Newport, RI

Sleeping in an inside cabin is like being is a sensory deprivation tank, to a degree. There's no light when the lamps are off and very little sound. I had no idea how noisy 4606 Antelope is until I tried to sleep with silence! This quiet is enhanced by the fact that I am at the end of forward deck and there's only a cabin on one side of me. Once the screaming baby hushed up, the silence was palpable. 

I was awakened this morning by the anchor being dropped in Newport Harbor...the chain release reverberated through my mattress! Not unpleasant, just unexpected. And now I'll be prepared for it in Nova Scotia. Tomorrow, we dock at Black Falcon pier in Boston, so no anchor. 

At breakfast I met Merrill and Liz from Perth, after chatting for the meal, we arranged to meet at 3 in Sir Samuel's for tea. They went off to tour; I went to stand in queue to get a tender ticket to go ashore. Ticket in hand I sat down to wait and got into a conversation with a couple fron New Hyde Park, NY about antiques, the Kennedys, Cape Cod, Antiques Roadshow vs. American Pickers, what do do with unwanted clothing and furniture and veterans' right. 90 minutes later, my group number was called and I boarded tender for the 14 minutes ride to the dock. The harbor is so shallow QM2 anchors a mile from the land, out beyond the breakwater.

Newport is a touristy town that revels in its social pretensions. The locals I talked with were charming and chatty. The streets are immaculate, not a bit of litter anywhere. The shops were uber clean and upscale. I walked into a cupcake store selling $8.00 cupcakes...they looked great but had like an inch of icing! No thanks. I did buy a butterscotch oatmeal cookie -yum!!

I lunched at FB's suggested eatery, The Black Pearl, met the chef and thoroughly relished the clam chowder!! 

 After walking around town, I stopped in at the Speak Easy and Grill for a drink before heading back to the ship. 

While walking, I was reminded of Jean! 

Merrill did not come to tea but Liz and I spent nearly two hours trading stories. She works for The Water Company of Western Australia, which handles all water including deslaninized and reclaimed as well as natural and aquifer. She's been there 19 years after serving two stints in the Army, retiring as a Warrant Officer. We really clicked, so I imagine I'll see them again. 

As we were having tea, the tenders were being raised back to their sailing brackets. Weird to see a boat that holds 120 people float up past the window of Deck 3!!

Tonight I'm off to dinner in Kings Court, then to watch the dancers at the Black and White Ball, then to see RADA Players perform "Bedtime Stories" in the Carinthia Lounge. 

Tomorrow is Bean Town. The last time I was actually in Boston was 1981! I never had occasion to go into the city when I visited Mom and Dad in Danvers! Time flies!!