Burlington – Day Two

Saturday August 6, 2022

TAKES A LICKING and KEEPS ON TICKING

There is a tried-and-true rule in boating: always one hand for the boat.  In other words, whatever you’re doing, make sure you are safe before you do it.  So far, I have made two clumsy missteps on this trip – both resulting in injury:

• In Nantucket, I was getting off the boat carrying a bag of trash. I stepped on a varnished rail wet with dew, and crashed forward, skinning both shins and badly bruising my right thigh.  

• Yesterday, we were anchored off Lone Rock near Mallets Bay, and we could see rain approaching across the lake.  Closing the center section of the windshield requires me to step down onto the first step of the companionway.  Never a problem in rubber-soled shoes.  In bare feet, however, you’d better hang on to the rail.  So…as I stepped forward in bare feet, reaching for the windshield with both hands, my feet kicked out from under me, and I landed on the steps with the middle of my spine.  As it turned out, I bruised my arm above my elbow, hurt two fingers and one toe, and bruised my left cheekbone/eye socket.  Plus, I got an egg on my back.  I looked like Eye-Gore in Young Frankenstein, only the bump was halfway down my back.

Thanks to my superhuman powers of recovery, I am fully functioning this morning!  But I offer this as a reminder to myself and as a cautionary tale for others.  Obviously, both these falls could have been much worse, had I broken something.

AND NOW a response to those of you who questioned my use of the word “impecunious” in an earlier post…   

Whenever I post to the blog, I try to remember that others may read it, and I try not to be hurtful.  So, in describing the Whitehall Marina, I was trying to be gentle.  I saw no reason to use terms like

• The entire town is circling the drain, and the marina is leading the way

• The owner is either stoned or compromised

• The “Tavern” looks like a set for a horror movie

• The clientele could be the “extras”

AND NOW, BACK TO OUR REGULAR PROGRAMMING…

Let’s begin by backing all the way up to Friday.  As you recall, the afternoon was consumed by errands, but Lynn found some interesting restaurants on TripAdvisor, and we decided to head into town.  Burlington is quite hilly; the street that runs straight up from the harbor is called College Street.  Our marina is at 0 (Zero) College Street.  About 5 blocks up College Street (all uphill) is Church Street – perpendicular to College Street. 

Church Street, despite its holy name, is the devil’s playground.  Closed to vehicular traffic, it is the locale for restaurants, bars, live music, and FREAKY PEOPLE.   I haven’t seen people like this since 1972.  There are a LOT of 

• 70-year-old hippies

• Obese females who have made very unfortunate fashion decisions

• Stoners

• Modestly talented but extremely loud musicians

Anyway, Lynn and I turned right on Church – away from the central core of this nuclear meltdown, and we had a SUPERB meal at Istanbul Kabab House.  And I mean it was EXCELLENT…every course.  Ending with a delicious Turkish coffee that kept Lynn up all night!

Yesterday, we dropped the lines and headed out into the lake for a joyride.  It was a GORGEOUS day on the Lake:

We headed due north to visit Malletts Bay, a body of water almost entirely enclosed by an old railroad causeway; the causeway is now a bike path.  At the single break in the causeway where boats can pass through, there is the world’s only bike ferry to carry one across.  Here’s a screen shot Lynn took of the chart, and a photo of the bike ferry:

The Malletts Bay entry was extremely shallow, so we took a pass and anchored instead in the lee of Lone Rock Point.  Look at these beautiful cliffs:

Photo

Local kids like to swim out to Lone Rock and jump off.  I took a pass.

At that point, we saw a squall building across the lake, and I stepped forward to close the windshield.  Oh, wait.  You already know the rest…

Despite my near-fatal tumble, I rallied after two Aleve’s and two Jamesons, and we set out for another great meal – this one at Leunig’s Bistro – and my introduction to Poutine, with tender pieces of duck and a rich gravy over pommes frites.  (Thank you Lynn, for the suggestion.)

This all brings us to Sunday morning, where another brilliant day has dawned.  We will soon set out for a cruise to Valcour Island for lunch.  Then another great restaurant TBD!

TTFN

R&L&G