Everything’s coming up roses! I have a few fond memories from my last visit to Portland, but none so fond as visiting the International Rose Test Garden in Washington Park. That was the location where I took the photo that would become the symbol for my photography business. Visiting again was at the top of my list of things I wanted to do in Portland.
I started my day by walking over to Pioneer Courthouse Square to grab breakfast at a food cart. I know what you’re thinking… breakfast at a food cart? I was skeptical too. But Portland is known for its food carts, arranged in pods in parking lots around the city. In fact, there are more than 500 food carts sprinkled around the city. There are only a couple of carts in Pioneer Courthouse Square, and that’s where you’ll find “Fried Egg I’m in Love”. Yes, you read that right. And my breakfast sandwich definitely had me swooning. By the time they opened, the line was about 20 people long, so they must be doing something right. All of their sandwiches are served on toasted sourdough bread. I got the “Smells Like Protein Spirit”, which consisted of a fried egg, cheddar cheese, and a choice of protein (I chose ham, of course). I also added their Aardvark Aioli because that seems to be something they are known for. I brought it back to my room since it was a little chilly and cloudy outside. OMG. The smell emanating from the bag was enough to make me salivate before I even opened it. And wow! I don’t think I’ve ever had a fried egg sandwich that good. The ham was basically a ham steak topped with everything else. It was greasy, spicy, gooey, and delicious. I’m in love.
The bulk of my day was spent at Washington Park, home to the Oregon Zoo, Japanese Tea Garden, and the International Rose Test Garden. It was cloudy as I headed up into the hills just west of the city. First stop: the roses. It seems like all 10,000 rose bushes were in bloom today. The variety of colors was breathtaking. I wandered up and down the aisles and through the various gardens enjoying them all. I couldn’t stop taking pictures! My favorites were the peach and multi-colored flowers.
After the Rose garden, I headed to the Japanese Tea Garden. Unlike the Chinese Garden I visited yesterday, the Japanese garden was crowded and not particularly Zen-like. Absent was the quiet, intimate garden experience of yesterday. I walked around for about 45 minutes before taking a second stroll around the rose garden.
By the time I got to the Oregon Zoo, the sun had come out and it was a perfect afternoon for watching the animals. The zoo is broken up into regions of the world, as many zoos are. I most enjoyed watching the elephant, Samudra, frolicking in the water as he was being fed.
I obviously needed one last visit to the rose garden before leaving the park. And this time, I was even able to get a hazy view of Mt. Hood in the distance.
Dinner tonight was at Pastini, just a couple of blocks away from my hotel. Truth be told, I was more in the mood for pizza than pasta, but I chose the restaurant for its convenience. I had linguine and chicken in a pesto cream sauce, plus tiramisu for dessert. The food was okay, but not memorable.
Portland has a program called “Piano. Push. Play.”, which takes old pianos still in working condition, has artists decorate them, and then locates them each summer throughout the city for public use. When the summer is over, they donate the pianos to schools and community centers. Tonight was the kickoff to this summer’s event in Pioneer Courthouse Square and that’s how I spent the remainder of my evening. All the pianos being used this summer were brought to the square and artists (plus a few lucky audience members) took turns playing one of the pianos. It was a relaxing way to end the day.
Traveling with Laura 