Driving The Great Northwest - One Last Happy Hour

Our home exchange has come to an end in Vancouver Washington and I can't believe how fast 2 weeks has gone by!  April actually turned out to be a great time of year to be in the Great Northwest with mild tempetures and very little rain.

Now it's time to head to Montana, but not before we hit just one more happy hour before we leave!

We had seen this great restaurant on the water when we rode our bikes along the Willamette River on April 18th and I thought what a great place to have a drink.  So on April 20th, the evening before we leave, we decided to drive over the Columbia River into Portland and stop in at the "Newport Seafood Grill".  

This is Portland's only floating restaurant!  Which seems sort of odd based on all the river's around here. 

We probably parked to far away, but we enjoyed walking the waterfront on our way there.

Happy hour here is from 3pm til 6pm and then again at 9pm until closing, every single day!  The place was pretty much empty when we arrived so we were able to pick our table at a window with a great view.  Actually the whole place is nothing but windows, so no matter where you sit, you will have a great view!

We actually ended up ordering off of the regular menu as the prices weren't that bad and everything looked really good.  I had the Mahi Mahi Baja style tacos with grilled mahi mahi, mango tomatillo salsa, cilantro lime sour cream, in corn tortillas for $10.95.  If you want three it's $13.95.  Two was plenty!  Stijn had the Alaksan Halibut Sandwich with seasoned grilled halibut, lemon caper tartar, sun-dried tomato pesto, dressed sweet greens and cucumber on a toasted brioche bun for $11.95.  Sorry no pictures of these fantastic dishes, we were too busy eating!

Stijn did have a beer and I had a glass of wine and we toasted to another fabulous home exchange, thanks to Terri, our exchanger in Vancouver Washington! 

You can also see these pictures at "Where's Debbie".  Just click on the album "One Last Happy Hour"

Driving The Great Northwest - Some Great Places for "Happy Hour" in Portland - Part I

First let me start by saying, thank you so much for being patient while waiting for some more posts on our trip through the Great Northwest.  I am home now, so it's time to get cracking on the writing and let you know about some more of the great things we did.

I would like to focus this post on some of what I think are the coolest places to eat and drink in Portland.  Having our home exchange in Vancouver Washington made it very convenient to visit Portland Oregon because we were only about 20 minutes from downtown.

There were a couple of evenings when we met up with some friends who live in Portland, Sterling and Carrie, and they took us to some really fantastic places.  Portland has some great "Happy Hour" spots and we tried to hit as many as possible during the next few days!

So let's start with April 12.  First stop "Jake's Famous Crawfish".  It's located at 401 SW 12th Ave. at the cross street of SW Stark.  Jake's has some outside tables and if you know me, you know my motto is "When at all possible, eat outside!"  Plus, it wasn't raining!  What to have, what to have?  Well how about some Steamed Mussels in garlic butter and Thai Curry Clams.  And let's try the Tempura Ahi Sushi Roll along with some Sweet Potato fries served with a Chipotle Aioli sauce for dipping.  And of course some great Oregon wine!  The prices for Jake's Happy Hour menu range from $1.95 to $4.95.  A fantastic price for what you get if you ask me!

From Jake's we walked a couple of blocks to SW 3rd Ave. and stopped in at "Huber's". 

Huber's has been making traditional turkey dinners in Portland since 1879.  But we're not here for the turkey, we're here for their signature drink, the "Spanish Coffee"!  Now, I don't like coffee, can't drink the stuff.  But put several types of liquer in it and light it on fire, I'm lovin' it!!

We end our evening with some "Beer Tasting".  Yes, I said beer, not wine.  So needless to say it was Stijn and Sterling who did the beer tasting.  The "Green Dragon" was the place for Stijn to try and acquire a taste for some good American micro brews.  This place had a very relaxed, warehouse feel to it with it's long wooden picnic tables for seating.  

It's time to make some choices, decisions decisions.

 and it seems the choices made were good ones!

What a great evening of exploring the great little "gems" of Portland!  Can't wait for our next "Happy Hour" tour!

If you would like to see more pictures of our evening just click here "Where's Debbie" and then click on the album "Happy Hour - Part 1"

A Symbol of Happiness

Our day of driving the vineyards along the "Routes des Vins d'Alsace this past November is not quite over yet.

