Loch Livin’

It’s been pretty quiet around here recently. This is in part down to laziness on my behalf but also as a result of a recent jaunt up to the beautiful surroundings of Loch Sunart, 5 hours from Edinburgh in Northwestern Scotland. There is not  much in this world more satisfying than catching your own dinner.

Vancouver

On the face of it there may not seem to be a huge difference when crossing the border from Washington, USA to British Colombia, Canada but something definitely feels different. I couldn’t quite put my finger on it at first, are the surrounding very different? No. The highway still cuts through sparse flat countryside, the horizon is still dominated by tall ominous mountains. Are the people different? Not really, they were just as friendly as their Seattle counterparts. More roadkill? Nah, still the same amount of death littering the highway. Better radio? Nope, still shit. It was not until we reached Vancouver that it hit me, compared to America, Canada exudes a certain freshness. It just seems so new and clean.

Seattle

Nirvana, Microsoft, Fraser – just a few things the northwestern city of Seattle is famous for… add rain to that list. The weather was awful; bleak and overcast with four days of near constant downpours. Still, this did little to dampen our spirits at what would be the beginning of a hugely successful road trip down the western US. During our visit to the city a large chunk of my time was spent in Ballard, an area just north of Downtown. Made up partly of dockland, Ballard has a strong connection with the sea, this much is evident throughout the area from the buildings, shops and the bearded seafaring folk. Nestled within the quiet residential streets and dockland is a small eclectic collection of bars, restaurants and shops know as central Ballard.

Anyone visiting the area is recommended to visit one of the small chain of Sonic Boom record shops for a decent range of new and old music. After a quick browse and having eaten a sandwich harbouring meatballs the size of my fist from a local deli, I searched out my premier destination – Blackbird.

Frozen in Time

yeah, as you may have noticed nothing is getting updated. at all.

I slightly underestimated the complete lack of time I’d have for updates seeing as i didn’t bring a laptop. Massive error. There is wifi literally everywhere, even dive bars on side streets of backwater towns seem to offer it. Crazy.

Anyway, rest assured updates will be HUGE when I reach home soil. I’m fresh outta Portland (which was incredible by the way). MUCH MUCH MUCH more when I’m back. Expect city reviews of Seattle, Vancouver, Portland, San Fran and LA to name a few.

Takeoff

As you may have noticed there has been a major slowdown in productivity around these parts; and for good reason. I’m about to embark on a jaunt over the pond to soak up the cultural and culinary delights of the United States of America. As a result, expect to see some changes on here. Obviously I’ll have shit all time for the internet so updates will be slim but check back for (hopefully) travel photos, shop info and the odd city guide. It is however anyones guess how well this fact-finding mission will actually go as I am travelling with one of the world’s finest unreliables who, unhappily, is at this moment incharge of our automobile alone on the open highway somewhere in  California (Death Valley no doubt) . Lord willing, he will come good. Anyway, touch down will be in Seattle, so next time you hear from me I’ll probably be chillin’ with an $8 double mocha-latte in Starbucks. Yeah right whatever.