Shy

We had dinner at 94 Stewart last night. Nice, non pretentious bistro with a menu focussed on local produce; salmon, crab, duck and rabbit. The waiter was apologetic, the  holiday weekend had left the menu a little "shy" (no calamari, no pork belly confit, no truffled rabbit). We ordered duck rillettes, Alaskan salmon and seafood platter (crab, scallops and fresh calamari which was delivered while we were drinking pre dinner drinks). Beer ( "The Immortal IPA - Elysisan") and wine La Bete (a pinot noir from Oregon ). Tablecloths topped with butchers paper and as a nice touch, each table had a box of Crayola's. I think I was the only one drawing in the restaurant - but I can't resist a box of crayons. Anyway, the restaurant was a good humoured type of place so a good time was had by all.

Menus are not the only things that are shy in Seattle. Local mountains are timid, retiring types too. For much of the week that we have been here, the horizon has been grey and cloudy, featuring islands across the bay. Very picturesque in a wintery sort of way. But yesterday the sun came out for a short spell and good grief - now we see why the hotel staff said that our room has the best view in the house. That grey, lumpy background away on the right is actually a ring of mountains! John was away at the TMS conference, but I had my lunch on the terrace-with-a-glorious-view. Hard to capture on film but presenting the Olympic Mountains;

• Mount Olympus - highest point, eight glaciers
• Mount Constance - largest peak visible from Seattle
• Mount Anderson - rivers flow outward to the Pacific Ocean, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Hood Canal
• The Brothers - double peak visible from Seattle
• Mount Deception
• Mount Angeles

The mountains peeped through the a gap in the rain clouds first thing this morning too. As I type, they've come over all shy again and are veiling themselves in cloud to spend another reclusive day lurking in the background. Mind you, the view from the desk is still pretty impressive;