It was good to be in a marina so we could wash off the boat and take care of some cleaning and boat repairs. Jonny spent a couple of hours repairing the windlass while Lynn cleaned the inside of Zendo and did two loads of laundry. That evening Jonny’s cousin Richie picked us up and we went to Fred’s Shanty and had dinner outdoors. They are known for their burgers but Lynn couldn’t resist having a lobster roll.
On Saturday, Lynn was excited to welcome her old friend Nancy Moriarty aboard Zendo. Lynn and Nancy used to work together at Mansfield Day Care Center near UConn which was Lynn’s first job out of college. It had been several years since they had seen each other and the visit was a wonderful way to catch up now that we’re both retired. The three of us walked down the street to another New London favorite, Captain Scott’s, where we sat on their outdoor deck and feasted on clam chowder, steamers, fried clams and corn on the cob. Each item was more delicious than the next!
Later on, Richie picked us up and brought us to his brother Jimmy’s home in nearby Waterford. Jimmy and his wife, Robin, were hosting a graduation party for family members and we were able to visit the beautiful old home that they have lovingly renovated. Their outdoor area was a perfect setting for a party with a gorgeous swimming pool, a fire pit, and a lovely pool house. Robin had prepared quite a feast but we were only able to take advantage of her delicious Rhode Island clam chowder from an old family recipe. We were still full from lunch and we were invited to another friend’s home for dinner that evening.
After a couple of hours, Richie gave us a ride to nearby Defender (a marine products store) where Jonny bought some boat supplies. Lynn found a great-looking warm jacket on sale - perfect for the cooler fall temperatures we would soon be encountering. Our friend Betsy picked us up at Defender at five to bring us around the corner to the home she and her husband have in nearby Jordan Cove. They had invited us to dinner at the summer cottage that has been in Betsy’s family for generations. It’s a very charming traditional summer cottage across the street from the cove with 270 degree views of the water. We sat socially distanced on their porch for drinks and nibbles. As the evening got cooler we proceeded inside for the delicious dinner that Betsy had prepared of pasta with shrimp, scallops, and crabmeat accompanied by salads, breads and even homemade desserts. What a feast! We had a lovely time and later Betsy graciously drove us back to Zendo.
On Sunday morning, Joe and Betsy stopped by for coffee and so Joe could see Zendo. They are avid sailers and Joe, who hadn’t seen Zendo before, was interested to see our trawler. We sat on the aft deck on another stunningly beautiful late summer day.
That afternoon, we were expecting Samantha, Jonny’s niece, to come down from outside of Boston. She arrived around 1:30 and we gave Sam the choice of where she wanted to have lunch. As expected, she chose Captain Scott’s (the absolute go-to place in New London in the summer) to which we happily agreed and the three of us strolled over there. Richie met us and we all feasted on lobster rolls, corn on the cob and a side of fried clams and onion rings. We are going to roll out of town after all the food we have consumed on this visit! We provided vicarious pleasure to Janice and Andy back home by FaceTiming with them so they could talk to Sam and Richie. Poor Janice was jealous that she could not be with us in her beloved New London.
Janice had also requested that we drive by her old home on Mallove Drive, so of course we accommodated her request. The house looked well cared for and even had the addition of new solar panels on the roof.
And no visit to New London is complete without the last stop on our food tour, a visit to Michael’s Dairy for ice cream. After satiating ourselves with that last tasty treat we said our goodbyes to Richie and returned to Zendo for an animated chat about politics before Sam had to hit the road.
This was our last night in New London and the next day we would head out to Point Judith in Rhode Island. We had a wonderful time seeing family and friends in Jonny’s charming home town.
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