day 3: last day at the
jupiter hotel. woke up for a leisurely stroll around the south part of town. had breakfast at some obscure cafe/diner (zinni's? zella's? something vaguely italian and i can't shake the "z" thought) where i had asiago cheese + spinach + tomatoes + portabello mushrooms in an egg scrambled. so far, the food has been extraordinary.
checked out of the
jupiter and took a cab into the north part of town. our cab driver kept us entertained with portland-insight and riddles (
what did they call the stinkiest fairy? stinkerbell. why don't blind people like to parashoot? because the dogs get scared.) (i'm not kidding.)--it was cute. we arrived at our second portland destination, the
heron haus, a beautiful B&B up in the hills overlooking nob hill. if anything could serve as the polar-opposite to where we were before, this would be it. we were greeted by a pleasant man, who i believe owns the house (1900's tudor-style house, 10,000 square feet, completely breathtaking. we're on the 3rd floor and the window-views are to die for.), though his mother is the innkeeper. we checked in a smidge early, then left to take a short tour of the north-end, and the alphabet district. had a crepe, did a little bit of shopping (the LUSH store, and one of a gazillion record stores--james was in heaven), then retired after only about an hour or two because we were both exhausted. (finally, jet lag i think had set in.) took an extended siesta, which was much-needed. we woke up in the afternoon, then headed back out (in the rain: yes it's drizzily every day. i'm fine with it except for my lack of understanding how to dress/prepare for such an inconsistent climate) for dinner. ended up having a fancy and exceptional dinner at
jack's famous crawfish, which i chose solely for the name, but was wowed by the quality of the food--ordered crawfish etoufee and a decent bottle of cabernet, which was spectacular. now that i think of it, every meal we've had has been flawless--i don't know what it is but it's like the quality of everything is exceptional: ingredients, recipes, spices, preparation. i swear we haven't had average food since we've arrived. anyway, after dinner we did some walking around, hoping to find a bar to spend some time before we hit our final night's destination, but sadly the
betty ford was closed for a private party (i couldn't resist a bar with such a name--it's slogan is "cocktail therapy and food late." ingenious.) instead, we made our way to the
fez ballroom and lounge for their britpop night. i called my sister, because of course upon entering they were playing placebo's new album (all of it.) and segwayed into some morrissey and other goodness. the place was pretty cute, though there was a show going on so we had limited access. against our intentions, we stayed until close, then walked back to our b&b. james gave me a foot rub & massage once we got back--all this walking is reigning havoc on my poor out-of-shape body--and called it a night.
day 4: woke up early, but bitterly (i had gone to bed after 5am after our "night out") to partake in half of what you go to a B&B for in the first place: breakfast. admittedly, i was a bit disappointed in the spread (cooked/sweet grapefruit, a few pastries, dry cereal & tea) only because i was looking for a
meal: breakfast is my favorite, and i like it extravagant. we're hoping tomorrow will be better, seeing as it's a weekend and we actually have other guests in the house tonight (it was just us last night).
after breakfast i went back to bed, because i just couldn't function...perhaps i was a little hungover, on top of the physical exhaustion from all the walking. woke up in the after noon, got ready and walked to the very end/beginning of w burnside (from the bridge-on) to stop in all the great shops and places we had passed up before. ate lunch in chinatown, hit all the little stores (i found a new wallet!) and then got lost in the glory that is
powells bookstore. for dinner/dessert we went to
le happy, a little creperie, then headed back home. mostly window shopped in vague pain up 21st ave and did the rest of our ascend up the hill in concentrated (on not dying!) silence. we really wanted to go out tonight, but both knew it was nearly impossible to endure with our energy levels. so, as a result i am sadly missing out on meeting both
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rainbowrev and
goddessmikhail, and also witnessing the trainwreck that might have been at the
misfats show.
thus far, our trip has been just perfect, and i feel excited for every day to come, eager for the next to come except for the acceptance how each day passing is another day closer back home. it's weird to say, but other than my house/sister/chihuahuas/friends, i'm not all that eager to return home. i love it here--and by here i just mean a place full of so much life, so much vibrancy, so much to do. james and i haven't seen a single bush sticker (it's even become a sport to try to find them), and we keep saying how we just have to get to a blue state. the differences are everywhere.
more portland randomness:
-finally saw mount hood, on portland's first clear day since our arrival. the view is actually right out of our B&B window, and it's breathtaking: i keep standing on my tip-toes looking out windows and the panoramic cityscape.
-no sales tax!
-the vw bus/bug is to oregon as the ford truck is to florida.
-still not accustom to the time-change. it's going to kick me in the arse on my return, though.
-
the mountains are beautiful. i see their profiles, their horizon line, when i closed my eyes for today's nap. it's ridiculous, i can't stop thinking about them. ![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
