Bristol By The Bay
06/08/16 07:04
Buenos Dias from Bristol, RI. It's a pristine Wednesday here in Bristol by the bay and the morning air is cool and refreshing. The streets are coming alive slowly and as I sit here in the local bagel shop the various odors and aromas from freshly baked bagels fill the air making me want one or more before I leave. Listening to people place their orders I'm amused by the humor coming out of the mouths of people who are just barely awake but seemingly coherent enough to place their orders. One fella wanted a couple of dozen bagels but needed to make sure that the order contained the cranberry walnut bagel that he was charged with collecting once at the store. Another couple are speaking with a thick middle eastern accent and not being a world traveler I'm left to wonder if they have bagels in the Middle East and, if so, is this simply an extension of an otherwise early morning ritual or something more novel and unique to being in a western culture. There are long moments where I hear nothing but the humming of refrigeration units and soft music that fills the morning air like nectar. A family unit now occupies the three chairs in front of me but outside the shop and facing a slow parade of cars and passing pedestrians on their way to God only knows where. I don't wish I had a bagel and I have no intention of ordering one either for myself or for Nancy who is probably still in bed back at the hotel. She was awake and watching "I love Lucy" when I left but I wouldn't be surprised to see her appear here at the shop given that she is not one to lay around for long when an otherwise busy day awaits.
We have been traveling far and wide this year looking for bike paths to ride on and we've been lucky in that the paths we've found have been exceptional. Not sure about the path here in Bristol. It is long enough but it may be too congested and I guess we'll find out before the day is out since we expect to ride early. We walked down to the path last night and noticed that it had a line going down the middle of the path where bikes were relegated to one side while the other was designated for walkers, etc. It is possible that once we're away from the local areas on the path we may see the density decline and that would be fine with me. It is 15 miles or so in one direction and towards the end it cross crosses city streets and it may otherwise be too jerky to enjoy so we may want to cut the ride short just to bypass that section. That would make for a 30 mile ride which is a bit more extended that Nancy is accustomed to and pushing the limits to what I might find enjoyable. The key is probably getting out early to avoid the crowds and the heat of the day. Yes, the heat of the day can take all the fun out of a ride if it turns relentless and intemperate.
Nancy seems to enjoy being here if I may say so. It may have more to do with her being away from home and all the responsibilities that await her there or it may have to do with her being in her backyard of her youth. Not that she has been here before because she has not but she is a stone's throw away from where she spent her formative years in southern Massachusetts and that has to count for something. I'm inclined to defer to her decision making on everything from restaurant choices to stores she wants to visit although I may well elect to wait outside or not otherwise join her in going to certain stores. This is her vacation and I'm just along for the ride but making my own way when and where I can. Being here in this shop doing what I like to do when I like to do it is my own personal exercise of personal freedom so I'm satisfied as satisfied can be that carving out my own time is just as important as giving Nancy her own time so that is what we'll do.
Bristol seems nice enough. It is on the ocean so what can go wrong? It reminds me a lot of Portsmouth, NH, I suppose in that there are wonderful shops and restaurants, places to visit on foot and by car if necessary, and views that can take your breath away of the oceans majesty and the various industries that you might otherwise expect to find along the coast replete with fishing vessels, sailboats, and a local population of stewards that live and work by and on the sea. The juxtaposition of the crusty seaman and their sturdy but surly fishing vessels and the various and sundry shops that are otherwise dainty and festive is an interesting one. Both attract the tourists but for different reasons and both tolerate the seasonal swarms of passerby's with a parched indifference. The ocean views here in Bristol and by far more exceptional and expansive than those found in Portsmouth NH and there are trappings of wealth evident in the homes along the bay and on the back streets here in Bristol that are otherwise muted or nonexistent in Portsmouth.
