Maine

Hi everyone,

I'm going to Ogunquit next weekend all by myself, I want to take it easy, walk on the beach, enjoy the scenery and meet some new people. I'll be leaving Quebec Friday night and I want to be back here for Sunday night. I was wondering if anyone (AZBuck maybe??) had suggestions of off the beaten path places to go for a walk or interesting small towns to visit, restaurants, jazz clubs, pizza places, etc. I heard there was a little place in downtown Kennebunk where they have delicious lobster rolls, where exactly is that place? I know the area pretty well since I've been to Maine ever since I was one year old, but I'd like to discover some new places.

Thanks!
Gen who will make an attempt to swim in the cold Atlantic ocean:o)

Hmmmm...... Nothing like being called out! You probably know this area as well as I do anyway!

A couple of off the beaten path paths and towns. York, ME has a two nice, albeit short, hiking paths that offer great quiet scenery. The first is the Cliff Walk which starts at the end of York Harbor Beach and winds its way along the rocky shoreline amidst some very stately old homes. Unfortunately, a section of it was taken out by a storm many years back and has never been repaired, so you'll just have to make it an in-and-out walk. The other is Fisherman's Walk or the Shore Path which starts near the Stage Neck Inn and is a one mile loop along the York River. Be sure to get to the Wiggly Bridge (a footbridge across a tidal inlet). From there look west across the river and scan the bluff above the tidal marsh. That's where I used to live. Also don't skip the obvious such as Long Sands and the Nubble, but you've been to these I'm sure.

Another quiet, interesting, small town is New Castle, NH. This is on a few islands southeast of Portsmouth (but reachable by car via NH-1B). This is just a very quaint and beautiful little town that is tucked out of the way and would make for a nice little walking tour if you're in the area. If you go there, you might also check out Odiorne Point State Park a bit farther down the coast toward Rye. It's a nature preserve on the coast. But be on the lookout - there have been multiple sightings of a streaker there recently.

You'll note that I've been deliberately vague about directions. One of you're stated goals is to meet new people, and needing help is one of the best ways to do this (that I've found) in New England - otherwise the locals tend to respect your privacy and leave you alone. I'm also going to take a pass on recommending any nightlife or restaurants. It's just been too long since I lived there and the shelf life of a good place out is shorter than that.

AZBuck

AZBuck,

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York, ME has a two nice, albeit short, hiking paths that offer great quiet scenery.[...] Another quiet, interesting, small town is New Castle, NH.

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Thanks I didn't know about those places. I'll sure give them a try if I have a chance!

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One of you're stated goals is to meet new people, and needing help is one of the best ways to do this (that I've found) in New England - otherwise the locals tend to respect your privacy and leave you alone.

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That is so true! At first sight New Englanders may seem kind of "cold" but when you ask them for directions they'll tell you everything you want to know and even more! That's how I discovered Wormwood's restaurant in Camp Ellis! I was driving around and asked directions to a lady who was jogging. We ended up talking for 30 minutes and she told me about that place.:o)

Thanks again for all the infos. Any tips regarding the bigger cities like Portland? I'm just curious:o)

Ps-Hey if you miss Maine too much, we could switch places for a couple of months, I'd sure be glad to be out of the winter for a bit and you'd be only a few hours away from your hometown!:o) What do you think?

Pps-Quand partez-vous pour la France?

Gen

Pendent deux semaines en mai.

Whew, only two weeks! I bet you've got a 10 pages list of things you want to see during those 2 weeks!:o) What areas you plan to visit? Will you rent a car and wander around or just take the train?

Geneviève

ps-Your French seems pretty good, where did you learn it?

I just get warmed up in the first 10 pages of my prep files for travel. I like to have all my options (but not the final decisions) laid out before I go so I'm not wasting travel time on travel planning. We will, in all likelihood, fly into Paris and take the train down to, say, Avignon. We will then pick up a car and spend a week at a gîte in Provence and then a second week in Dordogne before heading back. We will tour those two regions by taking day trips out of our temporary home(s).

You are much too kind regarding my French. I am trying to brush up in anticipation of the trip but what you really see is the fact that I get to think about it rather than having to speak on the fly. I learned French in high school originally, as do many Americans. I had two advantages. The first was that my high school strongly emphasized communication skills. In my senior year I was taking 4 languages plus public speaking and critical thinking. The second was that my French teacher was a native Québéçois who insisted that we speak nothing but French both inside and outside the classroom. (It's a long story as to why he could insist on the later.) Later, when I moved to Maine, I worked the midnight shift in a hospital emergency room and became the de facto translator for our northern visitors. I've also traveled a bit in Quebec, France and to visit some friends in Cajun Louisiana, and I've never assumed that "they all speak English". When I came out to Arizona for some more schooling, I had to show that I had at least a useable command of a foreign language, so I took out my French one more time to demonstrate that I could translate some journal articles from French to English. Finally, my wife's cousin married a girl from France a few years a go and her father, who speaks very little English, is interested in the work I do, so we have these long conversations where I speak French and he speaks English and we make do that way. So you see, my French has never really been that good, it's just that I've been fortunate enough to have had to keep it up to some extent rather than just let it dissipate after high school.

AZBuck

It always amazes me how people can remember a second language without speaking it every day, I wish I had that talent...Unfortunately, as soon as I don't practice it fades away...That's what happened with my very limited knowledge of Spanish and German and with my English when I don't speak it very often.

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We will, in all likelihood, fly into Paris and take the train down to, say, Avignon.

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Avignon as in the famous Pont d'Avignon...this reminds me of one of a childhood songs "Sur le pont d'Avignon, on y danse, on y danse, sur le pont d'Avignon on y danse tous en rond":o) I assume you'll visit that jewel of architecture ?

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We will then pick up a car and spend a week at a gîte in Provence and then a second week in Dordogne before heading back. We will tour those two regions by taking day trips out of our temporary home(s).

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Wow, you're lucky! I'd love to visit Provence, it is the country of one of my favourite writers of all times, Marcel Pagnol. Have you seen the movie La gloire de mon père? You have to see that movie before you go:o) I hope you like wine!:o)

Bon voyage!

Gen