First very brief trip in the car ...

Here it is ...

A 2011 Ford Fusion with 26,000 miles on it, if ya wanna get technical.  It's nice enough, and not half bad looking but boy, I groaned when I saw the California plates.  Everyone will know I'm a tourist, now, and I don't think folks in the northwest are particularly, traditionally fond of Calfornia.  I remember there was a bumper sticker going around at one point that said "Don't Californicate Oregon".  Oh well.


*


Just came from a brief trip north, where I drove through absolutely stunning Volunteer Park.  Wow!  This place was so much more beautiful than I thought it would be.  I was sort of expecting just grassy fields.  I had no idea it was positively filled with lilly pad ponds, and old brick water towers and banks and banks of absolutely huge, gorgeous rhododendron bushes in absolute peak bloom, old statues, loads of big pine-y trees and hiking trails etc., and that was only seen in a brief ten minute visit.  I will definitely spend some serious time in this place before I leave.

That's the Space Needle in the background, above.

I also hit fantastic Lakeview Cemetary, which indeed had lake views in the far distance, some downtown views, and was just generally pretty gorgeous. Old, pine-y, lots of squirrels, a few walkers, almost akin to Laurel Hill Cemetary in Saco, though not quite as grand. Awesome. 

Lastly, I had 'Siri' find me Volunteer Park Cafe.   You can't imagine the kick I get out of asking a machine where a certain thing is in relation to wherever I happen to be, and, oh ya, how to get there.  Siri responded by saying the cafe was "quite near to you", and she indeed produced a map showing both myself, and the cafe, and the suggested route between.  Amazing. 

I didn't actually expect the place to be open, thinking it was more of a breakfast/lunch place, but at 7pm, it was jammed.  I walked in and got a menu, then left.  It's quite perty, no? 

I remember reading about it before my trip, because some neighborhood folks had recently petitioned the city about it's existence, and after seeing the setting, I understand why.  This is an entirely residential area, and very very dense, with tight, narrow streets.  For some crazy reason they allow parking on both sides, so at points, you actually have to peer down the street before heading for the next block because there was truly room only for a single car down the middle.

I guess if I lived right in the vicinity and a three-meals-a-day restaurant moved into my next door neighbor's house, with hours of 7am to 9pm, and there was no parking for it except on the street in front of my house, I'd be mighty pissed, too.


Of course, I might become a regular there, as well.


Here's the breakfast and lunch menu, btw.  The usual 'caramelized banana brioche French toast with vanilla bean custard, toasted pecans & Ricotta cheese filling' - $10.50. 


http://www.alwaysfreshgoodness.com/menus/VPC_LunchBreakfastMenu.pdf



*


I can't stress enough how gorgeous this neighborhood was.  The houses were just a fucking dream.  All four squares, as we would call them in New England, some hipped roof, most with chunky porches.  Picture 100% two storey mission-era, bunaglow-y style early 20th century homes, one after another, street after street.  Then add beautiful mature flowering bushes everywhere, and old stock trees lining the narrow streets, and it was just absolutely fucking gorgeous.  Will definitely be doing some walking in this area once my strength returns.