So there you have it. Nancy and I rode our bikes 31 miles yesterday here in Bristol. If you've never had a 31 mile bike ride the you should know that it was a real challenge to complete the ride especially so as the end of the trail came within focus. Not sure how long it took but it was a normal ride in terms of intensity and effort so seeing much of that intensity wane toward the end was not all that surprising. What was surprising was the complete destruction and depletion of energy stores that I had at the start of the ride. Not sure how you prepare for that. Maybe I should have had more of a breakfast. It seems I spent the rest of the day looking for ways to get energy back into each and every cell of my being. I wanted nothing more than to feel normal again. I tried resting and that helped. I ordered a Reuben sandwich at the Bumble Bee Cafe around mid noon and washed it down with an iced coffee looking for even more relief. I looked forward to an ice cream later in the day since there was no doubt in my mind that there were sweet cells in my body that got tapped as well on this extraordinary jaunt of ours and those cells too were not to be ignored. So I did all that and had a nice seafood stew muddled in a coconut milk mixture for dinner overlooking the bay and that too went down easy and perhaps even a little easier and a little faster than it might other have gone down. I would hasten to remind you that these are things that I would ordinarily avoid. The fatty, sugar saturated, but delicious and rejuvenating calories that while spectacular are those I would prefer to avoid.
There will be no bike ride today. Perhaps later when we are back in NH but not this morning and not now as I sit here in this oh-so-nice cafe with all the hustle and bustle of a bagel joint that is just getting up and running for the day. The sleepy eyed patrons seem to be regulars based on the tone and inflection of their interactions with the woman behind the counter. It is idle but affectionate banter meant to demonstrate familiarity and friendship but not enough to take the worked off her game and away from the activities that at the end of the day fill the cash register and allow the shop to continue on its journey filling the stomachs, desires, and peculiarities of its patrons.
We've confined our activities to those we could reach within walking distance of the hotel and that has worked out well. It has provided us with a somewhat myopic view of this wonderful area, our bike ride aside, but it seems that everything we need and even desire is within walking distance so that was fine. I feel like we are back on an even keel today after a very strenuous and tasking day yesterday. That is a preliminary view of course and the day is young but we are hopeful and the day is long so things can certainly change. We decided against eating at one restaurant last evening because the air conditioning was not working and we were otherwise surprised that there were as many people seated in the restaurant as were there under the conditions. It wasn't sweltering but there was a density of air about the place that hung heavy and was not otherwise inviting. We might have even opted to sit in the sun on the terrace and might have had we not had the kind of day we had yesterday. The sun was not relentless on our ride thanks to the several stretches of shade we encountered but the constant stops and somewhat rutty condition of the trail made for a less than stellar ride.
Don't even ask how it is that Nancy forget her sneakers on this epic journey of ours here in Bristol RI. I even asked her at one point before we left if she needed her sneakers and she said emphatically that she did not. What in god's name was she thinking? She also paid scant attention to making sure that we had enough cash on hand to pay for the incidental things we might come across in our journey so as we sit here on our last day we face the prospects of paying the maid by adding the tip to our credit card instead of leaving cash on the table which is what most people do under the circumstances. I was a little surprised as well that she failed to remember that we had watched a movie that we had indeed see and not all that long ago.
In our hunkered down state yesterday we decided that watching a movie in our hotel room was just what the doctor ordered so we watched "The Man From Uncle." I was half paying attention but I realized in short order that we had watched this particular movie before and I said as much to Nancy as she lay next to me. She looked at me with vacant eyes and disputed that which I thought to be obvious but I was too tired to be insistent so just gave her an incredulous look and soon thereafter fell asleep. She admitted somewhat sheepishly a little later on that she did remember seeing it although that was not obvious at the outset of the movie. "Perhaps we had missed the beginning of the movie when we say it", she proclaimed quizzically. I thought that unlikely. Neither of us could remember when and where we had seen the movie although we reached consensus on the fact that it was more than likely we had seen it within the last year and half or so.
In a telephone conversation yesterday with both her mom and our son she cleared away a few things that had been on her mind. Her mom received yet another sign from the baby Jesus that it was indeed time to go to River Woods. The fire alarm in her house went off and she couldn't get it to stop so she phoned the local fire department and they came and attended to the matter. The explanation given was that the alarm was located near a ceiling fan and particles from the fan likely blew into the alarm setting off. Nonetheless, it was a sign that she had asked for and so now it was clear. She was moving ahead with plans to sell her home and relocate to Exeter, NH, where she planned to spend her remaining time on terra firma. She is a young and vibrant 86 years of age so there is nothing terminal about the decision but it is a decision that was a long time coming and now seems to be a good a time as any so there you have it. She mentioned to Nancy that she had gotten a 2 month pass for Debbie so she could arrange to take things to the local landfill. I think Nancy took exception to her remark in that it was a no-confidence vote in Nancy's ability to assist with those matters involving the moving of items to the local landfill. The subtleties of familial interrelationships are nothing to scoff at and all should be take seriously when brought into the light of day. I assured her that her mother meant no offense and she should take none from the comment since none was intended. You can dismiss those matters until the cows come home but still you know as I do that vestiges of such conversations remain behind for years in the memory of both children and adults alike. Such is life.
