Maine Fare in Belfast--Friday, June 20th

Every year, there's a sustainable, local food fest in Belfast, Maine, called Maine Fare.
Belfast is one of the quaintest towns on the coast and since we're foodies, it was something we definitely wanted to attend. Because we didn't purchase tickets and would have to purchase them there, we would be paying $30 for tastes of food, demonstrations, cooking classes, and other scheduled events. We knew the traffic wouldn't be fun on the way there, but we were ready to brave the roads and take the hour and a half drive. The drive was stunning, as are most drives throughout Maine. On the way, we passed multiple ice cream and food stands, antique shops, coops, boat sales places, and small homes.


The first thing we attended was a farmer's market--and when I say farmer's market, I don't mean like the dinky ones we have in Phoenix. This market took up an entire school yard. There were vegetables, woolen goods, cheeses, breads, vinegars, relishes, jellies, ice cream, flowers (both potted and cut), meats, pork and sausages, baked goods, salmon, smoked foods, and a small group playing folk music. I swear I was transported back to the hippy era of the late sixties/early seventies. It was magical. Around the corner was an arts and crafts sale: woolen goods, clothing, aprons, turned wood items, furniture, paintings, a lot of pottery (pottery is BIG BIG BIG in Maine), children's clothes, jewelry, sculptures, handmade soaps. For some reason, I can't get in to the "crafts" of Maine. Perhaps it's my Phoenix self that doesn't appreciate woolen goods and some of the "grandma" crafts that one would likely see in Sun City. I'm not saying that there aren't true artists here, as this is an artist's haven. Most of the towns provide beautiful spaces/lofts for the artists and every town has a Maine-made shop full of very beautiful and very expensive arts and crafts. It was quite cool out so we didn't stay there very long. We were anxious to go into the actual Maine Fare event which was down by the dock.

Half of the Belfast Farmer's Market

Yup, you can always find me at the cheese tent

The other half of the Belfast Farmers Market

Water Buffalo Sausage--YUP!

They had these corms for sale--but we forgot to go back to buy some for back home.

A space for artists

Growing on the outside of the Gallery wall

 

Then there were the unusual shops. So different. Filled with amazing (and sometimes very expensive), not your run-of-the-mill gifts and goods. We visited a number of shops there and picked up a few little things (meaning not expensive rather than diminutive in size) and then we were ready for the Maine Fare.  

Main Street, Belfast ME

Main Street, Belfast, ME

Sit-a-spell art on the street--This was my favorite

 But, first, we were hungry and instead of relying on the unknown at Maine Fare, we thought we'd hit one of the very cute restaurants on Main Street. We had to move the car because, like Bar Harbor, the town was crowded and the parking, everywhere, was limited to either two or three hours. It was then that we found Darby's--a pub/restaurant. The menu looked great and the place was adorable. We were seated in one of the small dining rooms. The place was hopping. Bob ordered a chicken sandwich with bacon and swiss chees and with a side of sweet potato fries  (again) and I had fried clams with sweet potato fries and cole slaw. Both of us got a beer this time as we were in a pub, after all. It was almost 2:30 PM when we finished lunch. So, since the Maine Fare took place between 1 and 5, and we were full, we decided to forego the festival and continue checking out the adorable shops. That turned out to be a mistake.

These huge flowers were REAL--and in Darby's Pub

A painting Bob fancied

Darby's bar

me at Darby's--Happy! Happy!

Our lunch spot

 Our visit to the wine and cheese store ended up being successful (meaning we bought a bottle of wine and a bottle of an interesting beer--Chateau Jihu--by Dogfish Head--based on a 3000-year-old Chinese recipe that included a chemical analysis of the pottery it was fermented in), as well as manchego, gorgonzola, and other cheeses, cheese paper (which is supposed to keep cheese fresh longer), and a Calabrese salami. Another shop, Gourmet Girl, provided us with a Chipotle relish, chocolate-caramel sauce, caramel and sea salt sauce, and a Bourbon caramel sauce. I also tasted the homemade ketchups (including the smoked onion--yummy). A few shops later, and, again, we were shopped out--the Fare was over in an hour, so we headed home. On the way, we made a few stops in Ellsworth (it seems that no matter where we go, we go through Ellsworth). FUN!

Main Street

More sit-a-spell street art

Main Street

Main Street

Historical buildings

Struck my fancy

cute sign

Missed photo opportunity--Human sized lobster trap

Tomorrow, the beer fest in Bangor.

Bah Hahbahing--Thursday, June 19th

Today, it is not raining, so we are heading out to Bar Harbor to enjoy the "scene" before all the tourists arrive. Our drive was so familiar, but, secretly, I hope to see new establishments--shops, restaurants, bars, other stuff. It's good that our favorite places are still around, though.

As usual, our arrival had us driving around looking for a parking spot. Most of the spaces on the street were taken, which is just as well as Bob hates to parallel park. All the spaces--be they in a parking lot or on the street--have limited parking. Our favorite place to park is down by the pier. One circle around and it didn't look good--until, lo and behold, a place right at the exit. Niiiccceee! SCORE!

