VIE a new French Restaurant at Riverfront

Hey, Portlanders.......... did you know there was a chic French restaurant "VIE" down at Riverfront?.  Since I've not heard anyone speak about this restaurant, I'm assuming that many of my neighbors and friends don't know about it.  It's next to Obeidi's Fine Art Gallery and the interior is lovely and beautifully decorated.  The owner/chef is Beau Breedlove (his name is familiar to most Portlanders).  There is an unflattering review by a writer at the Portland Tribune, however, the rest of the reviews are all 5*****.  I'm thinking that it might be fun to check it out. 

Lunch and Stroll at the River

Today was our weekly visit to the Portland Sports Grill at Riverfront and Bella was very patient while waiting for her share of the burger.

It's a beautiful day so we spent another hour just walking and enjoying the beauty of nature.  Now Bella is taking a much needed nap and I'll have time to work on a needlepoint pillow.

Another hard day in Portland.................

PSU Farmer's Market

Today is the first Saturday that I've returned to the downtown Farmer's Market and I was reminded of why I love this place so much.  Fresh Oregon strawberries, baby red and white onions, spring greens and farm fresh eggs all ended up in my satchel.

The flower vendors all had beautiful lilacs for sale and there are colorful bulb flowers still in season.

It was a wonderful way to celebrate a warm and sunny Saturday morning.......................

Keller Fountain

The Keller Fountain takes up one full square block in the middle of downtown Portland so this photo shows only a small portion of the fountain.  It is directly across the street from the Keller Theater where we go to see the Oregon Ballet and special theater events.

Bella and I had a leisurely walk and enjoyed the warm sunshine and beautiful waterfalls incorporated into the fountain.  

On our walk home we also enjoyed the beauty of a huge sculpture, surrounded by water, that is nearby.

Now we're looking forward to a warm weekend and the Saturday Farmer's Market.

Bertie Lou's in Sellwood

Roger keeps finding the most unusual places for breakfast.  This morning he took me to "Bertie Lou's" in the nearby area, "Sellwood".  Portland has districts, much like S.F. where small communities circle the metropolitan downtown area.  The Sellwood area features lots of "mom and pop" cafes and antique shops so it's a great place to explore.

Inside there are only seven very small tables and about five seats at the bar.  In nice weather they add four patio tables outside.  Breakfast at Bertie's is whatever you want.  The menu is huge and they encourage patrons to order whatever they like, even though it's not part of the printed menu.   I hope you aren't shocked to hear that I had two eggs, country fries, sausage links, bacon, and a biscuit with gravy..... and I almost managed to eat it all. 

Now I'm looking forward to the next breakfast surprise - maybe next week? (note to Roger).

Sunny Thursday in Portland

This morning Bella and I hopped onto the streetcar and headed downtown to her groomer.  Today was bath and haircut time so now she's ready for warmer weather.  After shopping at Macys (25% sale prices on top of reduced prices) I ended up with a bag full of casual things for summer.  Summer here is still sometimes cool so I got bright colored tops with long or medium sleeves.  One "fuzzy" cotton sweater in light teal was originally $59 and I paid $7.49 (yaahhhhhhh)  The other two tops were priced similarly low so it was a great shopping experience.  While I was eating lunch at Brasserie Montmartre (shrimp po'boy and fresh cauliflower soup with bleu cheese and truffle oil) Vicki sent a photo of her first peony from her garden.  I'm sharing it with you because the flower is stunning.  I'm hoping to find peonies at the Saturday Farmer's Market.

Roger is at the college studio working on his screen printing project.  He's also finishing a couple of paintings to enter in the college art show this May so we're both enjoying the day.

How Can I Resist..................

a cute little girl who wants me to share my burger with her ...........

Bella and I walked down to Riverfront for a late lunch at our favorite outdoor cafe where I treated myself to a bacon, bleu cheese burger ............. with a draft IPA, of course.  Yes, Bella got her share of beef patty and lots of pets from people so now she's napping and looking very content.

A Day For Exploration............

Yesterday, while Roger was working on a new painting, Bella and I went for a drive to Vancouver WA.  It's only a ten mile drive from Portland and I always love driving over the long bridge that crosses the Columbia River and divides Oregon from Washington  I spent some time driving through the city center, found a weekend Farmer's Market and had brunch at "Grays at the Park".  Vancouver is a lovely community and it has some interesting history. 

My next goal was to explore Sauvie Island.  I heard that it was where most of the local produce was grown but I knew nothing about the island.  It's a much larger area than I expected so I drove for about an hour and then had my navigation system guide me back to the main road.  The island is bordered by the Columbia River on one side and the Wilamette River on the other.  Driving through the area reminded me of driving trips that I've taken in the California Delta area.  The farms are beautiful with large orchards and vineyards and many of the fields have already been planted for the growing season.  It will be fun to return when some of the farms open up the fields for "pick your own" fruit and produce.

