Christmas in Seattle

Soon after we arrived back in the USA, we both came to the realization that it would be wisest to just hunker down and spend Christmas in Seattle. Seattle is where we needed to catch up on all our doctor appointments, where a certain someone’s boat required maintenance, and where loved ones are located.

So, even though we can’t socialize with anyone in person like the good old days, Seattle is where we’re lying low, waiting for the worst of the pandemic to pass and waiting for our turn to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

Mostly, we want to respect doctors who are pleading for better behavior in the USA and respiratory therapists who have lost their lives to this pandemic. So we only leave our (temporary) Seattle apartment when necessary. For us, that’s when we need to gather food or head to the doctor’s office.

Since we’re on foot most of the time in Seattle, just like when we’re abroad, we walk through the city streets to gather groceries once or twice a week. We try to time our walks for non-peak hours, keep our distance on the sidewalk, and avoid crowded spaces. This is surprisingly easy to do in Seattle right now.

Pike Place Market

In non-pandemic times, the nearby Pike Place Market is packed tightly with visitors bumping shoulder-to-shoulder as they press through the crowd. But, as you can see in the first photo above, now there are only about twenty visitors at a time inside the market. However, because customers still tend to rush in and crowd each other at the market, we just view the market from the street.

A telephoto lens captured this very peaceful moment. That’s the classic Pike Place fish market in the background. Of course, when I see this I can’t help but feel grateful that so many of us are now learning to eat more sustainably, to reduce harm to ourselves, others, and the climate. Even a tiny bit helps.

Sometimes the most beautiful moments are the quietest. Pike Place Market is still here for Christmas, just subdued.

Curious birds flutter about, visiting the Christmas decorations and vintage lights sprinkled throughout Pike Place rooftops.

Mask signage is also posted at the market. (But we noticed it is not enough to motivate all to wear a mask while they shop.)

Westlake

For those of us old enough to remember Christmas shopping at Seattle’s beautiful downtown Frederick & Nelson department store (where we once inhaled Santa and Frangos), we know the sadness of losing such a magical tradition.

This Christmas, there was a similar feeling of loss when we toured that same shopping area. We walked past endless businesses along the route, now permanently closed and boarded up. I dare not show how it looks.

Even though I’ve rarely shopped here since we lost Frederick & Nelson’s, it’s still a shock to see the old Bon Marche display windows (rebranded to Macy’s) now empty.

Yet, all is not lost: the partially salvaged Bon Marche star and Westlake Christmas tree shine on.

Sustainable Hope for Downtown Seattle

But I hope that this pandemic—and the absolutely essential needs brought to light through the political uprising—will create a more sustainable Seattle.

I hope Seattle looks to historic old town models of living, working, and healing, and transitions to a safe, green, walking community where lives thrive.

Because it’s beautiful to walk by windows that show and support local artisans at work.

Because it’s vital to bring in large swaths of nature, mental health care, and sustainable systemic change.

Space Needle

Speaking of nature and mental health care, we caught beautiful weather (and flowers!) while viewing the Space Needle at Christmastime. You know how uplifting this is if you’ve experienced the rainy skies that can greet Seattle in the winter months. We dutifully soaked up this sunshine.

We also walked past the base of the Space Needle. There were so few people on the grounds, under the Space Needle, that it appeared the Space Needle was closed (which seems like a wise idea, given our pandemic).

Upon closer inspection, though, we saw visitors in the gift shop and in line to take the elevator to the top. While we would love to do this, too, we’ll view things from afar until the pandemic ends or until we receive our vaccinations.

Then we watched the Space Needle light up with Christmas lights. I’m so sorry that we didn’t capture its blinking red light on top, in this shot, but I’m sure you can imagine how beautiful it was. Think Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.

holiday Food

While taking walks through the city to gather food, we chose to make holiday mealtime a little easier, especially since we cannot celebrate meals with loved ones.

We found Martinelli’s sparkling apple cider (now made organically) and lingonberries (a favorite in Sweden).

We were able to create several holiday meals from the gluten-free vegan sides sold at Whole Foods.

And since I’ve yet to create a perfect gluten-free vegan pumpkin pie, we were grateful for the next best thing.