bitterdiva

I wouldn't say I'm missing it

Sunday night during all the rain, K and I ventured up to Freeport to do some L.L. Bean shopping at 9 p.m. whilst everything else gave us the darken facade of closure. There wasn't much to do in Portland during our first night here, the sun sucked all the energy out of me leaving me in no shape to drink.

I purchased the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn: comfort mocs, damn do they rock. The foot issue still persists making it rough to travel around the city when I am sitting and starbursts of pain hobble the foot. I ignore it.

Monday morning I received an email from Casco Bay brewing saying they weren't doing any beer tours and if I happened to still be in the area at the end of the week, they might be able to fit me in. They have a three-day-in-advance policy for tour reservations and I contacted them via phone (got lost in a phone tree and eventually disconnected) and email. No Casco Bay, not a lost.

The first stop of the morning was food, we walked down to the Portland Public Market – basically an inside farmer’s market that is open all year around. Albany so desperately needs one of these. Flowers, fish, pastries, spices, beer, wine, and pocky oh my! I don’t know why I got a kick out of seeing pocky out of the market, but I did. The market houses a gigantic lobster on the second floor that could cut a human in half, but don’t worry, he’s made out of polymers. We stopped at a place and picked up omelets for breakfast, they were delicious and got us going. Right next to the breakfast nook was a coffee joint. It’s amazing how much coffee one can consume a day, it’s more amazing how much one will spend on cups of coffee when there’s no coffeepot available. Poor K.

We went on a search for a comic book shop after our market stop, Phantom Kitty Komix. Google had given us the location on a Mechanic Street but after walking down and up the street, it wasn’t there to be seen. Another visit to google gave another location, so we stepped out again, but no dice. It’s unfortunate because I wanted a picture of their logo for Poopoos.

After our failed attempt at Phantom we sought out another comic shop, Casablanca comics. It was in a complex with a music store, a video store, and a pizza joint. K remarked how it would be the ultimate place for Pat. K got some issues, I even got a book – even if it is issue #2 and I don’t have #1 yet.

Before actually hitting comics, we found ourselves standing in front of a local brewery called Sebago, a Brown’s-esque place with food but much brighter. I had the Hefe, K had the Frye's Leap I.P.A.. The Hefe was good, K liked his IPA more than me. The waitress/bartender was quite friendly and helpful, she was amazed that we came to Portland to visit all the local breweries and even pointed us out to a couple of places including the home of Stone Coast.

Stone Coast doesn’t really exist anymore. Well, they do, but there’s no real brewery to visit, just a restaurant called, The Pie Hole. Wood fired pizza is the main attraction at this place, so you can get a pint of the 420 IPA and a Supremo pizza (chicken, mushrooms, and roasted garlic). We didn’t just get a pint of the 420, but we got a pitcher of it – K was a wee bit toasted after that trip. Also on that pilgrimage was a stop at the Wake ‘N Bakery Emporium – a heady/kitschy diner with pictures of Bob Marley on the wall and glass pieces in the back.

I almost forgot our brewery tour of Allagash. Where is my mind? Yes, the first brewery tour we went on, and I have to say it was quite boring. K and I were the only ones on the tour and if you go there, be there at 3 p.m. it’s the ONLY tour they give. You could stop in for some sampling, and buying glassware or t-shirts but that’s it. I was excited to go here because I thought I was going to be able to pick up a couple of bottles of the White Tenth Anniversary edition, but alas, they were out, been out for quite a while. So we bought a bottle of Curieux to bring back to the hotel room for later.

In the evening, we watched The Princess Bride in the park outside our hotel. Locals and tourists gathered together for the last of the movies-in-the-park series being put on by the city. After the movie, we headed to the bar at the top of the hotel for a cocktail, and for being a hotel bar $13 isn’t bad for a Cosmo and a Tom Collins. Though a cheese platter might be in order for tonight if we don’t hit the public market and pick some up.

Today is the big day, Shipyard and Gritty’s. If there is some deity that loves me, I will get a Pumpkin Head pint glass. First we’re heading back near OOB to find some flee market. K would be just as happy to chill out in OOB, but I’m more at home in Portland. I just don’t dig the beach, ha. No. I just don’t dig the sun.

08:50 AM

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