August 7 - 9, 2015
Cumberland, RI & Mystic, CT
Say "bunting!!!" |
On the eave of our departure, Scott was very busy with the usual month-end close at Nespresso and so we got a late start on Thursday evening; after a speedy, 15-minute Uber ride to the LaGuardia Avis location, we set off for New England in our little, silver Kia right around 10 pm. While we would have liked to have been able to leave earlier, departing at that late hour gave us the advantage of very light traffic on the trip up I-95 and it proved to be an easy, 3-hour drive. We arrived at Roger and Margo's promptly at 1 am, to a welcoming committee of Roger and the four resident cats, who were all very curious to see who these midnight visitors were!
On Friday morning, after a rather brief night's sleep (for my taste, at any rate!), Roger prepared a delightful breakfast of potatoes fried with onions and scrambled eggs topped with a deliciously sharp, white cheddar cheese. Enjoyed on Margo and Roger's pleasant patio on this gorgeous summer day, the food tasted extra scrumptious and definitely made getting out of bed after too little sleep worth our while!
After our leisurely morning meal, the four of us filled our afternoon with a short, but pleasant hike at a park near the house, followed by an enjoyable, if abbreviated, pub crawl (we only made it to two establishments - I know we can do better next time!). Our first stop was at The Grange in Providence, a very cute and trendy vegetarian restaurant, where we ran into Roger's longtime friend Joe and his charming wife Pam. The men ordered beers, Margo had an iced tea and I selected a lovely French rosé, all of which were enjoyed over a shared order of perfectly seasoned pommes frites, while chatting with Joe and Pam.
After leaving Providence, our mini-pub crawl took us to the marina where Roger keeps his sailboat in dry dock while he decides what to do with it. We checked on the boat and used the convenient restrooms before we continued on to Bristol for a stroll along the very picturesque waterfront there. Before long, our stroll found us settling in at an outdoor table at Aidan's Pub for more beer (this time a tasty sauv blanc for me), along with a lovely house-smoked salmon plate and an order of lightly fried calamari.
Bristol waterfront |
Following another breakfast on the patio, Saturday's activities began with a trip to the local farmers' market, in order to pick up raw, local oysters for later. Mmmm mmmm!
At the local farmers' market - oysters, check! |
Melanie and Dracen joined us for lunch and catching up. |
After lunch, and once we were finished enjoying the cats enjoying the garden (and slow-motion video-ing the athletic Chester jumping out of the garden...repeatedly - ha), our party of six went for a pleasant stroll on the Blackstone River Valley bike path. While on our walk, we enjoyed spying cute little painter turtles swimming and diving in the water and watching the birds swoop among the trees on yet another perfect summer day.
Zephyr and Chester, enjoying their garden enclosure |
A delightful evening at Costentino's Venda on DePasquale Square |
After saying farewell to Roger and Margo, we slowly made our way home, making a couple of brief but enjoyable stops along the way. Upon the recommendation of an old college friend, we shared a wonderful seafood lunch (more oysters!) and a (too short) stroll in Mystic, CT, followed by a brief walk-about on Yale University's summer-quiet campus in New Haven, CT, both of which were conveniently right on our route back to New York.
Lunch with a view at S&P Oyster Company - life is good! |
More photos:
Lovely Bristol, RI |
Cosi, Queen of the Cat Tree |
That sweet girl, Tika |
At the local farmers' market, picking up our oysters |
Zephyr, in the garden |
Zephyr, Rhode Island's most handsome loverboy! |
Chester, in a relaxed mood...prior to his many escapes |
Enjoying Roger and Margo's unofficial - and free! - petting zoo! |
Family portrait, featuring classic Rhode Island bunting |
Strolling the Blackstone River Valley Bike Trail |
Admiring the tranquil river on the Blackstone River Valley Bike Trail |
Dracen loves a free shoulder ride! |
Dracen and his entourage on the Blackstone River Valley Bike Trail |
Scott makes friends everywhere he goes! (His secret? Helicopter videos on Youtube!) |
Our delightful host and hostess with the mostest treated us to a wonderful meal at Costentino's Venda on Federal Hill in Providence |
Charming Mystic, CT |
Although cloudy and cool when we left Rhode Island, the weather in Mystic was positively idyllic |
Lovely Mystic in August: I could get used to this! |
Classic New England - Mystic, CT |
Seaside lunch spot! |
Artistic olive oil and balsamic swirl at S&P Oyster Company |
We couldn't have asked for a nicer day for lunch on the water! |
Of course we had to get oysters! |
Scott's crab Louis sandwich was ones of the special's of the day |
For once, I managed to out-order Scott. It may not look like much, but my baked seafood ambrosia with a side of green beans and corn was absolutely superb! Kudos, S&P! |
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