For some reason, probably the nice temperature, both of us seemed energetic--much more than the last time we were here (2012). We started up Main Street and I stopped at practically every shop (with poor Bob in tow). We did find a replacement for our puffin window thermometer, so we picked that up. Then I found a number of baking kits and food stuffs--even though we are eating healthy, we are not supposed to deprive ourselves, right?

Bob was getting hungry, so we went to our favorite place to eat (we should really branch out), Testa's. We were seated upstairs. We had never been there and the view was beautiful even though we weren't that close to the windows looking out at the water. I ordered my usual--prime rib sandwich with potato salad and Bob, who has been eating chicken a lot--rather than his usual hamburger--had a Cajun chicken sandwich. We both had iced tea--we didn't want to be loggey all day, so we passed on the beer/cocktails. No wonder our bill was so small. Ah, so that's a neat trick. Don't want to spend a lot of money eating out--don't order any alcohol.

Testa's and the view from our table

And it worked. We had to move the car and had some difficulty finding a place. Finally, after complaining that Bar Harbor should have some public parking, we turned down a side street and guess what we found? Public parking! It was right on the water, surrounded by beautiful mansions, beach homes, and bed and breakfast establishments. There was also a trail that followed the ocean that we took for some scenic exercise. I tried not to snoop nosily into the yards of the mansions, but I did. This is one thing that's sad about getting older. Yes, our lives aren't over, but there are certain things that we dreamed about all our lives (living in a place on the ocean) that we know, for sure, will never happen. This, to me, is harder to take than the aches, pains, and physical limitations that come when we pass 60. Anyway, I digress. Along the route, there were signs called "Museum of the Street" which explained the history of the area--the islands, the stone walls, the mansions and inns. Fascinating and very educational.

Shore Path

More than a century old, this level walking path

follows the shore of Frenchman Bay from the town

pier to Wayman Lane. It passes one of Bar Harbor’s

oldest inns and several historic summer “cottages.”

The Porcupine Islands, Balance Rock, Egg Rock Light,

and the Schoodic Peninsula are just a few of the

coastal sights along the way. There are many options

for this route, ranging from a romantic stroll to an

easy one-hour hike.

View from the oceanside trail

Another view from the trail

Atlantique, by architect Fred Savage--it can be yours for $3,900,000. Commissioned by John Jacob Astor's grandson, in 1904, this mansion is 14,500 square feet. The estate houses a USGA putting green, a croquet court, and overlooks the ocean and Porcupine Islands. It is on Mount Desert Island, in Bar Harbor, though it is landscaped for privacy. It was restored in 2000.

Atlantique, one of architect Fred Savage’s true masterpieces, was commissioned by John Jacob Astor’s grandson in 1904. Awarded National Registry status in 1992, the 14,500 square foot tudor mansion was masterfully restored in 2000. The entire estate is landscaped for utmost privacy that dramatically presides over the ocean and Porcupine Islands. Atlantique is one of few properties on Mount Desert Island that features all of the amenities and solitude of a private estate, yet steps outside the gate brings owners and guests into the heart of Bar Harbor. We wonder though if one would even want to leave the confines of the estate with its dramatic and magical gardens, USGA putting green championship croquet court, and myriad secret spots for repose. If so, tide pools on the shore, fine restaurants and shops downtown and world renowned Acadia National Park are all close by.
$3,900,000
- See more at: http://www.exoticexcess.com/estates/estate-of-the-day-39-million-tudor-mansion-in-bar-harbor-maine/#sthash.oZ6o69xl.dpuf

Atlantique, one of architect Fred Savage’s true masterpieces, was commissioned by John Jacob Astor’s grandson in 1904. Awarded National Registry status in 1992, the 14,500 square foot tudor mansion was masterfully restored in 2000. The entire estate is landscaped for utmost privacy that dramatically presides over the ocean and Porcupine Islands. Atlantique is one of few properties on Mount Desert Island that features all of the amenities and solitude of a private estate, yet steps outside the gate brings owners and guests into the heart of Bar Harbor. We wonder though if one would even want to leave the confines of the estate with its dramatic and magical gardens, USGA putting green championship croquet court, and myriad secret spots for repose. If so, tide pools on the shore, fine restaurants and shops downtown and world renowned Acadia National Park are all close by. - See more at: http://www.exoticexcess.com/estates/estate-of-the-day-39-million-tudor-mansion-in-bar-harbor-maine/#sthash.oZ6o69xl.dpuf

Me--on the shore path
heading up toward Main Street

A restaurant with homemade branch-trellises

A restaurant along Main Street

Someone's beautiful home

A small Greenbelt area/park

Another beautiful home and one of it's many porches

Another home along the walk

We walked quite a distance on this trail and then took another side street toward Main Street. We found a frozen custard stand (with 24 flavors), stopped and enjoyed our licks and moved on. After a while, both of us were obviously done with shopping so we headed back to the car. The car--where did we park again? We found the car and headed home. Traffic was crazy, but we weren't in a rush.

