Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 August
Yesterday was another very lazy day by the pool - sadly my last, so I made the most of it!
In the evening we all (Lynn, Dana, Robin, Kyle, Danny and I) went over to Carolann and Kim's so that we could all spend it together. They got pizza in and we chatted and stayed for far longer than planned. Robin and I said our farewells and we made our way back for a reasonably early night.
Today, Robin and I got up at 5am as we had been advised to get going early to beat the Boston rush hour. To our (very pleasant) surprise, the whole family got up to see us off and we were on our way before 6am. It was already quite busy so it was just as well we left when we did - once we had got through Boston the traffic going the other way was already at a standstill at 6.30am!
So we had the long drive back to Arnprior, passing through New Hampshire and Vermont, across into Canada and through Québec into Ontario, arriving in Arnprior around 3pm. I had a rest for a couple of hours before Robin and I said our farewells - it has been so great to spend time with him. I decided I would head towards New York City and find somewhere to stay once I had got back into the US. So I am spending the night at the Rainbow Motel (last decorated c1975) in Watertown, New York State.
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Which witch?
Monday 2 August
I decided to take a trip up to Salem, where the witch trials took place in 1692. I went to the Witch History Museum, which consisted of a tour around various life-sized scenes depicting various events during the period of the hysteria. 19 people were hanged and another crushed to death for witchcraft before the governor's wife was accused - after that, the trials abruptly stopped!
I had lunch at a restaurant called Victoria Station which was on the wharf at the harbour in Salem before returning to Lynn's to find Robin still sitting by the pool...
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| Town Hall, Salem |
I had lunch at a restaurant called Victoria Station which was on the wharf at the harbour in Salem before returning to Lynn's to find Robin still sitting by the pool...
Monday, August 2, 2010
Family
Sunday 1 August
Flo's brother Ray and his wife Irene, who were visiting from Canada, joined us for breakfast - Larry is a mean pancake-maker!
We then went back over to Lynn and Dana's where they had organised a family get-together. So as well as my cousin Lynn, her husband Dana and their two boys Kyle and Danny, there was my other cousin Carolann, partner Kim and son Justin, Lynn and Carolann's half-sister Melanie, her husband Danny and their boys Donovan and Griffin. Of course there was also my Uncle Robin (Lynn and Carolann's Dad), as well as Lynn and Carolann's Mum Flo and her husband Larry, Flo's brother Ray and his wife Irene.
There were several keenly contested games of Baggo (you have to throw a little beanbag into a hole!) which Ray won hands down. The kids splashed around in the pool and the adults chatted over fantastic food produced by Lynn, Carolann and Flo. A really great day!
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| Flo, Larry and me |
We then went back over to Lynn and Dana's where they had organised a family get-together. So as well as my cousin Lynn, her husband Dana and their two boys Kyle and Danny, there was my other cousin Carolann, partner Kim and son Justin, Lynn and Carolann's half-sister Melanie, her husband Danny and their boys Donovan and Griffin. Of course there was also my Uncle Robin (Lynn and Carolann's Dad), as well as Lynn and Carolann's Mum Flo and her husband Larry, Flo's brother Ray and his wife Irene.
There were several keenly contested games of Baggo (you have to throw a little beanbag into a hole!) which Ray won hands down. The kids splashed around in the pool and the adults chatted over fantastic food produced by Lynn, Carolann and Flo. A really great day!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Catching up
Thursday 29, Friday 30 and Saturday 31 July
I haven't written anything for a few days so it's time to catch up!
On Thursday morning the weather wasn't too good - dull and rainy - so Robin, Lynn, Kyle, Danny and I went for a little shopping trip. They took me to the Bass Pro store, which is an extraordinary place that sells everything for the outdoors - hunting, fishing, sailing - you name it! It even has display tanks full of fish and turtles (not for sale, just for show!). I have never seen so many fishing rods in my life!
The store was near a big complex which includes the stadium where the New England Patriots football team play and we went for lunch at CBS Scene which is a themed restaurant with TVs playing CBS shows. By the time we got back the weather had improved so we spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool and when Dana got home we had our evening meal outside and later Robin, Dana and I went to one of the local hostelries for a drink.
Friday was the laziest day of the trip so far - we just lazed by the pool. When Dana got home from what sounded like a stressful at work we told him that the most stressful part of our day was walking from the sun-lounger to the pool... He wasn't impressed... After dinner we went out to meet my other cousin Carolann, her partner Kim and her son Justin for ice cream and Robin went home with them to stay for a couple of nights.
