After a wonderful few days in Chicago, it was coming up for our last few days in the States =( We boarded yet another plane and headed back to Boston for another few days with Lynne and Ralph.
It was a Thursday and Lynne had taken the afternoon as well as the Friday off work. After chillaxing on the deck overlooking 'the pond', Lynne and Ralph took us for a drive to Rockport and Gloucester. It was a lovely sunny day for exploring these coastal fishing towns. In Gloucester we saw the memorial to the fisherman of Gloucester who had lost their lives to the sea and also remembering the widows and orphans that were left behind. In Rockport we tried real Salt Water Taffy! It's quite Chewy but also quite more-ish!
The next day we took a drive to visit Tarryn and Killian and their family. Tarryn is Lynne's oldest daughter and Justin's cousin. Tarryn and Killian live in Maine, about a two hour drive from Lynne and Ralph, and have 3 children; Fynne (6), Leif (almost 5), and Nula (almost 1). The drive up to Maine followed the same route as the trip we did to Kennybunkport the first weekend we were in Boston. The trees had changed much in the intervening three weeks and were much more colourful now but not at their peak yet according to the leaf peepers.
Some of the autumn colours
Upon arrival at Tarryn's we were enthusiastically greeted by Gus, the X terrier. We had some time before Fynne and Leif got back from school so we went to take a look at the local fair! It was a gloomy rainy day but that wasn't going to keep us away! Fun fair rides, home grown vegetables on show, home bred animals on show, hand made crafts for sale, fluffy bunnies and sheep for sale and of course, corn dogs! All things that make up a typical American fair! Dad Cross was brave enough to try a corn dog: a hot dog sausage deep fried in a corn batter.
When Fynne and Leif got home from school there was suddenly much more activity in the house! Two small children and a baby make for a busy afternoon! We had fun building puzzles and playing games with Fynne and Leif. Killian came home from work and we enjoyed a lovely dinner together as a family; beef and beer stew, perfect for the chilly gloomy weather. We had a lovely afternoon hanging out with and getting to know the McCarthy family. It was so great to see and meet you all! Hope we can meet up again soon =)
Fynne, Leif and Justin building a cardboard windmill
Lynne and Nula
Tarryn and Fynne and the finished windmill
Bron getting gaming tips from Leif
Dad, above, and Ralph, below, hanging out with Nula
And then suddenly and all too soon, it was our last full day with Lynne and Ralph in Boston and in America. After a slower start we headed South to Newport in Rhode Island. Newport is a coastal and was the playground of the wealthy during the gilded age. There are many massive mansions in Newport. The upkeep of these mansions is just too expensive so they are not privately owned anymore. An organisation maintains and looks after them. We did a self-guided audio tour of The Breakers, the mansion built by Cornelius Vaderbilt as his family's Summer home. Wow, what an immaculate and massive home! No expense was spared. One of the receiving rooms even has platinum as part of the decoration on the walls. The bedrooms, however, are relatively simply furnished compared to the rest of the house. The audio guide depicted the Venderbilt family as a down to earth and wholesome family. We tried to imagine what Summers might have been like here as a privileged family member and as a servant.
The Breakers
After our visit to the Breakers we wandered about Newport a bit and enjoyed a lovely lunch at the restaurant connected to the tennis museum. We explored the coast a bit before heading back to Boston. In the evening we all went out for a lovely Italian last dinner together. The last few days of our trip had been much cooler than the beginning of the trip and prepared us for our return to the Netherlands.
The tennis court in the center of the tennis museum
Sunday was a lazy last day before the epic travelling back started. Lynne and Bronwen did some last minute shopping for craft and baby gifts, while Dad Cross and Justin packed and hung out with Ralph. Lynne and Ralph prepared a lovely roast chicken and cranberry sauce lunch for us. And then it was time to head to the airport =( Thanks for having us and looking after us so well Lynne and Ralph! We had a really lovely time. We saw and did so much, thanks for everything! Justin and Bronwen flew to Amsterdam via Reykjavik and Dad Cross flew to London via Reykjavik for another week with friends.
And then it was time for back to work after a month of leave =( It was pretty tough going getting back to work and dealing with jet lag! On the way to the States we didn't struggle with the change in time but coming back took a long time to adjust! It feels so counter intuitive but it is true, flying West is much easier to adjust than flying East.
More than a month has passed since our holiday and we are adjusted to the work week. It is much cooler now and it is dark by 5pm. It is super hard getting used to the short days =(
This weekend Justin went to Dublin to watch SA vs Ireland in the rugby with Graham while Bron went to London for a long weekend with her sister Michelle. More about our fun weekends away next time!
Have a good week!
X
No comments:
Post a Comment