Lost in Westbrook, Found in the Old Port

I did not sleep well last night. Maybe I had too much caffeine or something. I was ready to walk out the door just after 7, thinking I was way too early. Class starts at nine every day. I got up to Westbrook via the Parkway just fine. But once I got off the highway, I was lost. I had the address, a GPS, and a mediocre map. But not all of the streets have street signs. Not even large, four or five lane roads have street signs. I ended up stopping twice for directions, buying a better map, and eventually finding the office building where my class is held.

The training facility is housed in an old mill building, the Dana Warp Mill, on Bridge Street in Westbrook. It's nice - lots of character and open space.

After class I drove to the Eastern Promonade in downtown Portland. There, I took some snapshots of the ships coming and going in the bay. The park was filled with people exercising their dogs, running, biking, and sightseeing. I got the impression a lot of us walking around were tourists. Half the people I saw had brochures and cameras in hand.

Next I drove down to the Old Port area. Shops, restaurants, and bars line Commercial Street. Three Dollar Dewey's, an Irish pub and restaurant I encountered along the way, boasted live music. I ducked inside for some supper. The music was good, as was the food. I lounged for a bit before heading back to the parking garage and back to Saco.

Class was interesting, though uneventful. Everyone seems quite friendly and I am comfortable here. More comfortable than I was in Boston, but the city is also less exciting and lacks the personality of big Beantown.