Portland, OR

Today started at the Fred Myers where Amy and I put in the photos from last night. We then walked down to Saturday Markets – near the river. These are like the Rocks / Paddington Markets – with plenty of arts / crafts / painting / food for all to browse. We started off with lunch. I had satay chicken and pad Thai noodles, while Amy had a falafel. Afterwards we wandered through all the stalls.

When we were done we went searching for tents, but not before stopping at the Australian store, so I could show Amy some of our delicacies i.e., Fruit Tingles and a Flake.

We walked back to the house and picked up the car to take an hour’s drive east to Multnomah Falls. This waterfall is 200-plus meters tall and absolutely spectacular. We walked half way up to the top via a hiking trail before thinking we were headed nowhere, so turned back. Just down the road was another waterfall, though not as big or amazing, but beautiful nonetheless.

Me @ Multnomah Falls, OR

On the way home we stopped at Edgecliff, at a McMenniman’s Pub (two local brothers, the McMennimans, buy a lot of old historic buildings in and around Portland and restore them and use them for entertainment, while keeping the old charm of the original design). They own the Mission Theater (where we went on Wednesday) and the Crystal Ballroom (a mid size music venue in Portland). Where we stopped was a pub / motel / restaurant / hostel / winery set just back off the highway. Amy and I sat on the grass, overlooking the beer garden, enjoying a drink, as the sun went down.

We stopped at Fred Meyers on the way back to Amy’s so as to pick up our photos – mine of San Diego and yesterday, and Amy’s of Italy.

Once back at Amy’s we got changed and went walked to Touché – a pub on Gleason Street that Amy provides liquor for. We had dinner and a couple of drinks there and hung out with the staff, who all knew Amy.

We got back to Amy’s at around one am, and I gave Robbie a call, as it will be his birthday on Monday and I may not have another chance to do so. Was good to catch up with him, and may get to see him mid-July as he is coming over to the US for work.

I can’t believe that this is my last night here with Amy. I have been dying for this week for what seems like and eternity, and now it is over so fast. But it has been nothing short of fantastic, and a great time for us to get to know each other even better. I can’t believe we’ve only known each other for five weeks, spent only twelve days together. It seems like a lifetime - the way we get on so well, and both having a want to be together. It is now hard to imagine how I am going to cope without her until mid-July. Plenty of phone calls and emails will keep us going in the meantime.