On the road again: Portland, day 2

You know I can't talk about work stuff, so don't even ask.

There, aren't you glad we got that out of the way?

Now, on to the bits I can discuss.

One of those is my unusual room in this pleasant but distinctly odd little downtown boutique hotel. The strangeness begins with the door. (If you can't read the title on it, click on the photo, and you'll get a much larger image. I almost always upload large images for your ease of viewing.)


I've never thought of myself as a Chateau Bianca kind of guy, but perhaps it's time to reconsider that aspect of myself.

Or not.

Open the door, and to the immediate left is the closet. Hanging in the closet is this pair of robes and, should one want to buy them, matching pjs and complementary socks.


Oh, yeah: I'll be purchasing the complete room outfit just in case I someday need a Halloween costume of Hugh Hefner visiting Elvis' jungle room (a meeting that I'm not aware of ever happening but that certainly should have occurred).

The room itself is downright cavernous, larger, I'm convinced, than my old NYC apartment. Check out the view from down by the bathroom (which is opposite the door).


Note the two widescreen, HD televisions. Look carefully, and you'll see that the nearer one is facing slightly away from the bed. I had to do that because otherwise the remote control by the bed would turn on and off both TVs.

I'm all for stereo, but that was not working for me.

Now consider the space from the other side of my bed.


Note the teddy bear. No, I'm not going to buy it, but if I get in a bad enough and lonely enough mood, that sucker might just end up...no, I refuse to say; you can imagine its fate--and don't blame me for where your sick imagination just went.

To find the bathroom in the dark, you either have to turn on a nightlight in it, hire a local guide to sleep by the foot of your bed and lead you should you have to go, or risk inflicting grievous bodily injury on yourself as you crash into the desk.

I'm here on business, so I'm not going to say which option I chose.

There goes your imagination again. Stop that.

On to dinner, which was at the wonderful Le Pigeon. I had the pigeon and foie appetizer, the duck, and shared the foie gras profiteroles and sesame devil's food cake, and as always, every single bite was delicious. As I was sitting in the small restaurant between courses, wondering why I liked it so much, I realized that in odd ways it reminded me of sitting alone at night writing: the chefs were doing something they loved, music was playing, and all felt right with the world. Le Pigeon is one of my all-time favorite places to eat. If you live in Portland or are traveling there, do yourself a favor: do not miss this place.