Coming home

A highlight of our Newport , Rhode Island,  experience came last wet windy Saturday night when Hurricane Joachin's impact caused us to stay in our hotel. It started with a paella topped with a whole lobster! A bit much really. It ended with a wonderful evening of feelgood, folk and rock music from the accomplished Phenix Avenue . Some self penned songs from Daniel Durand ( whose CD "the Long ride home " is great) were interspersed with Carol King , James Taylor, Neil Diamond and many favourite others from our long era! We had a fab time and we thank them .

       

       

          Phenix Avenue 

Sandwich , Cape Cod was our final staying  stop .  Here the Dexter Grist Mill , 1659, was proudly explained to us by Lee , who demonstrated the art and science of grinding the best corn flour. 

                                            

                                                 Lee demonstrates Dexter Grist Mill

Sandwich also boasts salt flats going down to the sea, and our heron spotting was very exhilarating and successful.

                                            

 

                                                

                                                           

                                                Heron at Sandwich 

On Sunday we visited Provincetown at the further most tip of Cape Cod . A bit of Brighton meets San Fran, it was a buzzy little, sandy beach town, on a crisp bright day. 

                                        

                                       

                                           Scenes in Provincetowm,Cape Cod

Monday was home day and required a return to Boston. We had been struck by the Beacon Hill/Charles street/public gardens area and duly returned for a last look. We were not disappointed .

                                           

    Nancy Schon's mother duck and ducklings sculpture in the Boston Public Garden , celebrating the 1941 storybook "Make way for the Ducklings " by Robt McCloskey 

                                    

                                        A rare treat in the US - a decent cup of coffee -thanks to Tattebakery.com

                                      

   A Beacon Hill flower shop 

  

   

                                        

                              

                                

                                 Beacon Hill window boxes 

                                 

                             

                                 Gas lamp on W.Cedar street

                                 

                             

                                 Home-moving Boston style

                                 

    Boston 's Charles river 

   

                               

                                   Arthur Fielder - musician- 1895-1979 

                               

                                   Riverside park cycle pump for public use 

Our final scenes of Boston were of a wonderful sky from the airport .

                                   

And then five hours later , we were above the clouds and not far from home. 

  

And back home,we have had lovely days, sand on our mainly pebbly beach , and a fresh haircut for Merry , the dog ! 

    Hove on Tuesday - trying to stay awake- me , not Hove! 

    Merry, fresh from her lovely Dogs Corner haircut today 

    

    Who says we don't have sand? 

                                   

                                      Sun setting on Hove and settling us back into home 

And lasting conclusions from our New England adventure ? In no particular order: 

-we were a bit early for the full spectacle of the Fall colours 

-customer service was first class overall

-friendliness was the order of the day 

-food helpings tend to be too large

-decent coffee is hard to fine and good tea even rarer ( except for Dunbar tea rooms in Sandwich and Tatte cafe in Boston)

-there is spectacular nature to be found - whales, bald eagles, seals, in particular 

-roads are relatively empty and great for a driving tour - to say nothing of the cost of petrol

-the appreciation of history was powerful everywhere 

-national pride is sincere and evident 

-Halloween and fall have become intertwined to provide a much celebrated season 

-television is woeful ; thank goodness for BBC radio podcasts! 

A fab trip we had . And now we are home and happy to be. That's how a holiday should end .