Hometown Love

Before I wax too poetic about Berlin (because we've had some pretty unbelievably good weekends of late), it's important to look at our recent trip to the States and our favorite corner - Seattle.

Space Needle

American Food & Drink

Oh, food. It's not that we don't eat well in Germany. It's that we eat different. Mexican food, beef steaks, Mexican food, hamburgers, spiciness, BBQ, and Mexican food - we missed you.


Fiesta Foods is a Mexican grocery store in Eastern Washington. It is amazing. Tortillas are made in house, Mexican food is served fresh, jalapenos, pinatas, & avocados are stacked to the ceiling and things like Catholic prayer candles are on sale.

Tortillas

Authentic taqueria

Jalapenos at Fiesta Foods

(We are slowly developing how to make our favorite Mexican meals in Berlin)

Parents put on some impressive meals

Candy Cane bread

My mum & I have Christmas tradition of making candy cane bread. While it wasn't Christmas, we decided we'd make up for lost time and do Christmas in February. Christmas only counts when you're together right?

Pabst Blue Ribbon - the hipsteriest of American beers

Dicks' burgers

Magic bag of Dicks

Dick's Burgers is well respected in Seattle, and just got surprise nation wide recognition with an Esquire survey. The company serves an extremely basic Americana menu of burgers, fries, and shakes. That's it. What's more impressive, the company offers college scholarships for it's employees and is invested in the community. Who wants some Dicks? (yes, part of the pleasure is saying the name)

Costco Dog

Costco is a place where you can buy mass amounts of goods like some of the less savory retailers (W something), but Costco holds a place in our hearts for being local (Kirkland, WA native baby!). In addition, they offer hot dogs and a soda (with refill) for $1.50. This has been the price since 1985. God bless Costco.

Smokin Pete's BBQ

We love Smokin Pete's BBQ so much we would marry it. Ok, so we didn't marry it, but they did cater our wedding. While the Northwest isn't known for it's BBQ and we're no experts, there is no doubt in our mind that their pulled pork, po' boys, and hot links have a place in heaven.

Friends 

What to say - except that we missed them...a lot.

skillz

St. Paddy's party!

Family

Porters

My mum quilts!

Porter-Ball-Mendenhalls

Ball Cousins dye eggs

Calahan cousin

Porters lace up for some bowling!

America

Land of the free, home of the brave...it felt good to be back in the Ole US of A. 

Cowboy Boots

Classroom full of Americans

Ian's dad is an elementary school teacher and we were the special exhibit of expat sideshow freaks.

SAM's Hammering Man

Seattle Art Museum is one of my favorite spots in the city and "The hammering Man" out front is an identifiable part of downtown. I loved it when someone put a ball & chain on him. The artist did not.

SHS recycled gym floor

My old high school, Snohomish High School, is old. Like 1938 old. I know, pretty impressive for the Wild West of the United States. The school has been extensively remolded, but I was pleased to see they took pains to preserve the history, using the old gym floors to side the walls of a new building. That's my mum's office right there!

Ian Yakima memory tour!

Ian's Elementary

Ian's old House

Ian's UW German Building - Denny Hall

Ebe's memory lane:
My room has changed, but my horse and trophies still abound

Houston & Champion Ribbon

Seattle

Seattle - Kerry Park

Pike Place Market

Pike Place

If you want some more 'Merica: American Pictures!