OK, not sailing. I don’t know “aft” from “starboard” but I do know the difference from sailing and boating. Today it was boating – I just liked the slight alliteration of “sailing on the Somes.” But it’s more accurate to say that today I was tooling around Somes Sound.
After a bowl of cereal and a cup of tea, Joseph and I drove to Northeast Harbor to meet Joan and Peter at the dock. Peter is 92 now and he’s in fabulous shape! He’s only missed two summers at his Northeast Harbor home: one summer of WWII and the summer his spouse, Maggie, died.
Peter doesn’t drive the boat anymore and hires a captain. Rowan is tall, thin, quiet and, I think, around thirty. Oh, and cute!
The route got changed at the last minute because there was some rough water on that route. Peter was explaining, but it was fine with me. I don’t know how to swim. Yes, I know, I know. I should have learned. But my family only went to the beach. You can’t learn to swim on the Wildwood beaches!
Then, by the time we joined a swim club, I was more interested in boys and how I looked in my bathing suit than taking swimming lessons. And, now, I don’t like hanging around in chlorine water. So I don’t know how to swim, but…
Today was beautiful! The five of us tooled around Somes Sound for a couple hours. Rowan takes us through intimate coves, around the many lobster traps (this area is great for lobstering) and past the grand houses of people like Martha Stewart, the Rockefellers (David died this year and his house just sold for around $19million!), and Dick Wolf (creator of the Law and Order franchise).
We got back to the dock around 1pm. Peter and Joan couldn’t join us for lunch, so Joseph and I stopped for a lite lunch at The Docksider. I’m wondering if there is a new owner. It was different from the last time I was there – not as old-fashioned or as cozy. And our server was a young kid who seemed ten cents short of a dime. His service was very slow. He was very apologetic, and seemed like he was trying to catch up. But it seemed like Joseph that he was taking care of everyone else but us – and that really rankles Joseph!
However, lunch – when we finally got it – was very good. I had a fried haddock sandwich and it couldn’t have been fresher or tastier. I think I’ve gotten really spoiled with fish. When Ollie gives me lobster, it’s fresh out of the ocean. It’s the same with the crab in crab rolls and the haddock. When I have it here in Maine, it just cannot compare with anything I get in the West Chester – or even the whole Philly area. I hope we can go back there again before we leave – and I’ll get the exact same thing!
Joseph had a steak sandwich that he says was also excellent – and coming from a lover of a good Philly cheesesteak, that’s a big deal!
The rest of the day was back at the cottage. I’m working on getting final edited MS of The Five-Year Marriage™ to Donna.
