Sat Oct 4, 2025
Hi All! Today we are docked in Portland, Maine. We both have been here several times and love Portland and Kathy was born a few hours north of here in Bangor, Maine so this whole area feels like home to us.
The peninsula around Portland was first permanently settled in 1633, as a fishing and trading village named Casco. The town was destroyed by fire 4 times! (Then they finally figured out why they shouldn’t build everything with wood!). Because of that, the city’s seal depicts a phoenix rising from the ashes.
Today we took a historical walking tour around the city. Along with seeing the cool waterfront area as well as some great architecture, we learned some interesting things.
Portland has a population of 68,000 and is the largest city in Maine. And did you know that Maine is the only state that only borders one state (New Hampshire)? And that it’s the only state with one syllable?? (Who knew?). It’s also the most forested state (yep more than Alaska!).
Portland is the Northernmost port that doesn’t freeze and they catch over 130 million pounds of lobster here yearly! That’s why it’s my kinda place! It’s also a real “foodie place” with over 500 restaurants and over 180 James Beard nominations. So there’s lots of good eating here!
Speaking of eating, after our tour we got back onboard and had lunch. Then grabbed some sun and chilled by the pool. There was a late afternoon enrichment lecture I went to but I’ll update on that tonight. Hope everyone’s having a great weekend!
The Wandering Italian 