Maine/Boston Trip

Day 5 Monday 10th September (continued). We flew into Portland, Maine on a sea mist. After the heat of New York the fog and cool was quite refreshing. Howard and Darren picked us up from the airport and took us home to Howard and Jenny’s in Yarmouth, where Jenny and Gill were waiting. Their gorgeous home fronts onto Casco Bay, one of 3000 islands in this part of the Atlantic. We met the lovely doggy, Sophie, and she and James became firm friends, well it was a friendship of food really. After dropping our stuff we went down the path to the water’s edge and the jetty there where Howard pulled up lobster pots. There were some nasty pincers there but were saved from becoming dinner tonight. The mist was still lingering over the ocean and calmness prevailed. We could see big fish chasing small fish about under the flat greyness of the water.

Day 6 Tuesday 11th September. Such peace and quiet! At breakfast overlooking the ocean we peeked at squirrels dashing about with their acorns, and a couple of chipmunks popped up too. After breakfast James and Martin went for an adventure along the seafront along the point. James happily hopped about the rocks and had great fun. Upon their return Jenny drove us to Freeport, about 15 minutes north. She introduced us to the most unreal store – LL Bean – and needless to say we needed no encouragement to shop! Shopping is hard work and we got hungry so we headed back south to Portland for lunch. The pizzas at Flatbread were delicious, and, in my opinion, just slightly more magical than the chocolate brownies! Now that’s saying something! I did some more shopping then we went home. A seal was spotted bobbing about the water just outside the house.

Day 7 Wednesday 12th September. All aboard the people mover! The entire family boarded our hired 7 seater RV for our trip south to Boston. It worked very well with James in a car seat and all of our luggage in the back. Our first stop was Concord in Minute Man National Historical Park, between Portland and Boston. We grabbed a coffee and a picnic lunch in the quaint little town and enjoyed the food and sunshine in the reserve where it is said that the first gunshot was fired in the American War of Independence in 1775. Like our recent visit to the Somme in France, it was difficult to imagine such a bloody battle raging here, this beautiful and scenic part of the world. The road to Boston was so pretty, houses and barns and animals in fields – stereotypical American landscape. Howard drove us through the slow late afternoon traffic and we parked at Harvard Square. We spent the rest of the afternoon strolling around the grounds of Harvard University, right amongst the brains that actually go there. [Martin: I couldn't find the registrations office - I wanted to put James' name on the list!] We had some time so we crammed in the Harvard Museum of Natural History – way too much to cram into an hour really! The most incredible thing here for me was the collection of Glass Flowers, 1886-1936, 4000 botanical models of plants made of glass and nearly all hand-painted. Just stunning and I can’t begin to describe their beauty here. James and Martin really enjoyed the rest of the museum – dinosaurs and animals – but that wasn’t for me! Too many creepy crawlies! Later we checked into the opulent Omni Parker House Hotel in School Street, Boston. We changed for dinner and strolled about in the evening light following the Freedom Trail, a painted brick trail set into the footpaths and roads leading to all the important historical sites in the city. We crossed to the North Side and had dinner at an Italian restaurant, followed by gelati and pastries. Lucky we had to walk all the way back to the hotel…!

Day 8 Thursday 13th September. The whole family was up relatively early and we started walking around the city, past Boston Common and the gold-domed State House looking glorious in the morning sunlight. Having been here before, Howard and Jenny deftly navigated the leafy residential streets of Beacon Hill. They were just beautiful – the houses so elegant and the gardens so manicured. A very nice place to live! We had coffee and pastries for breakfast at Café Vanille and found a playground for James in Clarendon Street. He had such a good time, just being a little boy and not having to worry about us adults for a while! After that we went shopping in Newbury Street and headed back in the direction of the hotel through lovely public gardens. There was a moving floral tribute to the victims of 9/11. So sad to see so many names inscribed in the stone. One of the planes that hit the World Trade Center had left from Boston that fateful morning. We moved on towards the city centre, past an old burial ground that housed the bones of the likes of Samuel Adams, Paul Revere and other influential figures around the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And we thought Sam Adams was just a beer! We checked out of the hotel and drove north to the idyllic town and island of Marblehead. The homes and properties here were just beyond belief, soooo beautiful (I use that word a lot, don’t I?). But it was a beautiful day and after ogling the architecture and strange topiary we stopped for lunch at a seafood restaurant right on the water. It was a fair wait but hey, where else were we going on a sunny Thursday afternoon! Full of clam chowder, beer and fish and chips we drove north again along the coast through Salem (no witches) and to Kennebunk and Kennebunkport, the latter boasting the impressive holiday home of the Bush family. The sun was setting over the Atlantic and little boats headed for home. We did the same.

Day 9 Friday 14th September. This morning Martin, James and I drove into Freeport (wrong side of the road and everything!) and once again hit the shops. Included in our purchases was another bag so as to carry all this stuff home! After lunch (salmon and cream cheese bagels) Howard went out in the dinghy and brought their yacht ‘Wicked Good’ up to the jetty. At about 4pm we secured James into a life jacket and set sail. It’s a very long time since Martin and I have sailed, and this was James’ first time out. It was wonderful and relaxing and the salt and fresh air and sails whipped around us. James was actually more interested in the cabin below and where things were kept – fridge, tomato sauce, torches. Lots of hidey holes down there! We sailed out to Diamond Island where the American forces of the D-Day landings departed from. We felt we’d just come full circle, having been on the beaches of Normandy only a couple of weeks earlier. The army barracks on Diamond Island have been restored and are now private homes. James discovered the island’s fire station and was treated to a sit in the restored old truck. We had dinner at the one restaurant there, Martin enjoying the bright red lobster – eek! For the sail home, James and I bunked down in the boats bow which was a very snug bedroom! Sorry Howard, I mean stateroom! James and I lay and looked up into the night sky as the waves gently rocked us, and after talking non-stop for about 10 minutes he finally ran out of steam and fell asleep! Such an exciting day!

Day 10 Saturday 15th September. Our last morning in Maine. We visited Jenny and Howard’s friends, George and Greta in their charming old home in Freeport. After lunch (how can we still be eating?!) we packed only to find out flight back to JFK was delayed. Anyway, after much frantic planning and a few phone calls we were on our way home.

We have had the best fun on this trip, and looking back we can’t believe we fit so much in! Thanks also to our family for your hospitality, and for making it a most memorable and enjoyable holiday. Now for a rest…!