Our trip to Portland, part 15

Alas, we had to come home again, but at least the train is a nice, relaxing way to travel.

Our trip to Portland, part 14

One of the last things we did in Portland was visit Forest Park, which was a nice green oasis that was very welcome after spending the rest of the week exploring the urban aspect of the city.

Our trip to Portland, part 13

One of the newest things to do in Portland is ride the aerial tram. It's a short ride, but you get an interesting view. You can read all about it here.

Our trip to Portland, part 12

When you tell people that you're going to Portland, everyone tells you that you absolutely must visit Powell's City of Books, a bookstore that occupies an entire city block. Well, we figured that we didn't really have time for such an overwhelming proposition, but of course we ended up there twice!

Our trip to Portland, part 11

Portland is divided by the Willamette River, which means that the city has a heck of a lot of bridges. We decided to take a walk over one of them, the Hawthorne Bridge. As you can see from the photos, Michaela got a little freaked out crossing the bridge, because we were walking right next to traffic, and we could see the river below us. It was perfectly safe, though... I think.

Our trip to Portland, part 10

More of Apotheke and its ultramodern interior.

Our trip to Portland, part 9

After our meal at Bleu, we went for a drink at a really cool place called Apotheke. The ultramodern white interior reminded Michaela of home! The drinks there are pretty wild: bitters, aperitifs, and digestifs from Europe, the likes of which we had never had before. I ordered something called Bärenjäger, a German liqueur that tastes just like honey.

Our trip to Portland, part 8

One of our dining experiences in Portland was at Bleu, the restaurant of the Western Culinary Institute. It's fun to go to these places (like Vancouver's own Pacific Institute of Culiary Arts), because you get a fine-dining experience (albeit with student servers) for a relatively low price. I also figure that you are getting a taste of the future of food, because you are eating what the next generation of chefs is being taught to make. From now on, we will make a point of seeking out the culinary institutes in the cities we visit.

Our trip to Portland, part 7

Portland has a ton of galleries, and there is art everywhere. Here are some examples, including me with a giant beaver and a dancing skeleton (from a rooftop on funky Alberta Street). One of our favourite artists, Amy Ruppel, is from Portland, and so is Jennifer Mercede. We couldn't resist buying one of the latter's fun giraffe paintings while we were there.

Our trip to Portland, part 6

...and Mr. Burns (named after Burnside Street): See Wikipedia for more about the origins of character names on The Simpsons.

Our trip to Portland, part 5

...Ned Flanders:

Our trip to Portland, part 4

...the bully Kearney:

Our trip to Portland, part 3

One thing about Portland that some people might not know is that it was the birthplace of Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons. It was seeing signs for places that have lent their names to various Simpsons characters, including Rev. Lovejoy:

Our trip to Portland, part 2

Here are various photos from around the city, including one of the Hotel Lucia, where we stayed.