portland

You all know Portland. It’s that quiet, chilled and quirky city in Oregon. It’s a generalization at best but I’ll give my impression of Portland by comparing it to Seattle.

1.       A lot of bridges everywhere. It’s like where is downtown - oh, it’s here and over there...across the bridges.  The waterfront park has a nice vibe.

2.       A place with a bunch of hippies and homeless people hanging out. No more than Seattle but it seems the homeless people here are more of a creative type. They work for their money by playing all sorts of instruments. A lot of circles on the grassy knolls. Not at all aggressive like some homeless folks in seattle.

3.       Who would recommend a bookstore as number one tourist attraction? A waiter in Portland did. Powell bookstore didn’t disappoint. We were amazed at its sheer space and collection. Also saw a few people perusing the store dressing like puritans just coming off the Plymouth…what the?

4.       Who would have a restaurant serving salad bowls? Across the street from Powell book store, there is one. Like in a Vietnamese restaurant, you come in and order a bowl of pho. Here you come in and order a bowl of salad and eat it like goats grazing. Unbelievable! At this place, salad isn’t salad – it’s the main course! And you probably pay for it like you would for dinner. Not sure what Di thinks this is too foodie, too hip for me...