Temporary Loss of Time and an Illness Plagues Us--June 11th to June 16th

Though most of the days have been chilly and rainy, it’s still wonderful to be here in the beautiful spot and neat, efficient cottage on the Back Bay in DownEast Maine. However, there has been some trouble in paradise. Besides something (raccoons) constantly stealing the suet cage, Bob has not been feeling well. He has been spending a lot of time in the second bedroom, sleeping and shivering. He complained about a headache and neckache for a few days and seemed feverish. Then he felt better, then worse. On Father’s Day, of all days, he woke up and was radiating heat. He said that even if I put the sun on him, he couldn’t stop shivering. He was ready to make the exploratory trip into Portland (a four-hour drive) to a hospital. There are no Urgent Care centers in the area and we were not really aware of anything in Ellsworth (a little less than an hours’ drive). Despite the problems we have here getting any Internet signal, I Googled and found Maine Coastal Memorial Hospital (a 47-bed medical center) in Ellsworth. Bob doubted all the way that we wouldn’t have to drive to Portland. We both have been very careful not to use emergency rooms, but without urgent care centers, we had no choice.

We arrived at the small, but modern, hospital in Ellsworth—located off the main drag which was why we had never seen it. There was no one in the Emergency Room waiting area, so they checked Bob in and called him before he had a chance to pick out a magazine. The person on duty in the ER was a Nurse Practitioner, but I have been educated by my Physician Assistant daughter, Bryn, that sometimes they’re better, if not just as good, as an MD or DO. I stayed in the waiting room for about an hour and then they called me in to stay with Bob. Essentially, because of our trip to Costa Rica, he was being checked for malaria, dengue fever, and typhoid. In addition to a lot of blood work, they also did a urinalysis. After a couple of hours, and consultation with an infectious disease doc, and many vials of drawn blood, the NP came in to tell us that Bob had some kind of infection (high white blood count), but she wasn’t sure what. She said it might be a UTI (which my daughter doubted as they are rare in men). Some of the blood cultures wouldn’t be ready until Tuesday, so Bob was released with a heavy regimen of Cipro (an antibiotic).

It’s been a long 6 days, especially with Bob doing a lot of sleeping, but I’ve learned to be independent and do my own thing while trying to nurse him back to health. I made banana bread, (he wanted baked potatoes the one day he seemed to have a little appetite), and chicken cacciatore (which I overcooked). I kept busy by keeping the place clean and organized. My OCD seems to be much worse on this trip. I don’t know why. It might have to do with the fact that the cottage, though small, is very efficiently stocked, organized, and arranged, so it appeals to my orderly sense. At least that my story and I’m sticking to it. Because they need to have a technician come out to fix the dryer, our landlords told us to feel free to hang a clothesline (there is also a Laundromat 15 minutes away), so I did. I did a load of clothes and hung them out to dry. Today, however, it’s windy, chilly and I’m not sure if the clothes are still wet or just cold. A technician is coming today (Tuesday) 

I had a chance to do some reading—just downloaded another book (which will be my fourth book in the two weeks we’ve been here--two weeks today). Yesterday, (Monday), Bob moved from the bedroom to the couch and visited a while, napping on and off all day. I was able to stay outside while he was napping because the weather was perfect and, for some reason, the mosquitoes were not attacking, nor were they visible until near dusk/sunset. When I came in, Bob was ready to have some cacciatore (I saved him some and froze the rest) and asked if I would make spaghetti, too. A good sign that he’s feeling a little better. We are in hopes that he continues feeling better and getting stronger. There are a couple of festivals in the area that we had planned on attending.

Thanks for listening.

It’s All in the Wash -- Tuesday, June 10th

Today is laundry day. Bob went into Milbridge to the Laundromat while I stayed here setting up the art stuff, cleaning, more organizing, and experimenting with the different mosquito repellents. Hahahaha! None of them worked very well, actually, and the mosquitos are horrible this year. I got bit in bed three times last night. They come in whenever the door is opened—even though we try to get in and out quickly. I hung white lights, cleaned off our shoes, and pretty soon, I’m thinking of planting some of the flowers we bought. 

Bob was in a pissy mood to begin with but then he called me furious that the change machine at the Laundromat was broken. He had to go to the bank to get quarters. It cost 20 dollars to do all the clothes and he was annoyed. I had better get the clothesline up so we can keep us with small loads of laundry on days that we’re home (and hang them on days that it doesn’t rain). It’s been cloudy and a bit drizzly, but we Arizonans like the rain—at least these two do.

Bob was gone quite a while and I got a lot done. I actually got to sit on the deck since the wind was blowing (which means no mosquitoes). Once the wind died down, however, it was back in the house where I read magazines and finished my David Balducci novel.

Bob got home, we put our clothes away, and we had red-skinned Maine hot dogs for dinner. They were delicious. I had one but I wanted six. Bob was exhausted, so he went to bed at 7:30 PM. I stayed up and read for a while and tried futilely to connect to the Internet. My third crossword puzzle was completed and then I cuddled up in the blankets (it was about 50 degrees) and went to sleep at about 10:30 PM.