being bohemian isn’t just Czechs being cool, it’s their heritage. This area was once the Kingdom of Bohemia.  The word robot was made famous in a play by Czech, Karl Capek. His brother, Josef, was the one who made it up.
Well, there you have it, three days here, and hopefully, I can add to this phantasmagoria of trivia and useless information!