Met my high school best friend for lunch today. We have known each other since we were 13 years old, and moved together to Toronto in our early 20's, before going our separate ways. Charlotte moved to Saint John some twenty years ago to be closer to her Mum and Dad who retired in the area. We reconnected last May at our first ever high school reunion. Introduced her today to my hubby of 30+ years. Great visit!
Bar Harbor, Maine, population 5,000 .... until the cruise ships come in, that is. Then it doubles for the day. This is not unfamiliar to the residents, as Bar Harbor was another one of those playgrounds for the rich and famous - Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Astors, Carnegies, and Morgans, to name a few. Those glory days may be gone, but tourism is still quite a lucrative business for the locals.
Had a nice trip up through Acadia National Park to the top of Cadillac Mountain. At 1,500 feet high, it's the tallest point on the eastern coast of the US, and the first spot in the US to see the sun rise. The trees are beginning to change, and there is already a lot of red showing in the maples. From the top of Cadillac Mountain we can see the five Porcupine Islands ... and the two cruise ships - the Emerald Princess and Holland America's Maasdam.
Some curious facts we learned today: Maine is half-way between the equator and the North Pole. 40 million pounds of lobster is caught off the Maine coast. Lobster is fat-free (if you don't dip it in butter). 90% of the US toothpick supply is produced in Maine. Maine is the only state with a one-syllable name. (And you thought all we did on a cruise was eat and drink!)
... and we're really glad we came ...
Some pictures of Boston for you: The pub that was the inspiration for the TV show Cheers; Copley Square; and the finish line of the Boston Marathon (just behind the green umbrellas) where the first bomb went off earlier this year. Traffic here is nuts!
... this is the state motto of Rhode Island.
Had a nice tour through the city of Newport where the rich and famous had their summer homes. Saw the Vanderbilt house; the church where the Kennedys (Jack and Jackie) were married; and the house where the movie High Society was filmed. Aside from all that display of wealth, there's also a pretty nice looking seaport town, reminiscent of Lunenburg NS.
Oh, yes, the ships often carried pineapples because they kept well and prevented scurvy. So when the merchant arrived home after a successful voyage, he would place a pineapple at the front door to announce that he would now receive guests. May try it myself!
Okay, I confess. Cruising is not about balanced meals, much as I like my veggies, not to mention, pineapple. Cruising is about having a great time. And if that means martinis before dinner and milkshakes after, so be it. (Tom says, "I needed that!)
Left NY about 7 pm. Newport RI tomorrow ...
For you, Emily ...
Petoncles Geantes a la Plancha
seared diver scallops, peekytoe crab, melted leek, preserved truffle risotto ... OMG!!!
Tom says that there's a reason Broadway shows are the standard against which all others are judged. They are just so damned good! Saw Annie this afternoon. Fabulous!! Times Square and all ...
Arrived at our NYC hotel about 8 last night after 12+ hours of travelling. Flights were great, security and customs were easy, except that Tom had to take off his shoes going through security in Toronto. (In the US, you don't have to remove shoes if you're over 75.) However, an extremely pleasant security person went over to give him a hand when I expressed concern about him losing his balance. Started our stay in NY as tradition demands - martinis, had a bite to eat and then slept for eight hours, catching up on missing sleep from the night before. I find travelling through time zones totally confusing - I can never remember if it's three hours earlier or later - and Tom delights in confusing me further by frequently reporting the "real" time. BTW, we ate the BEST french fries ever at the hotel bar last night. Even better than Betty's in Braeside! Off to Broadway this aft to see a show.
Packing is a little bit like untangling a particularly difficult knot. You pick around the edges until - suddenly - it all falls into place, smooth and ready to go.
I start my packing routine with a list. Those of you who know me well will not be surprised to hear this. I use a list from another trip as the base, so that I don't forget those important things - like the charger for my tablet. I tinker with the list, mostly around clothes, then get Tom to retype it so it's ready to use. This may surprise you: I don't pack in the order of the list - I pick at it, checking off as I add an item to the piles on the bed. (You really need a spare bed for this phase.) There are two piles, for two suitcases. One suitcase has all the stuff we're going to need early on, plus half the clothes. The other ... well, you know. When everything on the list has been checked off (plus a few other things that come to mind during the process), it's time to fill the suitcases ... and hope it all fits. My rule to myself is that I can't expand the suitcase on the outbound trip, so that I can expand it on the inbound trip. Need to leave space for shopping, after all!
We then had a great afternoon sampling olive oil and balsamic vinegar at Olive the Senses. What a great place! We wandered around the store with our little plastic spoons, turning spigots, and oohing and aahing about the most wonderful flavours available. We ended up buying a six-bottle sampler box with these oil and vinegar pairings: Leccini extra virgin olive oil from Chile and Black Mission Fig balsamic vinegar; Blood Orange infused olive oil and Espresso balsamic vinegar; and Organic Tuscan Herb infused olive oil and Sicilian Lemon white balsamic vinegar.
Sixty years ago today, my mother, my sister and I arrived in Canada aboard the Cunard Steamship Scythia. 