Maine Eye and Ear Infirmary (historical)

Today and tomorrow we are primarily relaxing and getting to know Portland, Maine.

This city has a nice feel and we found out that it was a national holiday which explained why it was particularly busy. It was also sunny in an autumnal kind of way. In direct sunlight, lovely, in the shade, positively chilly. We had no real plans and had a coffee as we strolled in to the centre. On the way, there was a minor altercation between two men. Of all the places we have visited, this sleepy city by the sea primarily aimed at vacationers seemed like the last place to witness a fight. It wasn't really a fight though and our view was partially blocked by a bus, more wildly thrown arms and a passerby intervening. By the time Alice and I had walked the length of the road and were near to the scene the police had arrived. Just as quickly as it had flared up it had died down.

Having safely made it to the harbour side we decided to have some lunch. I particularly wanted to try the lobster roll and we found a venue. It was lunchtime and was packed but it didn't take too long to get a seat. I had eaten lobster once before but it was in a rich sauce which I'm guessing defeats the object of eating a delicate tasting fish. The roll when it came was overflowing with lobster and had a single leaf of lettuce and the slightest of smears of mayonnaise. Alice also had the lobster roll and we both agreed they were very enjoyable.

We then walked along the main street popping in and out of tat shops and by the end of the road we weren't sure what to do with the rest of the afternoon. We were near to the cinema and decided on seeing a matinee. We saw Sully, the partly true story of the pilot who safely landed a plane on the Hudson Bay in 2009. A well made movie that manages to explain what happened that eventful morning whilst also squeezing in an epic battle of noble pilot versus scrupulously unreasonable NTSB.

For some unexplained reason we were both feeling tired and decided to buy some food and actually make dinner as we had been planning to do for a while. The chicken stirfry was amazing of course and we rounded off this lazy day with a Netflix and HBO Go marathon. The plan for tomorrow is to try and see more of Portland.

Song of the Day:
Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the BayRead more