Cape Cod

Cape Cod

We are in Rhode Island, the smallest state in America but also one of the most active, with its vibrant heart located in Newport.

Although today's destination is Cape Cod, which is located to the east, we need to head north towards Providence (the capital) for several dozen kilometers and go around the bay. Cape Cod It is an island connected to the mainland by two impressive bridges and takes the shape of an outstretched arm (like "The Elbow," for example). Together with other locations along the southern coast of New England, it represents one of the classic destinations favored by the elite, but it should also be a very pleasant place to live in for a good part of the year. The environment has a tropical feel, with cottages and resorts arranged along the village streets, with very slow traffic, alternating with areas where the forest is the only feature. Two main roads run through the area, bordered on both sides by rows of trees, providing protection. We arrive in Falmouth and continue to the extreme tip of Woods Hole, which is beautiful. harbor and the lighthouse. We pause briefly in silence before the a memorial plaque dedicated to Neilie Anne Heffernan... a young woman we didn't meet but feel a strong connection with, as if we had been friends forever. A young woman lost in the aftermath and dust of September 11th. In this context and contrast between a kind nature and a malevolent human being, we read a phrase inspired by her wedding. She, guilty only of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, remains only with a stele where she took her wedding photos. We then continue to visit... Hyannis on which Ocean Road is located the John F. Kennedy Memorial and the Korean Veterans Memorial. Both are interesting, although not essential to see. We continue on Main Rd, which is full of shops. The US28 remains busy despite not being summer; we can imagine what happens during the hot months. It's still pleasant to drive along it, as it never gets monotonous. The houses are all different and always worth a look, especially for those who aren't driving. It's interesting to note that on many of the houses, the shutters are fixed against the wall and have only a decorative function. It becomes clear that the local economy relies on leisure activities (hotels, restaurants, boat maintenance and repair centers, etc.). A common feature throughout New England is represented by the houses surrounded by trees with tall trunks, which therefore obscure the view. One wonders how this choice could be possible, as it seems to be more of a need to protect oneself from potential storms: however, the fact remains that the sun doesn't shine much and you have to turn on the lights well before it gets dark. We had lunch literally on the ocean near the Chatham port, where quick fishermen they are unloading boats full of fish; around the seals are dancing in the water, waiting for some scraps to have a snack. We ask some other customers what kind of fish it is: we are told that it is Dog Fish, which translates literally as "dogfish", or mini sharks. Looking online, it seems to be exactly this species, presumably edible. The fish are moved from the bottom of the boat onto a lift and then poured into enormous cardboard boxes interspersed with blocks of ice. Not wanting to try different experiences, we go to the nearby fish market/bar and have them prepare our last meal. lobster rolls details of our trip. A lobster, cut into pieces, is placed inside the hot sandwich, which we eat at a table nearby. At this point, the 28 merges with the US6 as the island narrows and leads to Provincetown, on the last part of the arm. However, before that, we visit the place from which Guglielmo Marconi established contact with Europe.; there was a monument erected on the site that the ocean had taken away. In fact, the beach appears to reach the sea at one point, but then it plunges down for several meters, from which a short stretch of beach begins, and just beyond is the Atlantic Ocean, further still Europe, which Marconi first connected to the New Continent from this very spot. It was in 1903 that our compatriot established what we would now call a wireless connection. Provincetown... besides being a favorite place for same-sex couples and people of different genders to live together, it is also a small town located at the extreme tip of the peninsula. Even just driving along Commercial Str., you immediately notice the eccentricity of the place, its understated but charming unconventionalism. Being here doesn't mean you are at the end of the world; it's simply a secluded spot frequented by tourists and winds. As in Maine, there are plenty of antique shops, to the point where we wonder how they manage to survive even during the quietest and coldest seasons. But anyway, and today (a Friday at the beginning of October) we can't even find parking. Private parking spaces cost up to $20 per hour, and unfortunately, we only have the money for that, but not the time. A little further on, amidst the dunes and long swaying grass, the sea meets the ocean in a mysterious bright light that makes you squint. Now we really need to return, because we've gone too far, all the way to the northern coast to breathe in the strong Atlantic breeze while the sky darkens. We will retrace the island on the only road in its first section, turning onto 6A towards Brewster (nothing special), and Sandwich, not so much to pay tribute to the name but to see the lake and the historic mill dating back to the mid-1700s. At this point, we need to hurry, we have to get to the area around Boston and there's still more to see. Plymouth, famous for being the landing point of the Pilgrim Fathers in 1620 and therefore considered the first permanent European settlement in America. Much emphasis is placed on a small stone located at the site where they supposedly landed, while a copy of Mayflower It is docked at the nearby harbor. Just enough time to see the historical remnants that gave rise to the American adventure, and it starts to pour down. We take a walk in the center where the focus is more on sheltering from the rain than looking around, and when we return to the car, we are already soaked. The heavy rain continues even on the highways that lead us to the hotel: we must stay focused, as driving at night, in the rain and among a population of speeding runners is not a relaxing experience. Arriving at the comfortable hotel in Franklin restores us from the fatigue; the suite is even unusually luxurious compared to our frugal habits. However, on Friday evenings, hotels in business areas easily compromise with tourists, and Booking completes the process. The culinary options are also quite different: at Joe's American Bar & Grill we enjoy a fish soup featuring a lobster tail, something to delight us and make us regret that this will be our last dinner on the trip, accompanied by a couple of excellent local beers. The waiter, a friendly young man, keeps us entertained with conversation. We learn that in Boston, the climate is moderated by the Atlantic Ocean, despite the fact that the last two winters were very cold and snowy (they recorded up to 9 feet = 2.75 meters), while living costs are much higher than incomes. We had already suspected that America was not a country for the poor from the beginning.