Fremont trolls and assorted oddities

This morning, I woke up and trucked it down our hill with one of my roommates to the coffee shop at the bottom.  Her soy latte had the design of a skull in it, the craftsmanship of one of the many skilled baristas in these parts.  The weather was crisp, cool and clean, and sunny, and everywhere there were bright green plants and pines. I have lived here no more than 36 hours, and I've decided I love this neighborhood.  

I live in Fremont: Fremont is to Seattle, what Cambridge is the Boston. It's on the same side of the water (a canal splitting Seattle and running to the Puget Sound) as the University.  I've also heard the area referred to as "The Republic of Fremont", so I think this comparison is rather fitting.  From my house (which is a few blocks up a steep hill - the city is full of them, like San Francisco, all running down to the water) you can see the water, parts of Seattle and on clear days, Mt. Rainier.  

There are tons of little shops and restaurants - bakeries, taco places, gelato shops, clothing stores, and no less than 3 Thai restaurants (one with only cushions for seating) that I know Chels will appreciate when she visits.  All of the stores are tiny individual buildings and houses, painted bright greens, purples, blues and pinks. There's a chocolate factory at the end of the street, with tours and free chocolate.  There's a giant farmers market along the water every Sunday, with veggies and fruits, second hand stuff, crafts, jewelry, and the like.  There's a bike path (Burke-Gilman Trail) along there that runs all the way to the University (about 3 miles). There's the Freemont Troll, Gasworks Park, a giant statue of Lenin, and so on, and so on...

It's all pretty picturesque (with a touch of Tim Burton) and feels more like a vacation than a (semi-)permanent move.