Weekend in Portland

Mike and I spent most of this weekend in Portland. He had to be there for class (for those of you who don't know, he's working on a master's in library science through a distance program that meets in Portland one weekend per month), and I went along to keep him company during his down times and to have some of my own fun.

Portland Mennonite Church was hosting a lecture series about Muslim-Christian dialog, and I spent Friday evening and Saturday morning attending this. I was enriched by sessions that were stimulating and insightful.

On Saturday afternoon I visited the Portland Classical Chinese garden, a beautiful, peaceful oasis in the city.



I relaxed over a cup of tea in their tea house, where I enjoyed this view:



This morning I decided to worship at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, where the liturgy nourished me in ways I sometimes miss at the Mennonite church.

We hardly know where to eat when faced with so many restaurant options it the "big city," but of course didn't let that stop us. Friday evening we enjoyed delicious Thai, Saturday noon we sampled tamales at the Portland Farmer's Market (right next door to Portland State University, where Mike's classes are held), and on Saturday evening we indulged in rich and tasty California-style Italian.

We stayed at the Northwest Portland International Hostel and Guest House, and would highly recommend it. It's located in trendy Northwest Portland and is walking distance from many shops and restaurants, as well as the Episcopal cathedral. Best of all, its rates can't be beat.