Another Eventful Week..............

For those of us seniors, an eventful week is seven days that we get out of our jammies and actually walk outside for something..........

While Roger was in school Monday, Callie and I met at Cooperstown for "happy hour".  Well, not so happy - another place that we'll likely not return to.  School, a manicure, another skin cancer surgery, a homeowner's meeting next door at the University Hotel and a cocktail party at the newly decorated Lincoln Lounge finished off the week.

Roger's recovery from Chemo has been a bit slower this time but he's back to working on his paintings and art projects so we look forward to enjoying the weekend.

Temps are forecast in the mid to high 70s so, for us, that's akin to nirvana...................

 Friends, Joan, the decorator for the Lincoln Lounge and Allison

GRAVY on Mississippi............

This morning Roger invited me out for breakfast so we found a jumping place in the Mississippi District "Gravy".  It was a really fun experience.  We enjoyed sitting at the counter because we were able to watch the three cooks working in the kitchen.  The portions are huge so we don't need to eat until dinner time.

Lovejoy Fountain

In April all the fountains in downtown Portland come to life.  This is the Lovejoy Fountain that I walk past almost every day on the way to the streetcar.  This is only about a third of the fountain area so it's not only beautiful but it is huge so it recreates the feeling of being in the mountains and seeing a live stream and waterfall. 

Last night we enjoyed using our new barbecue for the first time and Roger was a little like a kid in a candy shop.  He loves it and I'm certain there will be many barbecues in the coming months.

Another Week............ and Farewell to Quartet at River Front

I'm continually amazed at how quickly a week can fly by.  We both have classes on Monday and Wednesday but mine is only two hours and Roger is in school from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m.  SO, this leaves me with two evenings a week to "play".  Cheryl has been in Palm Springs for two months and she was excited about going to "Quartet" for happy hour on Monday.  It was dreadful - haughty service, substandard food and a big bill.  Now we know for sure that we won't return.

Roger had his second Chemo series this Thursday and Friday so both days were dedicated to his treatment.  So far he's doing fine but it's clearly a difficult thing to endure.

Sunday we're looking forward to the delivery of a new Weber gas barbecue so the chicken kabob is already marinating and we're promised warm and sunny weather for the weekend.

The Burgess Boys........

Elizabeth Strout's latest novel is a story that grabs your interest from the first page.  I suspect that I'll be up late tonight reading.............. reading.................. etc.

USPS Junk Mail App For I-Phone

The Oregonian recently published a report on how to eliminate the receipt of copious amounts of USPS junk mail.  It's called "PaperKarma".  Once you have the app you can scan the addressee line and the sender info (sometimes I have to cut out the return address and put it closer to the addressee area).  Then you snap a photo with the app and send it to them.  They will send you progress reports to let you know when your address has been successfully removed.   My 4S is so much more than a phone.  I have a Tri-Met app so I can see when the next streetcar or train is due at a particular station, a Car2Go app that shows me where the closest car is available, three navigation apps that all work well, music, Facebook and this Blog plus much more.  Now I understand why my friends kept encouraging me to get an I-Phone.  It's not just a phone or toy, it quickly becomes a "way of life"....................

Heathman Hotel Restaurant and Symphony Pops

Tonight Allison and Ann (who just returned yesterday from a one month trip to Sri Lanka) and I started the evening with a fabulous dinner at the Heathman Hotel Restaurant next to the Schnitzer Theater.  Tonight's symphony Pops event featured Dave Frishberg at the piano and Patrick Lamb, a popular saxophonist and songwriter.  It was a great performance with beautiful music.

As we left the restaurant we noticed "Zelda", a bronze statue who sits behind a bubbling water fountain made especially for dogs.  Bella is going to love this................

Wednesday............ & Amy Tan

Last night I joined Allison for dinner at one of our favorite downtown restaurants, "Southpark Grill".  We love to share so we started with a beet salad with a cheese mousse and had pasta with shell fish.  The plan was to share dessert but time went so quickly that we had to rush off to attend a lecture by the famous author, Amy Tan, at the nearby historic Congressional Church.  Amy provided an intimate look of her life and how her experiences influenced the subjects of her books.  She'll soon be releasing her latest book "The Valley of Amazement".

After the lecture it was a short walk back to Southpark for dessert, coffee, and Madera.  Another great experience in downtown Portland....................

Nothing Better Than...........................

A man who barbecues...........................

Celebrating Spring in Portland

We're enjoying the beauty of spring flowers that are blooming in our condo grounds.

I spent the morning cleaning and scrubbing the back balcony, cleaned the barbecues and rearranged the patio furniture.

Now I'm looking forward to planting some flowers and herbs..........