Three Fabulous Seattle Cafes

Please pardon my lack of book-related posts lately! I have been crazy busy in the last few weeks and I'm already practically drowning in homework. So, as someone who has recently moved to the Seattle area and who has a ton of studying to do, I have made it my mission to find some of the best cafes to do homework at that also serve great coffee. Whew, that was a long sentence. Anyways, here are a few that I have visited in the past couple of weeks!



Irwin's Neighborhood Bakery and Cafe 

Located in the Wallingford district of Seattle, this corner cafe offers baked goods, soups and salads, and coffee and tea. It provides a calming atmosphere in addition to having amazing eats (and drinks). Both indoor and outdoor seating is available.

Storyville Coffee Company
With a few locations around Seattle, this is the epitome of the northwestern cafe. The lighting and decor give a rexaled feel to the whole place, and the coffee is some of the best I have seriously ever had! Pictured below is the one in the Queen Anne area of the city, but the other locations of this cafe are Pike Place Market and on 1st and Madison in the downtown region. I still have to go to the one on 1st and Madison but I am sure that it is just as great as the other two.

Milstead & Co.

This cafe is a hidden gem. I am completely serious when I say that. I had heard of Milstead & Co. and I was determined to find it but I had a bit of difficulty because is slightly outside some of the other shops in the Fremont area. At first glance I thought it was an art studio because of the outside seating area amidst the sculptures and artwork, but then I looked closer and realized it was what I was looking for. Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of the outside area because it was crowded, I did not want to intrude on people's personal space by taking pictures of them! But I can assure you that it is pretty darn awesome. Now on to the most important part; the coffee. It was great! I ordered a latte, as per usual, and it was absolutely delicious. Another point that is worth noting is that the service was really good, the two individuals who were working when I visited seemed genuinely happy to be there. They chatted with me about my day and made me feel very welcome. 

It is a bit difficult to see in this picture but the waterway can be seen from the front of the shop! The concrete structure supports Highway 99 that passes over the water. 

Another pretty foam design. 

The counter space/barista bar. 

Photos taken with both my iPhone 4s and Sony A3000 camera. 

A Couple Hours in Pike Place Market

I got the chance to spend a little bit of time in Pike Place Market and I definitely was not going to turn the opportunity down! For those of you who don't know, Pike Place Market is a public market near the waterfront in Seattle. It is full of fruit, flower, and vegetable stands in addition to having many different types of shops. Since I was only there for a couple hours I didn't get to visit nearly as many stands and stores as I wanted to, so I am surely going to visit it again soon when I have more free time! I'm looking forward to exploring some of the neat little book shops and trinket stores. 

Here are just a few pictures I took. 

The famous sign.

I stopped at Storyville Coffee Company, and this photo does not do this iced latte justice.  It was a bit on the pricier side, but it was definitely worth it! Absolutely amazing. 

"Little Green Balls of Death" at one of the vegetable stands. 

One teeny fraction of the abundance of flowers in the market. 

An Oregon Drive

Last week I went on a road trip! One of the places we drove through was Oregon, these are just a few pictures I took on the drive. If anyone is planning on driving through Oregon, I recommend driving on Highway 101. It is a bit slower than the other options (one being to drive Interstate 5) but it is absolutely gorgeous. Some of the 101 leads you along the cliffs next to the beach while other parts lead you through hills and dense forests! It is an amazing contrast. 

An old rotting tugboat in Gold Beach.

Another boat (that is still usable!) in Gold Beach.

It seemed like we were driving between green walls (pardon the spotty windshield). 

We finally reached Portland when the rain hit. 

Book Review: Gone Girl

Today I finished reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn. It is the story of a married couple who live deeply troubled lives. And when I say deeply troubled I genuinely mean the intense, crazy lives that only the most mad people can live.  

The couple, Amy and Nicke Dunne, started to have relationship problems a few years after they got  married. But it is the day of their fifth anniversary when things really start to get bad. Amy disappears. Everything that is discovered points to her being murdered, and the main suspect in the case of her disappearance becomes her own husband. However, as the investigation goes on, more and more ominous clues and objects reveal themselves. Leaving the people in the Dunne's town of Carthage, Missouri to second guess their original opinions and accusations about Nick.  

This story twists and turns in on itself so many times. It makes it hard to keep up, but also makes it almost impossible to put down! The mystery continues up until the final page and the writing is flawless the entire time. Flynn's style is unique, she shows the events of the story from both Amy's and Nick's point of view, alternating every other chapter. Each chapter adding more and more onto the the mystery. Gone Girl is deranged and even sadistic in some parts, but it is a great read. Nevertheless, it is not for the squeamish because it gets highly graphic in some parts and the language is constantly crude. 

All in all, it is a very thought provoking book! It makes you question how well you actually know the people you are surrounded by. I would recommend it for everyone who is old enough (and strong-stomached enough) to handle a book that is psychotic, grim, risqué, and amazing all at the same time.     

I read most of the book on my drive up the West Coast of the USA. Here it is on a cloudy beach in Oregon. 

Scotland

For the third and final post in my little "UK Series," here is the beautiful Scotland! 

We started up in Fort William. Here we went on a cruise down the loch, went on a short hike (not up Ben Nevis, that would have been too much for me!), and explored the adorable little tourist town.

The boat ride on the loch was interrupted by some rain, but not for long! It added a bit of excitement and left us with some breathtaking clouds to admire. 

And then it was down to Edinburg! The trip between these two is about four and a half hours on the train, but it's worth it. I wanted to stop and see more places on the way but unfortunately we did not have enough time.  

Inside one of the courtyards in the Edinburg Castle.

Looking back towards the entrance of St. Giles Cathedral.

 I highly recommend visiting St. Giles if you ever find yourself in Edinburg, even if you are not a religious person. The architecture is absolutely stunning and the stained glass is amazing, plus it is full of history! The famous room  in the back of the cathedral is definitely worth visiting. It is called the Thistle Chapel, this is where people can get knighted (for all you history/royalty buffs).

Many of the buildings in Edinburg look like these, giving the city a fun historical feel.