September 2-22                       North Kingstown, Rhode Island

Labor Day weekend was rainy until Monday when we finally could enjoy the holiday activities.  The dock was crowded with boat owners and guests, the boats were busy arriving from and departing for the bay and the kayaks, paddleboards and dinghies necessitated a sharp eye to avoid collisions.  We loved watching all of it from our aft deck.

John and Maria Carpenter, our neighbors in the 70’ Hatteras, joined us for dinner.  David had made a delicious beef tenderloin with a mushroom sauce and new potatoes.  Maria brought a wonderful fruit and sorbet parfait for dessert.  Delicious food and interesting conversation made a most enjoyable evening.

With great excitement, we happily welcomed our granddaughter, Kennedy to the boat on September 16. After a four-hour delay in DC, she finally arrived about 9:00 PM, hungry and tired but eager to see and learn about Rhode Island.  I was ready for her!  Tickets had been booked for three of the fabulous Newport Mansions, The Breakers, The Marble House and Rough Point, the home of Doris Duke.  After a required visit to The Black Dog shop in downtown Newport, we hurriedly avoided the crowds gathered for the Newport Boat Show and headed for Bellevue Avenue and Ocean Drive.  Kennedy, as expected, was awed by the opulence and magnificence of the homes.  As an employee of one of the leading interior decorators in Texas, she was perceptive and appreciative of the extraordinary details in designs and furnishings. 

After a long day, we enjoyed dinner on the aft deck with steamed lobsters and corn—the traditional New England feast.  Saturday began with David’s delicious frittata, followed by shopping in Wickford.  Kennedy found several lovely additions to her wardrobe which she vowed would be perfect for the busy weeks ahead as she assists her boss at the Dallas Designer Show House.  Dinner was at the local favorite, The Coast Guard House in Narragansett.  We enjoyed great seafood as we watched huge waves crashing onto the rocks outside our window.

Sunday came too soon!  Kennedy enjoyed a leisurely morning with a pancake breakfast and a two-mile run through the adjacent neighborhood before packing for her return trip.  She is eager to return with Taft, her husband, next year to experience more of the wonderful life in Rhode Island.

Impulsively, on September 9, we booked a trip to Paris and a river boat cruise in Provence with an emphasis on foods and wines of the region.  We have hurriedly made all additional arrangements (including a sitter for Pretzel, our dog).  We will drive to JFK on September 22 and leave for Paris that evening.  We will return to JFK on October 5 and resume our stay on The Bottom Line until October 13 when we fly to Texas.

 

 

 

 

 

August 29-September 1                    Boston, Massachusetts

 

No trip to Boston would be complete without a visit to its exceptional museums.  Jill and I planned to go on Saturday to the Museum of Fine Arts and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.  Jerry graciously agreed to be our chauffeur.  We would see the Gardner first as Jill had not been there.  At the door, we learned no additional visitors would be allowed that day, however, when I mentioned my docent status at the Kimbell Art Museum, we were quickly ushered in without charge.  We were ecstatic!!

The museum is housed in an Italianate home built to exhibit Mrs. Gardner’s enormous collection of artifacts on three floors with an atrium in the center.  Mrs. Gardner’s will specified everything must remain as is at the time of her death. Almost one hundred years later, significant maintenance and other needs were reasons for legal re-interpretation of the will.  Improved lighting, extensive cleaning, replacement of frayed and faded wall coverings and a grand addition by Renzo Piano providing a lovely café, bookshop, library and additional space for exhibitions were carefully built adjacent and adjoining the original building without altering the design.

 Jill and I slowly perused the galleries and were fascinated by the woman who had defied Boston society, competed with Rockefeller and Morgan in art acquisitions and exuberantly enjoyed being a woman of great intelligence and wealth. Mrs. Gardner’s museum has withstood the criticism and changes and is a Boston treasure.  

Serendipitously, we learned a small exhibition was open of Titian masterpieces from the Prado, the National Gallery and other museums which had joined the Gardner’s own The Rape of Europa, the first Titian to come to the United States.  We decided to forego the MFA visit and see instead the Titian exhibition. It was a wise choice and we were enthralled to be encircled by a display of some of the greatest paintings in the world.

