July 30 & 31 - Portsmouth, NH to Portland, ME (Maine Yacht Center) 

We moved the next day across the way, back in the harbor further to a charming marina called the Maine Yacht Center.

As soon as we moved and settled in i realized that our surroundings actually looked like Maine.  We were in Maine!!!  oh what a view from the bow.   

Plus the marina was great…it was small, succinct in its facilities, friendly as could be staff and clean as heck.  Harry had a very nice guy scheduled to work tomorrow on the dinghy’s outboard - it keeps cutting out.   Our first night we decided to walk down the street to a Thai place that ‘the guys’ said was good.  They preferred the Vietnamese Noodle Bar across the street but i thought the Thai place was our (Harry’s) compromise.  I was doing good to get Harry to eat Thai - so I didn’t push the noodle bar.  He was like what do you get there?  I said ‘Pho’ - he said, ‘what’? I said Pho, he said what?  he thought i was saying ‘Food’!!     

July 31 - So while the guys worked on the dinghy i headed into town for a little ‘Ellen’ time.  Since this marina was not right in town, the guys at the office said i could bike to town using a walking trail just outside the marina that runs under the interstate.  So off i went excited about my day.  

Hmmm, first concern…i could not find any trails that followed the interstate and one that had a big padlock on the fence.  so i had a plan B and followed another route.  Well about 1 hour and 30 minutes later, I’m in downtown.  At one point along the way i was walking my little tourist fold up bike with a straw basket along a busy interstate!!!  ha - yes, i was embarrassed - I’m crossing streets where people merge onto highways.  

Let’s just say i got to see a whole lot of Portland.  Finally made it to town and I had a list of things i wanted to see and do - one of which was to visit the Portland Art Museum.  So I find Center Street and Congress and Free Street and see the building.

And as i’m walking my bike on the city sidewalks i realize i have forgotten my bike lock!!!!  All my good plans shot to hell…because now my plan is to find a shop in this tourist district that would sell bike locks or else all i could do was take a little joy ride through town and go home!  After about a 1/2 hour i spy a shop for the rugged outdoorsperson…a Patagonia type store.  They have something that looks like a bike lock but the cable is very thin - i think a few sawings back and forth with a fingernail file might break it…SO i put the bike in front of a nice shop and peak out every so often as i shop to make sure it’s still there, especially my straw nantucket bike basket!

The day was a success never the less (did not visit the museum because i didn’t want to leave my bike for 2-3 hours), the good people of Portland did not steal my bike and i had a fabulous time in a store called K Colette (kcolette.com) - i told the gals when they asked if they could help me to know that i was going to be here awhile and look at every little thing.  I just couldn’t get over how the owners taste was exactly like mine..i wanted everything!!!  everything!!  Go online and see if it appeals to you as much as it did to me.  It is not a chain, but started by a gal from Portland and her name is Karen but her name in French class was ‘Colette’. Je m’appelle Elise!  I had spied this in the window the day before and thought about how much i loved it - loved it more once i saw it and it is an idea of the owners but is made by someone else and maybe in another country unfortunately.  i love the colors of soft, soft blue and cream and gold.

Harry playing Peek-a-Boo again...

I had lunch at the infamous Porthole (very old tavern) and saw much of the city and made it home safe but exhausted just about time for happy hour.

I learned the dinghy guy was unsuccessful in fixing it and so Boat US came and towed our little ‘sweet pea’ to Freeport where there was a Honda dealer fixer guy.  And that we would head that way tomorrow to retrieve it.

Our next door boater neighbors were very nice - John and Eunice, traveling in a Viking called Adios.  Eunice offered us their rental car and every time they headed out she would ask if there was anything we needed.  And tonight they insisted we go to dinner with them.  A double date and they were driving and making all the decisions/plans.  Eunice is very adventurous and says once she arrives in a place she likes to head out and find interesting places to dine/visit - they stay put for weeks and like to have a rental car handy.  So they were the perfect pair to drive us the back roads of Portland to a very sweet B&B in at place called Scarborough where we had a lovely Italian dinner.  John and Eunice were from New York, he is semi-retired from an industrial lighting career.  We had a very nice time with them and watched the blue moon rise in the sky upon our return to the marina.