Football and another volcano

Portland in Oregon was our next destination. Mainly because football is played there. There is a men's and a women's team, and both have an average of 20,000 spectators. Of course, we went to see the Thorns, the women's team. I really wanted to see a game of this team in Portland because I heard everywhere that the atmosphere there is supposed to be special. And I was not disappointed, on the contrary. My expectations were even exceeded. There were 15,000 spectators there, which I found quite impressive for a Wednesday evening. In Germany, this is only possible at events like the cup final. And the atmosphere was simply sensational. Now I know why all the players always talk about "the best fans in the world". We chose tickets for the fan block. That is the entire width behind the goal. All spectators stood there for 90 minutes, clapping and singing without interruption. There was even a text sheet for visitors who were not so good with lyrics like us, which was sung up and down. Crazy cheerleaders were positioned in front of each block, ensuring that there was no break. And even though the home team was quite inferior that day and lost 1-4, people kept singing. The only goal of the Thorns was scored in the 89th minute and was celebrated as if it were the victory. Even pyrotechnics were used 😂. We had a lot of fun that evening and my private jersey collection was also expanded.

Oh, what else is Portland famous for? Food trucks, coffee, and beer. We tried everything. Many carts are set up around a public parking lot in the city center. Almost every nationality is represented culinarily, and we decided on German bratwurst and Persian chicken stew with walnuts and pomegranate. Both were very tasty and the bratwurst was very German. We drank our coffee in a cute café. We didn't realize until later that it was a vegan place. Since I drink my coffee black, it doesn't matter to me. Jutta even survived her first vegan cappuccino (with soy milk) 😂☕️. Afterward, we found Deschutes Brewery and tried various craft beers. That was all there was to see in Portland. At least not for us 😊.

The next day, we headed out of the city and into nature. Specifically, to Mount St. Helens National Volcanic Monument. This volcano erupted in 1980 and completely changed the area. Lava and mud swept away and destroyed everything in its path, but also created new landscapes such as lakes, hills, and canyons. During the eruption, the entire north side of the volcano collapsed, and the mountain lost about 400 m in height. Of course, there were well-made visitor centers with informative films again. The scenery is definitely impressive. In the park, we also walked through a lava cave that is millions of years old, called the Ape Cave. Luckily, we had lamps with us.