The discussion with Evan was less subtle and infinitely more abbreviated. It had more to do with what he was eating, what he had for plans for school in the Fall, and what his more immediate plans were for the next 24 hours. I'm not sure he needed to hear from us but he wanted to make sure that we called the following day well in advance of arriving home so he could have the proper notice of our arrival in the event he needed to plan for such things. Quite possibly he would ask that we stop somewhere to get his something to eat and that is something we were prepared to do.
We have been traveling far and wide this year looking for bike paths to ride on and we've been lucky in that the paths we've found have been exceptional. Not sure about the path here in Bristol. It is long enough but it may be too congested and I guess we'll find out before the day is out since we expect to ride early. We walked down to the path last night and noticed that it had a line going down the middle of the path where bikes were relegated to one side while the other was designated for walkers, etc. It is possible that once we're away from the local areas on the path we may see the density decline and that would be fine with me. It is 15 miles or so in one direction and towards the end it cross crosses city streets and it may otherwise be too jerky to enjoy so we may want to cut the ride short just to bypass that section. That would make for a 30 mile ride which is a bit more extended that Nancy is accustomed to and pushing the limits to what I might find enjoyable. The key is probably getting out early to avoid the crowds and the heat of the day. Yes, the heat of the day can take all the fun out of a ride if it turns relentless and intemperate.
Nancy seems to enjoy being here if I may say so. It may have more to do with her being away from home and all the responsibilities that await her there or it may have to do with her being in her backyard of her youth. Not that she has been here before because she has not but she is a stone's throw away from where she spent her formative years in southern Massachusetts and that has to count for something. I'm inclined to defer to her decision making on everything from restaurant choices to stores she wants to visit although I may well elect to wait outside or not otherwise join her in going to certain stores. This is her vacation and I'm just along for the ride but making my own way when and where I can. Being here in this shop doing what I like to do when I like to do it is my own personal exercise of personal freedom so I'm satisfied as satisfied can be that carving out my own time is just as important as giving Nancy her own time so that is what we'll do.
Bristol seems nice enough. It is on the ocean so what can go wrong? It reminds me a lot of Portsmouth, NH, I suppose in that there are wonderful shops and restaurants, places to visit on foot and by car if necessary, and views that can take your breath away of the oceans majesty and the various industries that you might otherwise expect to find along the coast replete with fishing vessels, sailboats, and a local population of stewards that live and work by and on the sea. The juxtaposition of the crusty seaman and their sturdy but surly fishing vessels and the various and sundry shops that are otherwise dainty and festive is an interesting one. Both attract the tourists but for different reasons and both tolerate the seasonal swarms of passerby's with a parched indifference. The ocean views here in Bristol and by far more exceptional and expansive than those found in Portsmouth NH and there are trappings of wealth evident in the homes along the bay and on the back streets here in Bristol that are otherwise muted or nonexistent in Portsmouth.
So there you have it. Nancy and I rode our bikes 31 miles yesterday here in Bristol. If you've never had a 31 mile bike ride the you should know that it was a real challenge to complete the ride especially so as the end of the trail came within focus. Not sure how long it took but it was a normal ride in terms of intensity and effort so seeing much of that intensity wane toward the end was not all that surprising. What was surprising was the complete destruction and depletion of energy stores that I had at the start of the ride. Not sure how you prepare for that. Maybe I should have had more of a breakfast. It seems I spent the rest of the day looking for ways to get energy back into each and every cell of my being. I wanted nothing more than to feel normal again. I tried resting and that helped. I ordered a Reuben sandwich at the Bumble Bee Cafe around mid noon and washed it down with an iced coffee looking for even more relief. I looked forward to an ice cream later in the day since there was no doubt in my mind that there were sweet cells in my body that got tapped as well on this extraordinary jaunt of ours and those cells too were not to be ignored. So I did all that and had a nice seafood stew muddled in a coconut milk mixture for dinner overlooking the bay and that too went down easy and perhaps even a little easier and a little faster than it might other have gone down. I would hasten to remind you that these are things that I would ordinarily avoid. The fatty, sugar saturated, but delicious and rejuvenating calories that while spectacular are those I would prefer to avoid.