As we drove off of the mountain leaving "Chateau du Haut-Koenigsbourg" we arrived in another little village, "St. Hippolyte", located at the foot of the Vosages Mountains. From here we continued through "Ribeauville" once again and then coming to a screeching halt in "Hunawihr" when I burst out to Stijn "Honey, there's a Stork nest!!!!"

I had been so hoping to see a Stork before we left this region. But hey, I'll take a nest. These nests are huge and can weigh up to 500 pounds!

Oh I was so excited and this had just made my day complete......I thought. We drove out of "Hunawihr" to get back on the "Wine Route" that would lead us back to our little village of Riquewihr, when we spot a field full of Storks!! Well Stijn couldn't stop fast enough so we had to make a U-turn to get back to see these magnificent birds. Because you know I must have pictures!

It actually turns out that these birds are right in front of "Parc Cigognes-Loutres" a nature reserve for Storks and otters.

After making it back to Riquewihr we enjoy dinner at the "Au Dolder" along with the friendly old lab who makes his rounds through the restaurant to let everyone have the chance to pet him.

They say the Stork is the "Symbol of Happiness". Well I am certainly filled with happiness after those 3 days in the spectacular region of the Alsace. And I make a toast to my honey for another unbelievable birthday gift!

Sadly we have to leave this beautiful place the next morning and head back to Brussels. But we are going back via "Strasbourg"!

If you would like to see more pictures of the end of our day, just click here "Where's Debbie" and then click on the album "Symbol of Happiness".

So Many Vineyards, So Little Time!

Today is Friday the 13 of November, and it is an absolute perfect day to drive along "The Route des Vins d'Alsace".

The route begins in Strasbourg and extends nearly 70 miles to the south. We are in that southern part of the route and so we decide to start our drive by leaving Riquewihr and head north along the route for a few miles and then circle back to our starting point.

But first there is a market this morning in the center of town in one of the little side streets. So while Stijn gets the car I take a look at what the vendors are selling this morning. Fresh flowers, fresh cheese, meats and sausages. And even some grape vines should you want to try your hand at having your own vineyard.

We take the back way out of Riquewihr and while driving along the slopes of the Vosges Mountains, we find ourselves surrounded by vineyards which have taken on the golden colors of fall. Along the way there are plenty of opportunities to stop and read about the grapes that are grown to produce the Rieslings and Gewurztraminers of this region. However, you will need to know how to read French, unless you are very lucky like me and have someone with you who can.

Driving along this route, there are so many Kodak moments, you will certainly put your driver to the test of patience when he has just barely shifted into second gear and you say "Oh stop honey, look at that!"

One of those such moments was when we saw up ahead of us three castles nestled in the trees alongside a mountain.

We must have a closer look of these three castles, Ulrichsburg, Girsber and Hohrappoltstein! This takes us into the town of Ribeauville. Much like Riquewihr, Ribeauville has it's half timbered buildings but also has the added medieval touch of castles peering down on what is one of the most beautiful wine-producing villages of the alsatian wine route.

Leaving here we start up a winding road that leads us to the mountain village of Thannenkirch.

Thannenkirch is well preserved in it's authentic character and simplicity. Here we make a stop at the church and take a walk through the cemetery.

It's just about noon and time to start thinking about some lunch. Looks like we will be having lunch in a castle!

There are more pictures of our morning at "Where's Debbie" Just click on the album "Alsace France - Part 3

A Day in Riquewihr

I just love the mornings in Europe. Why you ask? Because in the morning is when you take a walk to the bakery to try and decide which pastry you are going to have today. And today (Nov 12) is extra special because this morning I am in the little village of Riquewihr in the Alsace region of France.

Stijn gives me detailed directions on how to get to the bakery and I am all bundled up and headed out the door of our studio. And you know I didn't leave without my camera!

Well wouldn't you just know it!!! The bakery is closed this week for holiday. No worries though, there should be another one down the street. This is Europe, right?

As I continue walking right down the center of the cobblestone street, my eyes are continually drawn from side to side, up and down.....the architecture is so incredible! And I am going to let you know right now that I have taken entirely way too many pictures for you to see here. So be sure to visit "Where's Debbie" to see all the beautiful pictures I took during my morning walk.

