On The Road With Denis & Starr/Day 22 - Newport, RI

Thursday, October 22
Rest In Peace, Soupy Sales

Newport, RI

That morning it was my turn to work.  I had committed to blog about our 6 week/42 day road trip, and here we were beginning our 4th week and I had only posted through week 1.  Yikes!!

So, with plans to meet up later in the afternoon, Denis set out to find some new subject matter for his paintings.

First, he scoured the piers and found a nice grouping of little boats that made a for a fine composition.

Next, he hiked all the way to, along and back from the Cliff Walk, totaling 7.5 miles.

This was the view that inspired him most.

He described the scene to be like large stepping stones laid down by giants

That afternoon at 4 p.m. we arrived at the Hotel Viking for Afternoon Tea.  (I wore mom's pearls to this one!)

"There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."

- Henry James -

We were seated near the windows where we could look out upon Bellevue Avenue.  The lounge music that was piped in was Brazilian, although it had a distinct African flavor to it.  The artist was Kaarolina Pietra.  It was very agreeable.  The table linens were starched white and the upholstery on the chairs boasted a Scandinavian theme.

First came the tea....

Denis chose the Vanilla Bean.

A deep blend of black tea leaves with Madagascar vanilla beans.

The mood music helped with my choice of the African Nectar.

African Rooibos leaves teeming with tropical fruit and blossoms.

Then came our Classic Afternoon Tea, served in the traditional way on a 3-tier stand.

Our savory course was an assortment of freshly prepared Tea Sandwiches.  Pumpernickel filled with mozzarella, tomato and olive tapenade.  Buttered whole grain filled with cucumber, avocado and tomato.

Our bread course was an almond bread tart baked with apricots and blueberries.  Their version of Lemon Curd was delicious, it was lemon curd blended with Devonshire Cream.

Our sweets course included assorted tea cakes, fresh berries and chocolate truffles with coconut.

After our tea time we took a stroll through the neighborhood.

And we finished our day with a leisurely drive on scenic and famous Ocean Drive.

On The Road With Denis & Starr/Day 21 - Blackstone, MA

Wednesday, October 21

Newport, RI & Blackstone, MA

When we checked the morning view from the balcony that morning, we saw that we were going to have another beautiful day.

Denis had phone meetings that morning so I walked up America's Cup Drive to the bus depot and took a ride on the neighborhood trolley heading for the exclusive Bellevue Avenue and the Mansion District.

There are many mansion museums to choose from but the one that intrigued me the most was, Rough Point, the oceanfront home of Doris Duke - the collector, philanthropist and animal lover.  I hopped off the trolley near the campus of Salve Regina University and walked the rest of the way passing Chateau-Sur-Mer, The Breakers, Astors' Beechwood and Marble House.  And then just before Bellevue Avenue ends and the Atlantic Ocean meets the Rhode Island Sound there stands the beautiful Rough Point.

Walking in was like stepping into the life of an heiress, and with my very excellent guide, Michelle, I spent the next hour immersed in the fine art, furnishings and priceless antiques that Doris Duke spent a lifetime collecting.

The tour included several large sitting rooms & galleries, the solarium (Doris' favorite room), the dining room (where I spied a beautiful Colwood China tea set) her bedroom, the kitchen and the grand ballroom.  Every room is still furnished as it was when Doris lived there.

My favorite story was the the one Michelle told about how at parties in the grand ballroom, Doris would tap dance for her guests!!  Also of interest to me was that she and Martha Graham were very good friends and Ms. Graham would visit Rough Point to give Doris dancing lessons.

An added bonus was a special exhibit called Shop Like an Heiress which explored how Doris shopped for her wardrobe in search of stylish, chic clothes that established her as one of the best dressed in society.  The fashions spanning 50 years were all gorgeous.

Although there were no photos allowed inside, they were permitted on the grounds.

 A peek into Doris' Solarium

Her Bridge on the Cliff Walk

There is evidence of Doris' love of animals throughout Rough Point.

At one time, she had two camels living there.

This camel topiary greets you as you enter the grounds from Bellevue Ave.

To remember my pleasant visit to this beautiful example of architecture from the gilded age, I purchased a book about Rough Point and one about Doris Duke's home in Honolulu called Shangri-La.  I hope I get to travel to Hawaii one day because I would love to tour this home.

I walked back to the trolley stop through the dappled light on Bellevue Avenue enjoying every step.

Blackstone, MA

That afternoon we drove over the Pell Bridge on the way to visit Val and Martha at their new farm in Blackstone.

When we arrived we met the two newest members of their menagerie.  Joining the dog, the sheep, the goats, the llamas, the alpacas and the ducks are:

Amos & Andy

New babies for Martha!

Rosa helps with the farm work.

After we visited with the animals, we went to check out the site where Val will build a new bridge over the river so they can access their back fields.

We gingerly crossed the old bridge....

We made it!

Val and Rosa led the way to the back fields.

Back at the house, we took the tour.

Martha's Lantern Collection

Matteo's Outer Space Room

Rosa's Princess Room

Nice Hat, Val!!

A beautiful afternoon in beautiful Blackstone Valley.

On our drive back to Newport that night, there was a Crescent Moon guiding our way.

On The Road With Denis & Starr/Day 20 - Newport, RI

Tuesday, October 20

Happy Anniversary To Us!!

Newport, RI & Dartmouth, MA

After crossing the majestic Pell Bridge, we arrived in this 370 year old City-By-The-Sea last night.  We checked in to our room over looking Bowen's Wharf and out into Newport Harbor at The Newport Harbor Hotel and Marina.

We awoke to a beautiful day and the view from our balcony was as wharfy as it gets!

Our room included a bountiful breakfast each morning at the hotel restaurant, Pier 49.  After breakfast we strolled out on the pier to enjoy the beautiful boats.

On the agenda for today was a visit with Val and Breanna.  We drove to Dartmouth, Massachusetts, and met them for lunch at the Healthy Grille on Route 6.

The menu had dozens of choices for vegetarians.  Val and Breanna could not resist a bowl of their award winning clam chowder.

We caravanned over to the campus of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth where Breanna is a Freshman.  She told us about her diverse course load while she took us on a tour showing us all of the buildings where she attends classes.  We even got a chance to see her dorm.

Breanna at U Mass Dartmouth

The campus was busy with students coming from and going to classes.  Many of them stopped to chat with Breanna as we finished up our tour.

Denis had a Go To Meeting later that afternoon, so said goodbye to Val and Breanna and drove back to Newport.

That afternoon, Denis created a collage of the following scenes with his next pen & ink.

The Anniversary "Wharf"

by

Denis

It was our special night, and we celebrated at Pronto on Thames Street.  This elegant little bistro had the perfect ambience for a romantic dinner.  The soft lighting was produced by an eclectic collection of antique chandeliers.

We shared an order of Irene's Ravioli.

Ravioli filled with sweet squash, amaretti & goat cheese in a walnut sage cream sauce.

And an order of Vegetable Cannelloni.

Roasted vegetables, Italian herbs and asiago, smoked mozzarella & parmesan cheese, wrapped in fresh pasta with bechamel sauce and topped with a hearty red sauce.

We walked back to The Newport on that moonlit evening feeling blessed for another wonderful year together.