Portlandia Here We Come!

When Paul and I first met, one of the first things we agreed on (on our first date if I remember correctly), is that we LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Portland, Oregon. Just about as much as we love Knoxville, Tennessee, our current and probably part of the year forever home in the future. We agreed we would love to move here. Within a year, we came to Portland and fell in love with it all over again. And we continue to do just that  as often as we can. We had a wonderful week last week in Chicago. I spent the days in a great professional meeting and Paul spent the days...in record stores. Yep, Vintage Vinyl in Evanston, Reckless Records and Dusty Groove in downtown Chicago...and maybe a few others he neglected to mention? We saw friends galore and so appreciated it. Hector and Marcia Badillo Chavez, Jim Hoover, Chris and Teresa Nienyjski, Sasha, Gazi Zibari, John Thomas, John Hunt, Kari Hill and even my residents. What a great week! But from there, we flew to a city we both seriously adore, Portland.

The apartment building that we are calling home while in Irvington, a great Portland suburb near Lloyd Center.

Since our first trip where we stayed at the beautiful and highly recommended Vintage Plaza Hotel, we have been exploring neighborhoods where we might want to spend our retirement summers. We checked out the wonderful Laurelhurst neighborhood on our last visit, and this time, we are looking at Historic Irvington and the Ladd's Addition area. Above, you see our lovely building in Irvington on Tillamook Ave. We love renting other folks apartments. It's really comfortable and let's us do regular things like cook and wash clothes, as well as experience the real life in Portland. This place is so nice and convenient to public transportation, grocery stores, restaurants, and even Goodwill...for all the things the owner forgot, like a rolling pin. (An item that is convenient for threatening my sweet baby, if he gets out of line!)

The "powder room"

Le Boudoir

Dining, anyone?

Living room and sunroom/office space.

We arrived about 6pm Thursday evening and found our way to our temporary abode (moving on Sunday to another apartment, but more about that later.)  From here, we basically just freshened up and went to one of our favorite restaurants, Blue Hour. We also found this place on our first trip to Portland. Located at 250 NW 13th Avenue, it's convenient to downtown. The interior is so light and airy. I remember the first time we went, it was breezy. The doors and windows were open and the wind swayed and lifted  the 16 foot gauzy curtains and created the most surreal atmosphere. Or was it the cocktails and the magic of new found love? Makes no difference. Blue Hour rocks!

Interior view of Blue Hour. The curtains are not dancing yet...

The cocktails are always delightful and a good beginning to a night at Blue Hour.

Paul's affinity for gin was not abated by ordering a drink called THE DONALD...it's the bartenders name.

The waitstaff is always super attentive and the food is classified as New American Meditteranean. I classify the cuisine as YUMMY stuff.

A partially demolished duck breast with Verona grape sauce and a parsnip puree.

From appetizer (local cheese this time) to dessert, eating at blue hour is always scrumptious,  even if done only once in a blue moon.

Dessert. If loving huckleberries is wrong, I don't want to be right.

Paul's Ponderings:  Back to Portland, oh yes...by far one of my favorite places in the USA.   What a great town!    We've been to Blue Hour several times and it never disappoints.   In fact, we have such a retinue of great places to eat up here, we can't get thru them all.   And never mind the local wines and such, with a fine wine from Patricia Green at Blue Hour being a recent example!    As noted, we are in the Irvington area, a place I've stayed in (a hotel in) before.   Very convenient to the Max train and downtown, plus lots of easy access to shopping and local places to eat in the area.   We've got several exciting things to do over the next few days including hiking, dining, museums, a visit to the beautiful coast over near Tillamook and much more.   Good times in a great town in a lovely part of the USA!