Whatever their physics, the spectacular ultramontane sunsets are an important part of Seattle's claim to be a flower of geography — as Henry James called the city in 1907, placing it in the company of Cape Town, Rio de Janeiro, Naples, Sydney, and San Francisco.

In some I found pieces of tiles that exactly tallied with the channel, and in others a little wall of bricks

He sits astride a motorcycle and fingers the hem of a bright red dress worn by a pert, blonde, cherry-lipped model. Her mouth is open in a Betty Boop ooh.

I finished in five minutes and she showed me up by finishing in three.