Two weekends ago on a sunny and warm Portland Sunday i spent a delightful day in the Portland Chinese Garden with my blogging friend Diana. Diana is one of our blogging friends who hosted Relyn and my trip to San Francisco last July. She is a completely generous person and it made me happy to be able to host her visit even if in a small way. She was in Oregon for a sports event with her son and made arrangements to stay overnight in Portland so we could see one another. I am so glad she did! We had so much fun. I hadn't been out with my camera in ages and i saw each vignette of beauty in a fresh way.
This is one of my favorite shots of Diana. She was actually quite adorable as a model, willing to pose with a tilt to her hip and a smoochy kiss for the audience but i still loved this rather mysterious photo best.
The garden was stunning. The architecture, the carefully laid out paths, the spring flowering trees and camellias. The garden is located smack dab in the middle of downtown Portland but once you step within it's walls it is a haven of quiet beauty that transports the willing heart to an entirely different and magical place on earth.
If you have the opportunity to visit the garden be sure to include a meal in Old Chinatown. We wandered around looking at all the inviting spots, finally settling for the Vegetarian House located near the Chinatown gates and we were happy with ever single bite! From the fresh greens and crab rangoon appetizers to the fried banana with red bean paste at the end. Wow! It was a magnificent meal. Thank you Diana for such a lovely day.