Exploring & Escapades

bits & pieces of my travels
October 19, 2017

Sandringham


Sandringham Estate, autumnal apple-picking at the orchards of the Queen’s beloved Norfolk country house. 

This is the first time I’ve ever been apple picking in England; it’s definitely a much different, more organic experience than apple picking in New England where everything is engineered to entertain. There were no cider donuts or hay bales, just apples in a field to be harvested (and noticeably a lot of Americans – do British people not like apple picking? Is this an American thing??). Still, it was a great, seasonal day out from Cambridge for us.

Fun fact: The apples that are harvested from these orchards are used to make the apple juice that is served at Buckingham Palace garden parties throughout the year – the Queen’s apple juice! A few miles down the road back at the house, you can buy bottles of it from the shop at the main estate to bring home. Of course we did that too. Of course, I pretend that I’m a princess every time I drink it. 

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October 11, 2017

World’s End

Back, just in time for sunset on my last day home. I told my brother that we could go anywhere he wanted, and he chose here, World’s End.

Last time, on my last day, we came here too; it was cold and snowy. No cold and snow this time, but the skyline, the same. The water just as vibrantly reflected the light.

This is the last thing I see from the sky when I leave, the very first thing I see when I return.

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October 5, 2017

Boston

Home in my city. Back here for two weeks from Europe for volunteering, meetings, networking, interviewing. I’ve been all over the world, and I still love it here. I love the sense of walking and knowing and belonging. Of knowing that it will always welcome me back, no matter how long I’ve stayed away. 

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October 3, 2017

Scituate

It’s hard to pinpoint when summer fades to fall, when one ends and the other begins. For me, this was the end.

I was home for a few more days, and it was warm. Sunny. In the 80s. A perfect beach day, essentially. I had a million things to do, and everyone I knew was busy – but I knew I could do the things later, and I didn’t need anyone else.

It was a simple day of my favorite things. A new place to see – Peggotty Beach. Reading in the sun. Some photos. A coffee on the deck of my favorite coffee shop. Talking to strangers and petting dogs. I ended it all with the lighthouse.

Because next time I’m able to see it, it might be covered in snow. 

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September 28, 2017

Newport Cliff Walk

 

This beautiful place. Castles and cliffs. Waves crashing against the rocks. Sand, surfers, fishermen. At times, I felt like I was back in Europe, but really I was only an hour south of my American home. 

Everyone I know locally has been to the cliffs, usually for a family day-out, but I had never been before this. I knew it would be a nice, of course, but I never expected to love it as much as I did. We were only able to walk a small portion of the path before sunset this time (after apple-picking in nearby Middletown); now, I can’t wait to come back again and explore even more. I’m glad it’s so close.

P.S. For anyone wondering, I parked at a metered spot on Narragansett Avenue. In the future, I think I’d drive a few blocks down and look for street parking in the neighborhoods – as we walked along the water, we intersected different side-streets, and it seemed like there were a lot of people coming from them! But as the website notes, Narragansett Avenue is a good spot if you don’t have a lot of time.

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September 26, 2017

Sweet Berry Farm

Our annual apple picking excursion to Sweet Berry Farm. A clash of seasons. Summer flowers and berries, autumn apples, winter Christmas trees. And it was *hot*. 

Maybe a little too early for apple picking, but I was glad to be back with my family while I could, while I was home. 

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