chapter 497

5/30/2018

Cape Cod 2018

the accidental tourist

So I got the call at 7:30 Friday night: would I go to Wellfleet Cape Cod for the Memorial Holiday the next morning at 5am. At first I thought: I'm sorry, can't go. But then, I remembered being retired means never having to say I'm sorry. So off we went to the Surfside Cottages on Lecount Hollow Beach.

We HAVE to have seafood meals when down there. This was on the third night after numerous clams, scallops, cod, lobster, and Portuguese Soup so we opted for Beef Tips. The mood was distinctly seaside however, at our favorite West End Pub at the Provincetown Inn. Can't get enough of those paintings that surround you. The Jamaican staff are so friendly hard working and they know how to cook. Donna our server has been there for 14 years.

On the other side of our dining room over the bar is Don Aikens only 3D painting. I try to describe my journeys, but words would pale compared to, well I guess you just have to be there.

It's not all sweetness and light at the seashore. Numerous violent storms have hit the area since the Pilgrims arrived less than a mile down the coast. The 42 foot fishing vessel Artemis broke loose from her mooring and went aground a few months ago on March 3, 2018. She ended up here awkwardly on the Provincetown Inn breakwater.

We had no TV in our cottage so I opted to catch the first period of the Stanley Cup playoffs at a local pub in Wellfleet Center. Stopped at the harbor to catch this intriguing night shot. One of the fishing vessels was off loading to the white refrigerator truck on the right. Went over to ask the deckhand if that was a scallop dredge on board. He said he didn't know what it was. I sensed that something nefarious was going on with shellfish closures or out of season species limits because of course he knew the purpose of that device. I left before getting thrown overboard.

One of the numerous local artists capturing the mood of the stormy evening light en plein air. I suspect there is some sand mixed in with the painting as the wind whips it up the cliff into your face (and lens). Just another reason not to shoot with an expensive DSLR. The light at the tip of the cape is inspirational and has always drawn in artists.

On the morning we left I dropped over to the LeCount Hollow Beach for one last look. The sun was coming up but it was stormy and sultry. Paddleboarders and surfers were in the water soaking up the moody colors and fridgid waters protected with their wetsuits.

Miscellaneous notes to my photo album: Cute little efficiency cabin, shared with Colleen's old friend from 4th grade & Marine Corps / Army vet husband. Margarita cocktail hour started at any given hour. We were livin on spongecake at the Portuguese Bakery again as well as the Portuguese soup at the great Lobster Pot. It got very cold and drizzly but we walked the Wellfleet Bay Wildlife Sanctuary with Turkey closeups, the immaculate Hatch's Fish Market, Uncle Tim's Bridge, the Great Island Trail, the Lighthouse Pub day and night, Moby Dick's restaurant, Bookstore Restaurant, P-Town excursion. On way home hit Walpole for visit bro Dale, a fine lunch with Colleen's daughter Amanda at Temazcal in Dedham's Legacy Place.

Last year's chapter from the Provincetown Inn.