So Thursday was our first full day in Portland after
arriving late
Wednesday afternoon.
Sharon had an agenda. On a previous visit here, she had been
taken to the Lan Su Chinese Garden and ever since had wanted to share it with
me. I was willing and just barely enthusiastic. I was wrong, this is a must
see. Built by traditional craftsmen from China in 2000, this is an
extraordinary place. Fortunately we had visited a couple of monastaries when we
were in China in 2010, otherwise I would not have appreciated this experience,
meant to replicate the home and gardens of a 16th century wealthy
Chinese family. After strolling through we enjoyed a Chinese tea service.
The tea house asked that folks silence their phones, which
we were happy to do, and Sharon kept hers silenced as we headed to our next
stop, a holy of holies for bibliophiles, Powell’s Books.
 |
| The tea service, very complex and ritualized. Good tea, though |
 |
| The tea infused egg was a taste and visual treat |
 |
| We came upon The Customs House from behind and I was delighted by the eclectic mix of architectural styles. Sharon questioned why I was shooting it from behind and I replied that I liked it from behind, but I had a sense that the front was not as harmonious |
 |
| And it wasn't. The archway was just one thing too many |
 |
| Love this elephant in the park, notice the homeless abode beneath. Portland seems to tolerate a large transient population |
 |
| My warning was that I would carry one book ten blocks or ten books one block, do the math. Sharon ignored me. |
Comments