On Saturday Lynn, Dana, Kyle, Danny and I got up early to go into Boston for the Duck Tour. It was great - the driver/guide was an Irishman who, true to form, talked non-stop for an hour and a half. He was full of information about all the sights and the novelty of going from the road to the water was great. After the tour we wandered up through the public gardens and Boston Common in glorious sunshine and on to Faneuil Hall for lunch.
We returned home and I went over to Florence and Larry's. Flo is Lynn and Carolann's Mum and they live in Braintree. We went over to have a drink at Carolann and Kim's - the first time I had seen their house, which is a beautiful detached property in a nice quiet area. Flo, Larry and I went for a Thai meal and I stayed over at their house.
I haven't written anything for a few days so it's time to catch up!
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| Inside the Bass Pro store. Yes, this is a shop! |
The store was near a big complex which includes the stadium where the New England Patriots football team play and we went for lunch at CBS Scene which is a themed restaurant with TVs playing CBS shows. By the time we got back the weather had improved so we spent the rest of the afternoon by the pool and when Dana got home we had our evening meal outside and later Robin, Dana and I went to one of the local hostelries for a drink.
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| Lazing by the pool |
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| Boston from the Duck Tour |
We returned home and I went over to Florence and Larry's. Flo is Lynn and Carolann's Mum and they live in Braintree. We went over to have a drink at Carolann and Kim's - the first time I had seen their house, which is a beautiful detached property in a nice quiet area. Flo, Larry and I went for a Thai meal and I stayed over at their house.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
On the road again
Wednesday 28 July
We left Arnprior for the drive to North Easton, Massachusetts just before 10am and travelled through Ontario and into Québec. It was interesting to see all the signposts in French but not so interesting to be caught in the Montréal traffic!
After Montréal the highway stopped and the road was just a two-way road (thankfully traffic-free) to the border. We got out and had a look around the duty free shop and then went across the border. I had no problem as I got my passport stamped when I arrived in Seattle and it's good for 90 days. Robin also has a British passport and we had to get out so he could fill out a visa waiver form. After a bit of waiting around we were on our way again and into Vermont.
The drive through Vermont and New Hampshire was spectacular - miles of forests and hills and mountains.
We got into Massachusetts just in time to hit the Boston rush hour and so were delayed by about half an hour but we eventually got to my cousin Lynn's house at about 7.30pm.
Lynn's husband Dana was there to meet us with their nine-year-old son Danny and about five minutes Lynn came in having picked up their other son Kyle (who's eleven) from karate.
They have done a lot of alterations since I was last here in 2005 and the place is stunning with a wonderful pool and hot tub outside as well as an extended kitchen inside. After dinner we got into the hot tub and sat and chatted until late. What a great way to recover from a long drive!
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| My rental car - a Chevrolet Impala - parked in Arnprior |
After Montréal the highway stopped and the road was just a two-way road (thankfully traffic-free) to the border. We got out and had a look around the duty free shop and then went across the border. I had no problem as I got my passport stamped when I arrived in Seattle and it's good for 90 days. Robin also has a British passport and we had to get out so he could fill out a visa waiver form. After a bit of waiting around we were on our way again and into Vermont.
The drive through Vermont and New Hampshire was spectacular - miles of forests and hills and mountains.
We got into Massachusetts just in time to hit the Boston rush hour and so were delayed by about half an hour but we eventually got to my cousin Lynn's house at about 7.30pm.
Lynn's husband Dana was there to meet us with their nine-year-old son Danny and about five minutes Lynn came in having picked up their other son Kyle (who's eleven) from karate.
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| Robin, Danny, me, Dana and Kyle |
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Ottawa
Tuesday 27 July
We set off for the 45-minute drive to the Canadian capital and had a clear run all the way. We parked up near the Parliament building. We decided to do a river cruise and went down to the locks which link the Rideau Canal to the Ottawa River to get on board.
The boat gently sailed up the wide river in gorgeous sunshine and we had great views of the Parliament building and other notable buildings but mainly the riverside was green and it was easy to forget we were in a city.
After a pint in an Irish pub we went for a wander around the outside of the Parliament building. Robin had never been here despite living in Canada for over 40 years! The building is very imposing in a Victorian gothic style and surrounded by statues of the great and the good.
As the temperature was around 30C we decided to get back in the car and head back to Arnprior.
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| Canadian Parliament, Ottawa |
The boat gently sailed up the wide river in gorgeous sunshine and we had great views of the Parliament building and other notable buildings but mainly the riverside was green and it was easy to forget we were in a city.
After a pint in an Irish pub we went for a wander around the outside of the Parliament building. Robin had never been here despite living in Canada for over 40 years! The building is very imposing in a Victorian gothic style and surrounded by statues of the great and the good.
As the temperature was around 30C we decided to get back in the car and head back to Arnprior.
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