There will be no bike ride today. Perhaps later when we are back in NH but not this morning and not now as I sit here in this oh-so-nice cafe with all the hustle and bustle of a bagel joint that is just getting up and running for the day. The sleepy eyed patrons seem to be regulars based on the tone and inflection of their interactions with the woman behind the counter. It is idle but affectionate banter meant to demonstrate familiarity and friendship but not enough to take the worked off her game and away from the activities that at the end of the day fill the cash register and allow the shop to continue on its journey filling the stomachs, desires, and peculiarities of its patrons.
We've confined our activities to those we could reach within walking distance of the hotel and that has worked out well. It has provided us with a somewhat myopic view of this wonderful area, our bike ride aside, but it seems that everything we need and even desire is within walking distance so that was fine. I feel like we are back on an even keel today after a very strenuous and tasking day yesterday. That is a preliminary view of course and the day is young but we are hopeful and the day is long so things can certainly change. We decided against eating at one restaurant last evening because the air conditioning was not working and we were otherwise surprised that there were as many people seated in the restaurant as were there under the conditions. It wasn't sweltering but there was a density of air about the place that hung heavy and was not otherwise inviting. We might have even opted to sit in the sun on the terrace and might have had we not had the kind of day we had yesterday. The sun was not relentless on our ride thanks to the several stretches of shade we encountered but the constant stops and somewhat rutty condition of the trail made for a less than stellar ride.
Don't even ask how it is that Nancy forget her sneakers on this epic journey of ours here in Bristol RI. I even asked her at one point before we left if she needed her sneakers and she said emphatically that she did not. What in god's name was she thinking? She also paid scant attention to making sure that we had enough cash on hand to pay for the incidental things we might come across in our journey so as we sit here on our last day we face the prospects of paying the maid by adding the tip to our credit card instead of leaving cash on the table which is what most people do under the circumstances. I was a little surprised as well that she failed to remember that we had watched a movie that we had indeed see and not all that long ago.
In our hunkered down state yesterday we decided that watching a movie in our hotel room was just what the doctor ordered so we watched "The Man From Uncle." I was half paying attention but I realized in short order that we had watched this particular movie before and I said as much to Nancy as she lay next to me. She looked at me with vacant eyes and disputed that which I thought to be obvious but I was too tired to be insistent so just gave her an incredulous look and soon thereafter fell asleep. She admitted somewhat sheepishly a little later on that she did remember seeing it although that was not obvious at the outset of the movie. "Perhaps we had missed the beginning of the movie when we say it", she proclaimed quizzically. I thought that unlikely. Neither of us could remember when and where we had seen the movie although we reached consensus on the fact that it was more than likely we had seen it within the last year and half or so.
In a telephone conversation yesterday with both her mom and our son she cleared away a few things that had been on her mind. Her mom received yet another sign from the baby Jesus that it was indeed time to go to River Woods. The fire alarm in her house went off and she couldn't get it to stop so she phoned the local fire department and they came and attended to the matter. The explanation given was that the alarm was located near a ceiling fan and particles from the fan likely blew into the alarm setting off. Nonetheless, it was a sign that she had asked for and so now it was clear. She was moving ahead with plans to sell her home and relocate to Exeter, NH, where she planned to spend her remaining time on terra firma. She is a young and vibrant 86 years of age so there is nothing terminal about the decision but it is a decision that was a long time coming and now seems to be a good a time as any so there you have it. She mentioned to Nancy that she had gotten a 2 month pass for Debbie so she could arrange to take things to the local landfill. I think Nancy took exception to her remark in that it was a no-confidence vote in Nancy's ability to assist with those matters involving the moving of items to the local landfill. The subtleties of familial interrelationships are nothing to scoff at and all should be take seriously when brought into the light of day. I assured her that her mother meant no offense and she should take none from the comment since none was intended. You can dismiss those matters until the cows come home but still you know as I do that vestiges of such conversations remain behind for years in the memory of both children and adults alike. Such is life.
The discussion with Evan was less subtle and infinitely more abbreviated. It had more to do with what he was eating, what he had for plans for school in the Fall, and what his more immediate plans were for the next 24 hours. I'm not sure he needed to hear from us but he wanted to make sure that we called the following day well in advance of arriving home so he could have the proper notice of our arrival in the event he needed to plan for such things. Quite possibly he would ask that we stop somewhere to get his something to eat and that is something we were prepared to do.