Russian Feasts and Viking Fleets

No journey to Seattle is complete without a visit to Pike Place Market. Between the bustling crowds, packed stalls, and aromas of fresh food and flowers get ready for sensory overload. One would be hard pressed to tire of perusing the endless bounty of fragrant produce, admiring the unique artistic creations, and listening to the sounds of the various street performers.

I brought my sister to Pike Place this past week and we spent the afternoon exploring the shops and admiring all the delicious food. Thanks to my fabulous job situated directly above Pike Place Market, I often frequent the various eateries. With my sister in tow, I brought her to the one place remaining which I have been dying to try.

Piroshky Piroshky is a Russian Bakery the size of a walk in closet, yet the smells emanating from the ovens rival the grandest of bakeries. Customers patiently wait in a line trailing down the sidewalk ultimately making the greatest decision of their lives: savory or sweet. With a hefty sized menu of every imaginable flavor combo, we couldn’t decide on just one flavor palate and settled for the cheese, onion, and potato as our savory and the apple cinnamon as our sweet. We carried our little paper wrapped delicacies to a small park situated at the end of the market and used every ounce of strength we had to savor the deliciousness. Piroshky Piroshky opened almost 20 years ago and locals and tourists alike have embraced this pint-sized bakery with open arms. Content, full, and still licking the delicious cinnamon gooeyness from our lips, we headed where else but to the Viking Days festival in Ballard.

I absolutely adore Ballard and I couldn’t wait to share the wonders of this eclectic community with my sister. As we began wandering the streets we noticed several posters advertising for the Viking Days festival. Well, we just couldn’t turn down the opportunity to prance around in horned Viking helmets, so away we went.

The festival was held at the Nordic Heritage Museum, an expertly done museum containing beautiful displays and historical pieces outlining the journey of Scandinavian Vikings to the United States. The actual festival took place outside and turned out to be somewhat of a let down. The organization and flow to the museum was definitely not mirrored in the outdoor festivities. To their credit though, they definitely knew what they were doing with the beer garden and mock Viking fights.

As we made our way home, my sister and I reminisced on her adventurous week in Seattle. Although she joined me at work on several days, we still managed to squeeze a lot of fun into a short amount of time. In addition to the Viking Days we played in the Seattle Center fountains on a cold, rainy day, ducked for foul balls at the Mariners game, shopped for dresses in quirky boutiques downtown, made lots of amazing home cooked meals, and most of all spent time together.

I often get asked, “How do you manage to do so much?” or “How are you able to travel as much as you do?” I think the answer is a lot simpler than people think: great journeys are all about mindset. My husband and I both work regular jobs and full-time hours. We take vacation time off just like anyone else, but we make travel happen. Whether its stopping at a new park or café on the way home from work, or taking a drive to a new town on my day off, I make travel happen for me and it works!