Serious Play In Boothbay
22 August 2011 | Boothbay, Maine
Dede
My cousin Vinny.... {actually Vincent, but I couldn't resist}, a gifted artist formerly of NYC now living in the bucolic Hudson Valley has a show opening this weekend called "Serious Play" (Vincent Pomilio, Carrie Haddad Gallery, 622 Warren Street, Hudson, NY 12534; exhibition runs through September 18, 2011). SERIOUS PLAY - it strikes me that this is not only an awesome title for his vibrant works but also an awesome possibility for this cruising couple. For David and me "Down East" in Boothbay, Maine, our last 3 days have been just that.
At this point in our travels - no doubt aided by the day's perfect blue skies and the comfortable familiarity of being in a single harbor for a run of days - Boothbay strikes me as THE quintessential Maine port - shall I say, a potentially serious playground. Boothbay is quaint with a capital Q. It so quaint, so perfect, it is almost Disneyesque - "Maine" Street USA: obligatory general store, town square abuzz with local craft show, faux log cabin bowling alley (really?), lobster shacks aside those offering whale watching excursions, clapboard cottages with colorful summer gardens, historical society amidst art galleries, sailboats (and lobster pots) of all shapes and designs dotting the picturesque port, all as the bells from the statuesque Our Lady Queen of Peace Catholic Church ring out as if to sanctify the entire harbor. Not only is the port amazing, but to further enhance my experience in this idyllic place, I will again connect with family - first my cousin, Fran (FYI - I am from a huge Italian family and have 44 blood cousins) and then....OUR KIDS ARE COMING IN!
Fran and her husband Ken, renting a cottage on nearby Sawyer Island, offer the ultimate treat to a cruising couple and invite us to spend the night in their extra room, complete with king sized bed! This adorable, freshly renovated vintage cottage sits strategically on a grassy slope surrounded on three sides by water. We abbreviate the house tour for now as we have arrived barely in time for dusk's upcoming show. From the perfectly perched porch, glasses of wine in hand, we gather and take in the brilliant dazzle of the resplendent sunset reflected off the natural architecture of this cozy cove - pinch me.
After a festive evening spent with Fran, Ken and the kids, David and I gratefully return the favor the following day with a day sail for all on Andiamo. We delight in the genuine enthusiasm of our crowd, none of whom have ever been on any boat, much less a sailboat. The three teenage girls especially enjoy the novelty of our catamaran's trampoline and predictably screech in unison when splashed by the wake of the first passing power boat. We grown-ups are entertained equally by those stunning coastal views and by Margie, our engaging, loquacious 5-year-old crewmate. How lucky are we to once again (as with Karl's gang last week) have such a perfect sailing day in defiance of Maine's reputation for fog and cold! Serious play, seriously.
OK back to work. With our kids coming in for a whole week, Dave and I really need to regroup and ready ourselves and the boat for our extended "guests". NOT! Rather David and I heed our newest first-order cruising principle - play while the weather permits. For me, play invariably means exercise ashore, so we once again dinghy into the town dock with our bikes, tie up, unload and begin cycling out to "not-to-be-missed" Ocean Point at the tip of East Boothbay. For us Florida flatlanders, it is a surprisingly hilly ride. Our 17 mile circuit takes us along former country roads now busy as Routes 27 and 96. We pass both fit out-of-towners jogging the hills as well as families strolling leisurely while corralling toddlers and pets. Approaching the Point, we peddle by increasing numbers of cottages and seaside inns - many with family names alluding to a long tradition, perhaps generations of summer gatherings. When we finally reach the stone-walled peninsula, I am thinking that if I were not already winded from the ride, the panoramic views down the extensive harbor would surely have taken my breath away.... On our way back, hungry from the hills, we justify a lobster roll lunch and chow down under the umbrellas at The Lobster Wharf on the east side of the harbor before walking our bikes over the wooden footbridge spanning the bay and returning to our boat. Gorgeous skies, exhilarating ride, stunning views, satiating food; Serious play, and serious joy, indeed.
Muscles worked and stomachs full, NOW we are content to spend the remainder of our day gussying up the boat, tending to laundry and, of all things - a first ever - doing my roots! A fancy salon girl from way back, I, surprisingly, feel only mildly ridiculous as passing boats glimpse David applying this goop to my head. Is my ease just due to my anonymity in this port? Or could it be that, only a couple weeks into cruising and coming off this 3 day high, I have willingly relinquished my privacy and ceded my vanity? For us here in Boothbay, it seems a fair trade for the freedom and pleasure of all day, everyday serious play. {For those back home at serious work, sorry for the rub}.
Can't wait to do some serious playing with Katie and Eric in Bar Harbor....