Tag: Umbria Cafe

Other Downtown Delights

Dear Liza,

While we were wandering downtown, of course, there were lots of incidental, accidental, goodies to see.

We re-discovered Ira’s Fountain, a magnificent man-made series of waterfalls that thunders and crashes and almost makes you forget you are in a city. It had been closed for repairs, and then the pandemic, and then the riots, but is now being enjoyed by picnickers and all everyone else!

We found an old church, St. Michael the Archangel, and got to visit with the fellow who takes care of it. There is too much history to tell, but the church was built in 1901 and was almost torn down in the urban renewal craze of the 1960’s. I’m glad it is still here! It has three masses on Sundays and quite a busy calendar.

And speaking of churches, we noticed that the First Congregational Church on Broadway has a tiny church on top!

All sorts of things to see!

After all our walking and finding, we stopped at our favorite Café Umbria, for lunch. Fruit, cheese, and a quiche gave us the energy to get home!

Love,

Grandma Judy

After the Impressionists

Dear Liza,

Our eyes were pretty full of beauty as we left the French Moderns exhibit at PAM, but we weren’t done looking yet.

Since the Museum is undergoing an enormous remodel, most of it is just not available, but there was quite a bit of young-people noise coming from the first floor exhibit called “Future Now”.

This is an oddly fascinating show of sneakers… yes, athletic shoes. Old and new, functional and artsy, wearable and not-so-wearable. It was interesting, but there were several happy, totally involved school groups there, all discussing, drawing and designing. We decided we’d come back and see the shoes some other time, when the crowds had gone.

We visited the newly-relocated gift shop, which, as always, is filled with beautiful things. They were having a sale of postcards, and we got 30 for just $3.00! They will be useful for all sorts of artsy schemes.

And, of course, no trip to PAM is complete without lunch at Umbria, just a block towards the river. Enjoying delicious quiche, panini sandwiches, coffee and juice while watching the world go by on bike, foot and skateboard, is just about the best thing ever.

A short walk got us to the bus stop to head home. Roses in the City Hall courtyard made sure we had lots to look at while we waited.

Summer in Portland. Nothing like it.

Love,

Grandma Judy