Many years ago, Didier and I were having dinner and Paris when we saw quite a commotion on the streets. Notre Dame Cathedral had caught on fire. Then, while having dinner in Portland a few days ago, the restaurant was evacuated because of a kitchen fire. I guess we’d better stop going out for dinner together.
From Portland, we pushed northeastward to Boothbay Harbor where Sandy organized a visit to the spectacular Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. Besides the curated plants, there’s a butterfly house, and miles of trails through pine forests. An unusual curiosity is five giant wooden trolls, imported from Denmark. The day was capped off with a lobster dinner at Robinson’s Lobster Pier in Southport.
Yesterday, after some laundry and provisioning, we sailed to Seal Bay, our favorite anchorage. True to its name, we were offered numerous seal sitings, absolute quiet and a very starry sky, including shooting stars, and a few Starlink satellites going by. Sandy and I handed the keys to the galley to Sandrine and Didier who offered to make hamburgers. We thought they’d throw a few patties on the grill but, to our culinary delight, they created the most delicious hamburgers ever! At the risk of stereotyping, French cuisine can transform the simplest food into a gourmet delight!
As I write this blog, I’m sitting in the completely calm bay watching fish jump and seals play with the soundtrack provided by numerous sea birds. In a place like this, you almost forget the challenges the environment faces.
