Portland - first stop in the US

Pete and his family very kindly had me as their guest for the four days of my train trip through the US and so my 5 bags and I arrived in Portland on the 19th of December. The bags, before you all accuse me of never being able to travel light, were to be distributed at various points along the trip (the first had muffins, wine and sweets for Portland) and one contained all my surveys from Dublin (I just could not bear to be separated from them!). I knew the moment Pete and I left the train station that I would like Portland as we made our way to the street car to take the short 5 minute ride to his parents place right n the heart of the city.
Portland is such a walkable with that initial tram ride and the return one to leave 4 days later being the only ones we took while I was there. The weather was sunny with a likely chill in the air as we wandered through the very cool converted warehouses and trendy streets of the SE of the city, coming upon many of the fabulous movie theatres where you sit at a table and enjoy personnel service while watching the show- the idea that Film Fatale has started in Dublin for my Dublin peeps. I had to contend that Pete was better at pool than me when he won 4 of our 5 games n the very cool old school pool hall. Another day brought the cool NE of the city with the quaint one bedroom houses including their own front porch, lots of lovely interesting shops, pretty streets to wander on and fun times in the bars out with a group of all guys for a change! On my final morning we visited the largest Chinese garden outside China and it truly is a wonderful oasis of tranquility and beauty including a lovely little tea room.
Once again Portland is engrained in my memory by the people that made my stay so wonderful. I spent a lovely few days enjoying the company of Pete's family and friends and now onwards to California.......


One of the many cool converted warehouses in Portland


Portlandians love their bikes!!!


The wonderfully beautiful Chinese garden