Christine McLaren:
Of course, it’s not as though Alec or Katherine have any time to spend in bars. They’re far too busy reveling in the throng of excitement pulsing elsewhere in the city; starting free organic produce markets (The Free Market!), or riding their bikes naked with 5000 other people through the streets of Portland in the World Naked Bike Ride, which I obliged to join towards the end of my stay.
As I ride beside Katherine, a newfound friend of only a few days, stark naked on a rental bike, a man on the side of the street drops his pants in solidarity, clapping slowly as we jiggle by. I buckle over laughing.
“People just love nudity here,” I say, aware that I’m probably making a rather sweeping generalization.
Katherine keeps pedaling in the bright sun.