Life with Andrea

We went to the Pittock Mansion on Tuesday, and it was really cool.  I have never been there, but I had heard about it, and I am not really a fancy dress kind of person, so I was not sure about it.  But on a Tuesday, because we’re all ladies together, and you can’t exactly hike there, I thought, OK.  Anyway, it was fun.  

First, we just walked around a bit, and looked at things.  We were waiting for a docent, because consensus indicated that we should.  And that was a GREAT idea.  We got a wonderful docent, funny, knowledgeable, enthusiastic. Barbara S.  If you ever go, check first to see if Barbara will be there.   I think she was 80  and I said afterwards that if I could be 80 that way, I would not mind it at all. 

The rooms were elegant, of course.  It was a “Victorian era” house – and Victorians liked one room in one style, one room in another.  A Jacobean dining room.  A French renaissance living room (with a 3 pane picture window that must have cost a fortune in itself).  I LOVED the kitchen.  My aunt & grandmother had an old gas stove that looked like this (only smaller).

The floors in the place were beautiful, and what “parquet” means!   They made the floor by steaming thin slats, bending them, and gluing them into a design.  They did it in situ. 

One chandelier had 6 lights on it.  3 were gas, 3 were electric (1904).  So, if one kind of power went out, you had the other kind.  I used to just keep the candles – they went high tech. 

Barbara, the docent, was full of stories.  For example, that Pittock worked as a typesetter for the Oregonian for a few years, and then he OWNED the paper in lieu of back wages when it was in financial difficulties.  (One wonders what he lived on for 5 years). 

And, that they had a 360 degree view, and on a clear day could see 5 mountains, including Mr. Rainier! 

And that Mr. Pittock, age 70, would ride his BIKE to his daughter’s house in Portland for dinner, and BACK, total of 40 miles.  He was short – only 5 foot tall.  He had the coolest “shower Jacuzzi” before such things were even though of – and apparently it still works!