Four days in Portland, Oregon: A visit to Powell's Books and munching on macaroons

Portland has a whole lot of coffee shops. I'd love to go back and visit more. On our final day in Portland, we caught of glimpse of Nuvrei out the window as the streetcar passed it by. It looked charming from the outside and so we backtracked until we found it once again. We climbed the stairs to the second level where the café was located, and were greeted by a tiny space with wood floors, bright yellow chairs, and some of the best looking French pastries I've seen outside of Paris. The smell of croissants and sweet sugar dominated the room, while lines of colorful macaroons fit right in with the yellow of the seats and plates, and burst of sunlight happily entering the front window.

My americano was a little cup of delight; the kind of coffee that you drink from start to finish without a single bit of bitter taste. As sat near the front window, the warmth of the sun on my face as I munched on a macaroon or two, immersed in the scent of coffee and baked goods.

You could probably find just about any type of book on just about any subject at Powell's Books. Claimed to be one of the "worlds greatest bookstores," Powell's first opened in Portland in 1971. There are now five locations in the Portland area, all of which are buildings filled with books of all kinds, arranged in an organized maze, difficult for the book lover to maneuver due to the many distractions that so many beautiful pages in one space can cause.

I found the travel writing book I hadn't been able to find in bookstores back home, and even found an older edition French conversation book that I'm hoping will help me find my French speaking abilities once again.

The shelves here tower high, and the genres are separated out by room: The red room, blue room, green room, etc. You may need a map to get around, but it's well worth the potentially confusing journey. I'm surprised I only walked out with two books in the end. I, without a doubt, could have filled a shopping cart.

• Living Room Theaters (take two) - We couldn't help it, we had to see another film and enjoy our lunch and drinks in the theater! Truly a perfect rainy day activity. (See Portland Day 1).
• Crafty Wonderland - This colorful shop was lined with quirky tid bits. A wonderful source of crafting inspiration, and an even better place to pick up a meaningful gift for a friend.
• Café Cello - Complete with a cello in the corner and classical music floating through the air, this cozy café was a wonderful stop during a rainy afternoon walk. I found myself with a hot cup of green tea in my hands (well, hand, I needed the other to hold my rain soaked umbrella) and a smile on my face.

To see what the first three days entailed, check out these links:

• Portland, Day 1
• Portland, Day 2
• Portland, Day 3