Starbucksville. An interesting city famous for (and proud of) its rain, Starbucks, Amazon and Jimi Hendrix. They´re also pretty proud of Sleepless in Seattle despite it being one of the sappiest movies ever made.

There is certainly a strong history of entrepreneurism and uber-wealth and I liked that it has resulted in a lot of investment in creative public spaces. One of the co-founders of Microsoft built the Experience Music Project museum in a crazy looking building that is intended to resemble a pile of smashed Hendrix guitars. The locals affectionately refer to it as "the blob". The museum houses his collection of science fiction memorabilia, his collection of Jimi Hendrix guitars (smashed and not smashed) and a room full of little sound booths where you can learn to play something on the guitar, the drums and other instruments.

Highlights were the Jim Henson Experience exhibit on loan from the Smithsonian and a day trip up the beautiful Mt Rainier where I pottered a bit in the snow and saw a marmot and a chipmunk (but still no bears :-().

Overall Seattle seemed like a city that's comfortable in its own skin. They freely poke jokes at themselves about the rain safe in the knowledge that they wouldn't want to live anywhere else. Of course it may be the fact that they're all permanently dosed up with caffeine.....