OUR HOME: 3 bedroom, 3 bath single family home in a beautiful, historic, walkable neighborhood in NE Portland called Irvington. 20 minute drive to PDX, an international airport with direct flights to Amsterdam. We live 3 blocks from public transportation, 3 miles (5 km) from Portland city center. Built in 1926 and lovingly renovated throughout...gourmet kitchen, hardwood floors, spacious rooms, wonderful light. High speed internet and Wifi. Beautifully landscaped corner lot with an inviting small terrace ideal for reading in the fresh air or enjoying a glass of wine in the evening. Our garden is full of flowers!
Each of the 3 bedrooms has a queen size bed. There is also a queen size sleeper sofa in the living room and another in the t.v. room, so you could sleep 8 or 10 people in our home for short periods. Very large dining room will seat up to 10 if you add all 5 leaves to the table. Well-equipped kitchen with double ovens, dishwasher, gas cooktop, granite countertops. We love going to the local farmer's markets and cooking at home...fabulous local produce from July through October.
Amazing restaurant choices too.
Our wet winters give us fabulous tall trees & snow in the mountains nearby, but July through September it rarely rains and the weather is sunny and gorgeous.

PORTLAND,OREGON: We live in the historic district of Irvington in NE Portland, about 3 miles from downtown Portland. Our neighborhood is very walkable, with beautifully restored homes and lovely gardens. Portland is an accessible, culturally vibrant city of quiet charms, from art galleries to wine bars, housed in historic and modern buildings. It is a casual city. Located at the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia Rivers, there is much to see and do: Japanese Garden, Internat'l Rose Test Garden in Washington Park, Chinese Garden, Art Museum, historical Pittock Mansion, Oregon-made crafts at the Saturday Market, miles of trails in Forest Park, stunning vistas from the Portland Aerial Tram, live theater, symphony, and opera. Look through art galleries and specialty stores in the Pearl District, browse through Powell's (world's largest bookstore), stroll along the riverfront.
You'll love the fact that Oregon has NO sales tax ! Oregonians love to eat and drink.....we enjoy great coffee, a cold pint of local craft beer at a brew pub, or a quality glass of wine. From super cheap food carts to top level restaurants, you can find a bounty of locally produced fare and an amazing variety of ethnic foods. Portland is a friendly place for cyclists and walkers, with public transportation more available than in most other American cities.
Continue the laid-back lifestyle with scenic day trips to the Oregon coast, the "fruit loop" and waterfalls in the Columbia Gorge, hiking and winter sports (have lunch at Timberline Lodge) on Mt. Hood, world-class pinot noirs in the Willamette Valley, or the enticements of southern Washington state. Seattle is a 3 or 4 hour drive. PDX is Portland's international airport, with direct flights to Amsterdam.

WHERE WE WANT TO GO: We are open to exchanges in most parts of Europe, as well as the U.S., especially the West Coast. If it is a cycle friendly location, that is a plus for us. European exchanges in 2013 are set. In 2014, we would like to spend about 3 weeks in Paris in August . France, Netherlands, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Latvia, Turkey, Greece are all possibilities. Want to spend a month or more in northern Italy for sure in spring or fall of 2015.
Would like to spend about a week in Austin Texas in late July, 2013 (our son who lives there is getting married July 27).

We are doing an exchange in England for the month of September of 2013 and France for October 2013, so our European plans for this year are settled. Since we are retired, usually we are flexible on "when" we do exchanges.
In August 2014, want to do an exchange and bring our adult son and grandchildren (will be 10 and 12 then), so will be 6 in our group. Paris would be our first choice.
Want to spend time in Italy in spring or fall of 2015.

Would love to visit the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Luxembourg. We have been to Germany, England, Scotland, France, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Poland....loved them all! We are open to where our "home base" will be, so if you live in Europe, we are open to an exchange. In 2015 we'd love a month or two in Italy in the spring or fall.
Our son who lives in Austin, Texas is getting married July 27, 2013. We would be open to an exchange for about a week...Maybe July 21-28. Portland would be a delightful escape from the Texas heat for your family!

OUR BACKGROUND: We've been in Portland 11 years, moving here from Texas upon our retirement: Marc as a systems management consultant; Lindsay from 20 years in residential real estate. We enjoy cycling, downhill and cross country skiing, hiking, gardening, cooking, eating, reading, genealogy, and traveling.
We have 3 grown sons and 2 grandchildren. Late summer/early fall our garden has raspberries, blackberies, tomatoes and basil. We have a small deck with pots of flowers near the back door...if you're visiting us in July, August, or September, the pots need to be watered about once a week. The garden and the yard are on a sprinkler system. We have a housekeeper who comes every two weeks.
There are no children in our "exchange party", but we would like to be able to invite our adult son & 2 grandkids to visit us for a week if we are in Europe in July or August. They are responsible adults and well-behaved children. Our home is in excellent condition and we will treat your home the same way.

English