Nothing is open yet, but I'm having fun watching the delivery trucks maneuver their way through these narrow streets to make their deliveries before 10:00am.

Because this region of France is bound to the north by Germany, you will see a lot of German influences here. Not only in the food but even in the little store fronts who are displaying the typical German pretzel.

As I continue my walk in search of a bakery, I repeatably see Storks. Stork magnets, Stork statues, Stork coffee mugs, Stork pictures, restaurants and hotels with Stork signage.

Well it seems that the Stork is the official emblem of the Alsace region. This is an area where the Storks would migrate to in the winter, but then their numbers began to decline and the people of the Alsace took action and created a sanctuary for the birds. Now there is a population of Storks that never leave the area. I've heard that you can see their massive nests weighing up to 500 pounds, resting on top of chimneys and steeples. I am hoping to see one of these before we leave this weekend!

It is evident that there is not another bakery in our little village. We decided then to take a little drive and find ourselves a market where we could purchase some food to have in our little studio.

I must tell you that France has the best supermarkets that I have ever seen. We found another great market called "Cora". Which is actually a Belgium based company. Very similar to "Auchan" with it's huge fresh bread and fresh seafood sections along with the great wine selection. But here you will see the beloved Stork flying above you as you shop the isles.


After shopping we then head back to our studio and enjoy a great lunch of french bread, meats and cheeses before we head out to do some more exploring in this great little village of Riquewihr.

We decided to just stick close to our little hamlet today. So while I have a hot Gluhwein......

.......Stijn takes a look through our trusty book on the Alsace to see what we might like to do tomorrow.

As we head back to our studio, we are enticed by a shop owner for a free sample of "Kugelhopf". A great Alsatian cake that is made with raisins and rum and comes in a variety of sizes. Must have one of these!

Tonight, we have dinner at "Hotel Au Cerf".

Again, dinner is very German. I have the "Baeckeoffe" which is a casserole layered with potatoes, leeks and three types of meat (beef, pork, lamb) cooked together in white wine inside an earthenware casserole.
While sipping on some wine from this region, it is decided that tomorrow we will drive along "The Route des Vins d'Alsace" and just see what makes this wine so great!

There are a ton of pictures to see of our day! Just click here "Where's Debbie" and then click on the album "Alsace France - Part 2"

Arriving in the Alsace

The time has come.........my birthday surprise!

If you have been following this blog, you know that Stijn loves to surprise me with a little trip somewhere when I come to Belgium. Typically he doesn't need a reason or an occasion, but it just so happens that during this trip it is my birthday. Well my birthday was Oct 27th, and today is November 11th and we are driving to the Alsace region of France!

This is a region in the Northeast part of France and is best known for it's white wines. But what I'm seeing as we drive south on the A35 is not only golden vineyards as far as the eye can see, but castles high atop mountains overlooking little villages that are dotted throughout this valley.

Then Stijn makes a right hand turn and we are driving through those golden vineyards and towards the little villages and I ask him in complete surprise, "Is this where we are going?!!" He just gives me that big Stijn smile and says, "Yes".

We pull into the little village of Riquewihr. It seems as though I am in the pages of a storybook! There are half-timbered houses overflowing with geraniums that line cobblestone streets and a clock tower that has lace covered windows.

We walk through the tunnel of the clock tower, turn left down a narrow cobbled street and our accommodations are on the right.

We are staying at "Les Remparts de Riquewihr" and our room is called "Romantic Studio".

This is an adorable studio with stone and wood floors, a kitchenette with a little nook and a stone and tiled bathroom. This will be our home for the next 3 days!

We end our day with dinner at "Au Tire Bouchon", which means "The Corkscrew"

This is the cutest little place with wooden tables and chairs, heavy timbered beams, and antique wine corkscrews displayed on the walls.

Dinner was hearty with alot of German influence. Stijn had a dish that had a variety of sausages with sauerkraut. I have never had goose before, so I chose the goose. Neither of our meals sent us out raving, but a great dessert always makes everything better.

If you would like to see more pictures of our day, just go to "Where's Debbie" and click on the album "Alsace France - Part 1"