HOT Days in Portland

Urban Life and Lazy Days

Free coffee and breakfast with the New York Times delivered to the hotel room - what a luxury and indulgence for a weekday! Kay was busy heading off to workshops all week and at times I brought up breakfast and coffee to the room so she could sleep in a bit before rushing off. Then...the day to myself.

We learned quickly not to turn on the TV. Trying to find interesting, intelligent commentary and news was impossible - it is all attack and counterattack about deficits, health care, the economy and .... Barack Obama's birth certificate? CLICK "OFF".
Instead, 2 hours of calmly reading the New York Times at my leisure. Never once did I get out of the hotel before 10:30 AM. I loved it.
It was hard to be ambitious when the temperatures outside were reaching 106F by late afternoon. It really did take your energy away and biking was not practical in the heat. I should have been up and out exploring the city early in the day but the temptation of lounging and reading in a large, luxurious hotel lobby chair having a 3rd cup of coffee was just too great.

A few day trips of note:

Art Museum and Oregon Museum of History
One entire day was spent working through the Oregon History Museum and the Portland Art Museum. Both were located in the center of downtown in a park-like setting of trees and a broad boulevard. The description of the local native cultures and the development of the state's industry was very similar to BC's - I suppose this is no surprise: lumber, orchards and farming in the interior, salmon canneries, mining - all played an vital part in the early days. One major difference was the settlement pattern - the Oregon Trail.
The Art Museum had one half of one floor devoted to MC Escher, the artist who specialized in geometrical designs, and three dimensional slights of hand. It was fascinating to see his development from a young artist to the exotic one we are more familiar with. According to his biography, he visited Spain at an early age and was deeply influence by the designs and symmetry of mosiacs in the Alhambra in Grenada, Spain. One etching in particular - done later in his life - was called Day and Night. One side "Day", a country town is portrayed in sunlight and as you move to the left white birds change into blackbirds and the town shifts to a night scene. There are also all of the staircases that disappear, and even on close inspection it is difficult to understand how he does it.

Japanese Gardens and Rose Garden in Washington Park

In 5 minutes a free public transit tram took me into a tunnel 250 feet below Washington Park where I stepped onto a large elevator that whisked me to the surface in an exhilarating ride. I emerged thinking I was going to walk to all of the venues in the park but discovered that my map was not drawn to scale and that the venues I wanted to see were about 3- 4 miles from the Visitor Center and I had a 30 minute walk to get to that. It was blistering hot and this was not going to be pleasant, however, I discovered at the Visitor's Center that shuttles ran every 15 minutes around the Park. No problem. While I waited I surveyed the city below.
The Japanese Gardens are among the largest in North America. Cooling pools and waterfalls, calming Zen Gardens with lines drawn in the sand and immaculately manicured lawns, hedges, bushes and shrubs were laid out in an Oriental maze. It was beautiful. I will never have a Japanese Garden.
The ponds had large multi-coloured Koi lounging in the shady spots. A guide said that the winter had been uncharacteristically cold last year reducing 48 Koi to just under 20. I was tempted to buy a wind chime or a wind sock but thinking about the state of my garden changed my mind - no serenity there - they would be totally out of place! I stayed for about an hour and half taking photos with my large lens film camera.

Across the street was the Rose Garden - the largest I had ever seen. No entry fee, it was literally acres of rose bushes. Results of the latest annual rose competition were posted and there was every conceivable variety - Hybrid Tea, Rugosa, Grandiflora, ... - colour and shape. There really has to be a secret. When I looked at these roses I didn't see anything special about the soil, and there was no complicated irrigation system. Why then do mine die off every year!!? I have become downright despondent and superstitious about my gardening efforts.
I took a few Macro closeup shots on my large film camera and not many digital shots. There was little shade here, and an hour was plenty of time for me to admire these most beautiful of flowers. One in particular that I enjoyed, and an award winner in the competition is the one above on the left called "Chris Evert" - after the Tennis Player - large heads, georgeous scent and orange-pink-yellow petals. I would love to have one of those! I took the shuttle and tram home in 30 minutes to air conditioning and a cold beer - Mirror Pond - great Oregon beer.

Portland Market
At lunch between museum visits, I came upon the Portland market. Mainly a fruit and vegetable market with a few food stands during the week, it expands into an extravaganza of artisan's and food stands on the weekend. Kay and I spent a good part of Sunday afternoon stocking up for Christmas.

Powell's Bookstore


Powell's bookstore in Portland is famous for its selection and quantity of every kind of book. On the shelf they will have new, used, hardcover and paperback of the same title at different prices and in different conditions. On my first visit I spent an hour and half and had penetrated 20 feet past the front door. Sunday night - they are open 9 - 11 364 days a year - Kay and I disappeared into its endless stacks after agreeing on a meeting place 2 hours later. Christmas and birthday presents...
Riverwalk Cafe's

Sunday afternoon we explored the riverwalk/ride path along the river. Portland had decided many years ago to remove a freeway that ran along the river - The Williamette - and develop it into a park. This development was just one aspect of a policy of public development and investment in the city that has resulted in making downtown Portland an incredible place to visit. The development was not without controversy as we discovered when we watched a PBS show about the public debates. Not everyone living in Portland was in favour, but we loved it.
See the Video.

Meandering thru Downtown Portland