Travel: Summer in New England

I am just back from three weeks in New England and I thought I'd put pen to paper before the memory fades. I was completely overwhelmed by the beauty of the place and the proximity of nature and city reminded me of places like Vancouver and Cape Town, only different. The light was brighter than I've ever experienced before and I can understand why so many artists choose to make their home here.



We first spent a few days in Marblehead, MA, a picturesque coastal town close to Salem, north-east of Boston. This was a wonderful introduction to New England living. Our condo had an amazing view of Marblehead harbour and we spent many happy hours watching the boats sailing by. Marblehead had a wonderfully relaxed feel about the place and many of the buildings were of historic importance. There were lovely cafe's to while away the hours and some good restaurants too. The Barnacle was a favourite.


Our next stop was a lakeside cottage in rural Maine, which was breath-taking. This was a perfect place to really chill out and relax from the stresses and strains of the year. We swam, canoed and ate far too much good food. Our only day-trip was to Cape Elizabeth, where we lunched near the lighthouse (try the blue-berry pie - wow!) while the wild Atlantic crashed on the rocks below. Our time in Maine was over far too soon, but we're already planning our next trip.


The final leg of our journey took us to Cape Cod. We were based in the Mid-Cape which allowed us to take quite a few day-trips.  Provincetown in the north was fun and was like an American Brighton. We loved the spectacle of it all, but preferred Woods Hole at the other end of the Cape. The latter felt more like a university town, interspersed with fantastic restaurants. I think it also appealed to my sciencey geeky side, and I was thrilled when we visited the Woods Hole Aquarium, which explained a bit of Woods Hole's importance in the Marine Biology world. Of course any trip to Cape Cod would have to mention the sea and we definitely spent quite a bit of time on the beach. My absolute favourite was First Encounter Beach in Eastham which was amazing at sunset and low-tide. The sea went out for what felt like miles and we were able to explore the mud-flats and saw countless hermit-crabs, sand shrimp and even the odd flounder.


We returned, feeling more relaxed than we've been in years. Pop back tomorrow if you're interested in reading about my foodie experiences while I was away.

Till then,
Clementine.


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