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[[I wrote this blog post soon after returning from New York and Seattle one month — and a lifetime — ago. At the time, COVID-19 hadn't yet been declared a pandemic, although the World Health Organization had declared it a Public Health Emergency of International Concern a month earlier, and several cases had been confirmed in the Seattle area. It didn't feel right to publish this post at that time. I'm not advocating that anyone travels anywhere now — quite the opposite, in fact, as we should all be staying at home as much as possible. But some day we'll be able to travel again and if, like me, you're dreaming of your travel bucket list or looking for armchair inspiration, I can recommend Seattle as a great destination for future trips. Its coffee shops , restaurants and other small businesses will certainly appreciate your visit. Read on for my city guide.]] THINGS TO DO Seattle 101 walking tour I often like to take free walking tours when I travel — some are be...

A conference for work last month meant I was able to make a long-awaited visit to Seattle and its long-established and varied coffee scene. I was working for most of the six days I spent there, but luckily, I was based very centrally with lots of good coffee options nearby. A few early-morning jogs and two days off at the end of my trip meant I was able to visit a baker's dozen of speciality coffee shops during my stay. I've left plenty more for my next visit, but read on for my thoughts on the places I sampled (my very favourites marked in purple in the map below). Anchorhead Coffee (Downtown) I was delighted when the organiser of one of my meetings suggested we rendezvous at Anchorhead Coffee, a large coffee shop a couple of blocks from the convention centre on Seventh Avenue. Located in the lobby of the 1600 Seventh skyscraper, Anchorhead was incredibly busy when I arrived, with the queue snaking around the edge of the room; I suspect a fair few conference attendees had the...