Relaxing Day

Wednesday, September 27, 2023

We didn’t have anything planned for today. I figured sometimes vacations are just for relaxing (or so I have heard). Last night I learned that our hotel has an indoor/outdoor pool – you swim under a little divider and go outside. Pool hours are 8am-10pm, so I was down there by 8:10. I got in the water – it was slightly cool but very get-in-able and got right to going outside. Cooler outside, but I was already there, so it was perfect. I swam laps for a little bit, then went back in. The inside water felt so warm! So, I went back outside. It was 50degrees outside and the two guys doing pool maintenance had puffy coats on. That made me laugh. I ended in the hot tub for a few minutes, then on to shower for the day.

We had one more house to visit – Chateau Sur Mer – castle on the sea. It is considered the first Newport mansion, built in the 1852. It was built as a year round home, not a summer party and go house, and it felt like a lovely place to live. As we drove up, we saw people all dressed in white playing croquet on the lawn. There is a croquet court, complete with bent grass, where two leagues of players compete. Wow. I did not know such a thing was a thing. Next time I get dressed up for dinner in white, I think I should play croquet. We went to watch for a bit, and I spoke to a man close to us. My experience with New Englanders is that they would REALLY rather not talk to you and they aren’t afraid to show it. The court was laid out differently than I am familiar with, so I have to brush up on my knowledge of croquet.

Chateau-Sur-mer

The ceiling of every room in each of the mansions has been fancy. I love them. The dining room ceiling in the Breakers is 50 feet high and glorious. I just could not get over it. Today’s house was much more modest than the Breakers, but still, the ceilings were terrific. I was yammering on about making our ceilings fancy when I came across a room that just had stenciled ceilings. I can stencil. I never have, but I have confidence. I think I should stencil my ceilings. Or at least a ceiling….

After visiting the house, we listened to the external tour audio. It was a gps tour. We had a map to follow – I was a little blue dot on my phone and I was trying to go to the point of interest. I started out 180degrees in the wrong direction, because how could you know which way was up? I zoomed right over to #1 and listened to them talk about Weeping Something trees, which was great because we had noticed them everywhere and wondered what they were. I bet Keith remembers (he does: Weeping Beech). Next, my blue dot got going a bit the wrong way. The audio was talking about trees that were gone. We zoomed the audio ahead and left. Sorry, two trees, you are dead. Next, I was zigzagging a little bit, trying to stay on the line between the two points, just for fun. I was not on the line. Keith was on the line. More trees. Then we got to the sod maze. Mmmm. I am going to include a picture, but…It’s just some little hills in a circle-y pattern. NOT a challenging maze. It was added in 1974, so it isn’t the Chateau-sur-Mer people’s thing. There were lots more circles to find and I was always wandering around and Keith was always finding the spots. It could have been obvious that I should just have followed him, but I was always SURE that I was going the right way and I was going to beat him. I was going very fast (for me) (remember that is not fast at all, but it seems fast to me) and yelling, “I am going on the line….noo…I am…back on the line…ohh…” and he would be there. He wasn’t even going fast. It was a lot of fun. And it was sunny and hot and I should have worn shorts like I talked Keith out of. (Keith edit: it was definitely warm enough for shorts, and I also liked the Turkish Oak trees).

Next up, a half hour drive to the Green Animals Topiary Garden. Our audio book is really good, and I didn’t really want to stop when we got there. But we did. The lady at the entrance said it was the oldest and largest topiary garden north of the Mason/Dixon line. I was going to ask where that was, and if it is still a thing, and several other questions, but I did not. We wandered all around. There is a dahlia garden – OH! I was going to ask if they had to dig up their dahlias over the winter, because that seemed like it would be a BIG job. I forgot. They are a 7 growing season place. Maybe dahlias can handle it. Anyway, they were spectacular. We so enjoyed them. I liked all the topiaries, but the pineapple was the best, because he has kind of a cranky face. I figure he is tired of being hospitable all the time. A third-grade class came through on a field trip. I just kept wondering if they were flexible or just SUPER lucky that they were there on a hot, sunny afternoon instead of cool, rainy yesterday. Keith was impressed that I could identify them as third graders (asked to confirm) and also how I knew how they would act. Seemed pretty standard to me.

We finished the looking and started walking down the lawn to look at the water. I don’t really have any idea where we are (RHODE ISLAND), so ocean? lake? river? huh. Anyway, two ladies came up and asked us how to find the topiary. They went 180 degrees the wrong way. Then we started to chat. They are sisters Pat (from Minot, ND) and Tammy (from Las Vegas). They came for the fall colors – and have been around for two weeks – but came too early. They were both checking off states, too! Pat said she has only been to about 10 states, unless you count the about twenty that she’s been to for work – 6 weeks at a time or so.

Um. Yes, Pat, I do count LIVING in a state for 6 weeks having been in that state. She said then she’s been to about 30 states. We laughed a lot. We talked to them for a long time, then sent them to the topiary – told them to be on the lookout for the cranky pineapple.

Back to the book and back to the hotel, then we walked to the shopping area not far from here. It’s always fun to look in the shops. We went into a fine-art gallery called (I think) Fine Art Gallery. There were blown glass bees in the window, and I could see paintings. We walked in and I saw the most beautiful thing EVER. A vase (very Starry Night) filled with blown glass flowers. It was blues and whites and about 3 feet high and simply gorgeous. There was another one – more colorful – and I snapped a picture-that-does-not-do-it-justice because it was off to the side and I knew (no signs, but…) I shouldn’t be taking a picture in an art gallery. The next room had three smaller versions. (Oh, wait, there were several red and orange and yellow ones that I am not counting because I didn’t love them. I forgot all about them until now. Sorry warm colored flowers.) I walked around and around and around, trying to decide which one I liked best so Keith could buy it for me even though it cost a fortune. Luckily, I could NOT decide and my brain re-entered my body and we got away with no purchase. But, wow. Seriously gorgeous. (I kept thinking what if the kitty knocked it on the ground. We do not have a kitty. Years of training on that one.)

We had dinner and then we were walking back. I asked Keith if he wanted to go to the candy store where he tasted toffee and it was almost as good as Disneyland toffee, but he didn’t buy any, and he said yes, he would like to go back and get some. It was 8 minutes to 7 – I had no idea the name of the shop or when it closed, but I figured we better get there quick. I was zooming. I jaywalked and ran when Keith said the next car was coming too fast. I walked as fast as I could down the sidewalk for two blocks, then ran again when the walk signal was counting down 5…4…3…2…1. I was just GOING because he does everything for me, and I was going to get Keith some toffee! As I turned the corner to the street where it was, I heard a sound and looked behind me. He was right there – like less than two feet behind me. I just can NOT tell from the inside how slow I am!! It is seriously hilarious.

The store was closed.

We strolled home and watched night one of Survivor. I was yelling, “GO HOME!” within the first 5 minutes. Seriously people, it’s Survivor, it’s going to be HARD. Don’t be surprised. (From a woman who literally doesn’t know how slow she is.) (I COMPLETELY know how badly I would do on Survivor. BAD. I would do BADLY.)