David had remained on the boat and prepared dinner from the copious supply of food on board.  Jerry and Jill joined us and we enjoyed grilled salmon steaks on the aft deck with a view of Boston Harbor. 

Weather reports for Monday were not favorable so we changed plans for leaving on Sunday.  Instead, we had the opportunity to walk across the site of the former “Dig,” now an expanse of plants and small shops, to the Quincy Market area.  Numerous shops and restaurants in an historical setting was the attraction.  We bought cannolis and enjoyed the ambiance.

The wind was 5 kts on Tuesday and we left early from Boston Waterboat Marina.  Our trip to the Cape Cod Canal was smooth all the way.  We docked at Point Independence Yacht Club in Onset before 3:00 PM and were ready to see the town and have a late lunch.  Eddie, the dockmaster, graciously took us in his truck into the town, gave us a brief tour of the many Victorian homes and lovely beaches before leaving us at a recommended restaurant. 

After a delicious lunch, we opted to return to the boat by walking.  It was arduous at times but we enjoyed seeing the quaint neighborhoods.  The following morning, we left for Wickford with 8-10 kt winds.  Shortly after docking at our usual slip, the wind began to increase and by nine o’clock, we were subjected to torrential rain and wind that threatened to destroy our Bimini top.  After two hours, the storm subsided.  The next morning, we learned Rhode Island, New York and New Jersey had experienced Hurricane Ida, the same storm which had brought great damage to Louisiana.  New York and New Jersey had severe flooding and loss of many lives.  We were fortunate and remained safe without damage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

August 17-August 28                        Boston, Massachusetts

Hurricane Ida was causing considerable problems for residents of the Gulf Coast and seemed to be headed for New Orleans.  Weather in the Northeast remained pleasant and we finally planned our long-awaited voyage to Boston.  Last minute stern and bow thruster issues threatened a delay but capable shipyard help arrived with a needed part, made the repair and we departed the dock on a sunny day with little wind.

Our destination was Onset Safe Haven Marina, located in the charming Victorian village of Onset at the western end of the Cape Cod Canal.  Buzzards Bay was busy with numerous ferries, sailboats, commercial fishing vessels and tankers.  Our automatic pilot was efficient in holding the course but keen watchfulness and alertness were required to avoid a collision.

The following day, we left Onset before 9:00 AM, entered the Cape Cod Canal and sped through on an outgoing tide.  As always, the shores were crowded with campers, bicyclists and fishermen.  The bridges were already showing traffic congestion as folks were headed for Cape Cod.  The Atlantic Ocean part of our journey required an alert vigil to avoid the many lobster pots and fishing vessels.

At 3:00 PM, we docked at Boston Waterboat Marina, located in downtown Boston and only a few blocks from the condo of our good friend, Jerry.  We enjoy a spectacular view in the evenings from the bow of our boat.

We were invited to come early to Jerry's home and then to dinner later at a nearby restaurant.  Jerry’s place is on the tenth floor of a converted manufacturing building and has an unobstructed view of planes departing from nearby Logan Airport and boats and ferries covering Boston Harbor.  The view is fabulous and addictive—one could watch the scene for hours.

We always enjoy the company of Jerry and Jill and they graciously invited us to take a motor trip the following day to some of the lovely villages north of Boston. Jerry is an excellent tour guide and we saw the historical sights of Manchester-By-The-Sea, Marblehead, Salem, Beverly, Gloucester and Rockport.  The beaches and the streets were crowded.  I saw again Le Provence in Rockport where  David had found years ago a special nativity for our collection. and a bookstore in Manchester where I had met a most interesting shopkeeper.

 All of Jerry’s favorite restaurants and lobster pots were requiring long waiting times.  Finally, we stopped at The Village in Ipswich and enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner on a charming patio.

Pretzel, our long-haired miniature Dachshund accompanied us to dinner and literally “stole the show.”  Long conversations about dogs with waitstaff and other diners continued throughout dinner.   Pretzel modestly lay quietly by David’s shoes and basked in the adulation.