We’re leaving Portland this morning and heading west towards the Pacific. We had a lovely rest day wandering around Portland, it is a city with a great vibe and some lovely green spaces. We visited the Rose Garden and Japanese Garden in Washington Park, both were stunning in different ways and I especially enjoyed seeing so many wonderful local front gardens.

Our host Roberto has some superb plants in his garden. The bamboo is stunning, and the banana plant also stands out. If only I had room and the climate for these in my garden! Many people in Irvington (the area where Roberto lives) cultivate the strips of land in front of their homes between the road and the sidewalk, making the whole area seem like a public garden, I wish more people did this in the UK. All this talk of plants is making my palms itch and want to be gardening, I hope my garden is doing ok while we’re away.

I braved the slightly cooler morning here in Portland and used the outdoor shower in Roberto’s garden. It was wonderfully warm and nice to be washing outside amongst the bamboo and banana plants. For those of you who are wondering – it was very private, no overlooking from the neighbours – only a squirrel searching for nuts got a little more than he bargained for!