A Rose By Any Other Name...The Boy and The Girl Visit the Rose City

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TravelBlog was having problems with their image server, so this entry for December 29th was a little delayed.

Our morning began with a leisurely breakfast of eggs over easy and spectacular coffee, courtesy of Diego's christmas gift - an espresso maker that requires a college degree to operate! We stayed warm with Diego and Tara's wood pellet fireplace and rejoiced in the company of like-minded environmentalists. In the early afternoon, we departed to explore Downtown Portland. Our first stop - Powell's Book City, the largest used book store in the United States. Imagine an entire city block of new and used books, rooms opening into more rooms, shelves upon shelves, over three stories of books in all! We walked around in awe, and after getting a cup of tea in the coffee shop, realized that we needed to step away from the books. However, as every bibliophile will comprehend, it was easier said than done and we ended up returning to Powells three more times. *blush*

All the reading whet our appetite for more of Portland. We wandered down several blocks in the downtown area of The Rose City and were both surprised and delighted to discover that every building we encountered was wheel chair accessible, even the warehouses! Public transportation works seamlessly. It appears that every single bus, train and street car has GPS installed so that patrons can get real-time schedules and ETA estimates from the bus stops! Downtown, you can ride the Light Rail, the street-cars and the buses for free. Portlanders call it "The Fareless Square."

Quaint shops and friendly smiles greeted us around every corner. There's no doubt that we have felt more at home in Portland than any other place we have visited thus far. We stopped for lunch at a local pizza joint called Pizza Schmizza and picked up copies of the local employment, entertainment and apartment rental guides. Much as we expected, the rental guide was an inch thick, but the employment guide was a sparse three pages. It seems that we will have to be creative in our job hunt. But we are not discouraged as we feel that this city shares our passion for civic and global responsibility. Surely, if this is the place for us, opportunities will abound.

At the first sight of rain, we found our way back to Powells where we met up with Diego and Tara for dinner. Beautiful baby Zoe was back at home with Tara's parents, Larry and Stephanie. Diego and Tara took us to the restaurant that ultimately confirmed their decision to move to Portland. The Tuscany Grill is a beautiful italian restaurant on 21st Avenue in Portland's Alphabet District. Wonderful food, great wine and lively conversation made for a memorable evening. Tomorrow morning, we set off for the Emerald City but we leave with the greatest affection for Portland. Many thanks to the Davila family for showing us great warmth and hospitality!

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Photos

The Boy in the Rose City
Allen sips a hot tea in Portland.

Solar Parking Meters
Portland is a very eco-friendly city.

Pizza Schmizza Delivers
Pizza delivery on bicycles!