Monday, June 1, 2009

The Weekend




We tried to focus this weekend on doing even more of the sort of things we would do if we lived here. So,,,

We began Saturday with a third trip to the downtown Portland Farmer’s Market. Our goal was to buy some artisanal food to take home to Los Angeles. For immediate eating, we bought strawberries, duck a l’orange pate, cheese, apples, and ciabatta bread, To bring home, we picked up an assortment of honeys -- wild blackberry, meadow foam, wild mountain flower -- from a small producer who is extremely serious about his work. The flavors come from the types of flowers the bees are pollinating. We also bought strawberry rhubarb jam and an interesting curry sauce. We ran into a couple who we’d shared a table with the prior Saturday – small town!

In the afternoon, Tom went to another philosophy group. This one meets at a McMenamins (http://www.mcmenamins.com/) bar which allowed him sample their beers while debating – a potent combination. Afterwards, a stop at Sahagun Chocolates (http://www.sahagunchocolates.com/) to pick up some test items finished the day’s planned activities for him.

Maxine checked out the Museum of Contemporary Crafts and did some shopping in the Pearl District. Walking down the street she ran into the couple we met at Beast on Friday night. Is Portland a very approachable city or is it just small?

As she does most days, Maxine took Cassie for walks each day. It’s a way to check out the neighborhood and it’s also something we can’t do back in LA. The houses in this area, called Eastmoreland, are gorgeous. Tree lined streets, some porches, Craftman-style construction. And, the ice cream guy came jingling his truck down the street Sunday – anyone else remember that from childhood?

On Sunday, we headed back downtown (all of a 15 minute drive). First, to Deschutes (http://www.deschutesbrewery.com/) for dinner and more beer samples. Then, we walked over to Powell’s Bookstore (http://www.powells.com/). It’s been on our list of places to revisit from earlier trips to Portland. The largest bookstore in the United States, Maxine and I always end up feeling like we could spend days there wandering the stacks of new and used books. Of course, the place is such a maze that some of that wandering could also be called ‘being lost’.

We were also at Powell’s for the lecture/booksigning by a friend of Tom’s, Ani Phyo (http://www.aniphyo.com/). They’d met last fall in Groundlings improv class and, given Maxine’s interest in cooking, Tom finds it ironic that he knows a cookbook author…

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