Portland

I visited Portland, Oregon, at the end of July for a work conference. I was only there for a few days, so I didn't have a ton of time for sightseeing. Of course, I made stops at the world-famous Voodoo Doughnuts, where I had some delicious maple concoction, and Powell's Books, the world's largest bookstore.

Portland is also home to the International Rose Test Garden, where they test out new types of roses....or something.

The hike up to the rose garden.

Then we came across this cute little cottage, or so I thought. It turned out to be a public restroom. LOL!

I visited the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, home to the decommissioned submarine USS Blueback. Considering I work for the Navy, I sort of felt obligated to take a tour of the sub.

It definitely felt claustrophobic in there. I can't imagine spending months at a time trapped in a metal tube like that.

Another reason I wanted to visit the museum is because they had an exhibit on Pompeii. I have always been fascinated by the subject, ever since I first learned about it in 6th grade. The museum had some of the plaster casts on display, which was incredibly eerie.

It churns the stomach to see people (and animals) contorted in their final moments, as they tried to protect themselves and others.

But the exhibit wasn't all doom and gloom. There were lots of archaeological finds that showed how people lived in the ancient world.

This is so cool....they found charred raisins and pears among the rubble.

My time in Portland was short, and I wish I could have explored the natural surroundings more, or maybe gone out to the coast. I'll end with a picture I took from the air as I was departing....

Mission to Lisbon

Ola, everyone! I recently returned from a mission trip to Lisbon, Portugal, with a group from my church. For a full run-down of what we did there, see our church website.

First things first - This is the view I woke up to every morning from our apartment. :)

We partnered with some missionaries at Igreja Baptista Vida Nova (New Life Baptist Church) on the outskirts of Lisbon.

We helped with some outreach events at the church and at various locations in the community. Here we're doing some crafts and games.

And we helped with some painting at one of the missionaries' apartments.

We also got to worship with Vida Nova on Sunday morning, and our pastor delivered the sermon through an interpreter.

We were focused on mission work for most of our time in Lisbon, but we did get a day and a half to explore the city on our own. The local feature that stood out the most to me was the traditional use of decorative tiles. Each building has its own unique design.

Even the subway stations had decorative tiles.

Those houses that aren't covered in tile are still brightly colored. Even the presidential palace is pink!

Our first tourist stop in Lisbon was the Pasteis de Belem, the most famous spot to get a pastel de nata - the national pastry of Portugal - a delicious little custard tart.

Right next to the bakery is the 16th-century Jeronimos Monastery - a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We took some time touring the cathedral and the cloisters.

The famous Portuguese explorer Vasco de Gama is buried there.

They had indoor plumbing back then! Amazing.

Our next stop was the Sao Jorge Castle, a fortress up on the highest spot in Lisbon, originally constructed by the Moors.

There were several peacocks roaming around the grounds, which delighted me! The peacock is one of my favorite animals. They're so majestic.

They had a white peacock...I never knew such a thing existed!

Unfortunately, I didn't take as many pictures at the castle that I would have liked, because this happened...

That sign is no joke. I took a tumble down the stairs and didn't much feel like climbing any more stairs for the rest of the visit.

Getting treated by Artur the medic.

Some other distinctive landmarks in Lisbon are the Christ the King statue (on the left), modeled after the one in Rio de Janeiro, and the "25th of April" Bridge that was built by the same engineer who designed the Golden Gate Bridge. You can clearly see the similarities.

And finally, some photos that I took while strolling through the city...

This is Bertrand, the oldest operating bookstore in the world.

Many of the streets were decorated for the saint-day festivals. And there was also the pervasive odor of sardines, the traditional festival food.

Unfortunately, I did not get the chance to check out Lisbon's version of Cheers.

Thanks for stopping by! Be sure to stay tuned for more travels...