Any visitor to Microsoft country in neighbouring Redmond is likely to find themselves at some point in downtown Seattle, Washington, where all roads seem to lead to the oldest market in the country, dating from 1907.

The Pike Place Market, overlooking the piers of Elliott Bay, immediately draws people in with its intoxicating sights, sounds and smells. The aroma of coffee draws visitors into the market precinct, leading me by the nose to the world`s first Starbucks, which opened on Pike Place in 1971.