downeast

March 30, 2002

Today's Reading
Mount Hope : A New England Chronicle by George Howe

This Year's Reading
2002 Book List

We rode the Downeaster from Exeter to Portland with Nancy's parents and her sister and brother-in-law. There was a plan. We didn't follow it. The sun came out. Spring sprung. One cannot visit a museum on the last nice day there is ever going to be no matter how many Winslow Homers they have. There are rules about these things.

So after lunch at (onboard?) DeMillo's Floating Restaurant (formerly the Pawtucket youth center, and before that the Newport-Jamestown Ferry - everything has a Rhode Island connection) we walked along the waterfront, down the alleys, among the bait shacks and lobster traps. We walked up the hill through downtown to Monument Square past architectural gems, shops full of tacky souvenirs and upscale yuppie kitsch, and encountered a used book store. I insisted on browsing though we didn't have much time. Nancy's family was sure we would miss the bus back to the train station and hence miss the train. Since nobody knew for sure where the bus stop was, this may have been a reasonable fear. Anyway, they continued on while Nancy and I visited the books. The "New England" section unexpectedly contained books about New England states other than Maine. Yes, I found a Rhode Island book: Mount Hope by George Howe. Once I started reading it, I couldn't stop. It's a lively history of the town of Bristol, compulsively readable. I had to buy it.

We continued walking up hill rapidly. I felt like I was climbing Nyenchen Tangla or something. Maybe even Qomolungma. We kept asking directions to the bus stop. We reached Monument Square. We found the rest of the family. They were asking directions to the bus stop. We got to the bus stop 20 minutes before the bus to the train station. I slunk off to a park bench and read the first chapter of Mount Hope while they discussed what they would have done if Nancy and I missed the train, which we were never in danger of doing.

The ride back was even more beautiful than the ride up. Maine is pretty when viewed from the rails. So is NH.

Four hours is not enough time to enjoy Portland. The conductor on the return train sais Amtrak is looking at adding a train that leaves Portland later than 4:20 PM. I guess lots of people wish they had more time.