We
backtracked further to Essex to meet our friends from Wales who were in the country
for a wedding. We have known Bob and Liz
James for many years and have grown close to their family having watched the
kids grow from early teens to young adults.
We had a terrific time at dinner with them at the Griswold Inn (an Inn
and Restaurant that has served continuously since 1776). Although we have shared many good times
together over the years in different parts of the world this night was special.
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| Jim, Debby, Liz, Bob "The Griz" |
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| Bob, Jim |
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| Same Bar Second Night |
Even
though the Essex Yacht Club where we stayed has a very nice facility the staff
and members left a lot to be desired.
The staff was incompetent and the members were aloof, unlike every other
club we visited.
The
ride from Essex back east to Stonington, CT was pleasant. Debby has not had to use the patches we got
in Mystic. Stonington is another old
whaling village that sits on a peninsula jutting into Fisher Island Sound. It is small, compact and filled with homes
constructed in the mid 1700s. Like Essex
touring the town takes all of 30 minutes.
One can imagine it has not changed significantly in the past 200 years.
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| Whistler's Mother once lived in this 1780s house Stonington, CT |
The
Stonington Harbor Yacht Club where we stayed is relatively new with nice
floating docks and friendly members. We
took advantage of the free laundry facilities. Sunday afternoon Debby found the Water St Café
had a jazz band that could rival those we would see at HAGS in Ft. Lauderdale. The band members were all older than Jim, but
played good Dixieland.
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| Charlie Coland's All Stars Water St Cafe |
