Post-gluttony greetings, everyone. I trust your holiday was spent grazing from dish to platter like mine was. I tried a port I just loved. It’s called Porto Kopke. You have to try the Colheita.

What I wanted to mention here, aside from how perfect the right port goes with crisp apple and a nice hard cheese, is a book. And no, it’s not Harry Potter. Though there is some spooky stuff in this one.

Called Fugitives and Refugees, it’s by local member of the literati, Chuck Palahniuk, author of Fight Club, Choke, etc. But this one is non-fiction, and a sort of manual on Portland (it’s part of Crown Journeys’ series in which famous writers write about their home city).

So if you’re visiting Portland, or even if you live here, and you wish you had a cooler tour guide than Mr. Frommer, pick up Fugitives and Refugees for an interesting trip through town.

Cheerio,
Emily

When I meet people who are ho-hum about art, and you meet more people like that less than you’d expect, I talk to them about the Portland Christmas ships.

Why, you ask. Well, look at it this way. We could live quite happy, complete lives without ever seeing a bunch of boats dressed up in holiday lights. But we do it anyway. Even though it’s totally unnecessary. It’s art. How can you not love that?

The Portland parade is the longest-running in the country. So, if you’re in town between Dec. 7 and Dec. 20, ask about it. The routes and locations change, but there’s always a good seat somewhere. A restaurant on the water perhaps. Try McCormick and Schmick’s Harborside at the Marina. It’ll make a good floor show.

Till later,
Emily