Portland - thanks for the memories. 2.

I took myself off to see the Chinese Gardens in Chinatown one day.  Sue had assured me the peonies there were spectacular.  However, because of the wet and delayed spring weather this year, there wasn't a peony in sight.  And just to reinforce that it does get cold and wet in Portland, it was cold and wet on that day too.  Nevertheless, the gardens were well worth a visit and very interesting.

The first impression is one of tranquility.  It is a classical Chinese garden that covers one city block in a very busy part of town but the noise hardly intrudes on the gardens.  There are lots of little nooks and crannies to go and sit and watch the rain or the fish in the lake or to check out all the detail.  Each area is significant and represents something important in Chinese culture.  The gardens were opened in 2000 but they look like they are much older.  They were built by Chinese craftsmen to mark the sister city relationship between Portland and Suzhou.  Every part of them were fascinating but I loved all the different design in the paths.

One of the most intriguing features of the garden was its system of plumbing for rain water.  It fell from triangular shaped tiles and made little tear drops.  One of the benefits of being there in the rain.

It was also a revelation to me how they used windows to make the area look bigger and to help your vision flow from one area to another. Some of the rocks used in the gardens came from China.  They are mined from a lake near Suzhou and are prized for their virtues of holes that allow the life force to flow, their rough texture, their slenderness and the fact that they are top heavy.  


I'm certain that this is a place to return to many times and to discover more treasures and tiny details.  I could have stayed much longer but I was freezing and needed to get home.

They're really big

What's a visit to a place with bears without a visit to the zoo?  
I knew the the zoo had polar bears so I was keen to go.  Of course, this was one of Portland's warmer days so the bears were taking it easy.  Never mind, Sue is a resourceful traveller and we have plans regarding polar bears in cold places.  








We saw all sorts of animals and sea life and had a wonderful day.  We walked miles and me little leggies were a bit tired when we left.


Sorry about the font.  I can't fix it.  Hope the next post is better.  Carmel