All posts by Sunny Bridge

I love travel, seeing and photographing new places, meeting new people, learning languages (focusing on French, although I've recently started also learning Spanish). In the past few years, I've been discovering the joys of poetry, both reading it and writing it. You can reach me at sunnybridge@msn.com.

New England Summer

Lake Life: Wild Version

21 July 2014 Sunny Bridge 4 Comments

Besides all the family, who have now mostly gone their separate ways, there are plenty of other photo opportunities. The animals here provide some photographic challenges. Like this little guy:

The chipmunk above and left, darts around so quickly, I had to use sport mode to capture a decent shot (and delete about thirty useless shots–gotta love digital cameras).

This heron hangs around periodically, mostly when I do NOT have my camera, but I managed to snap one decent shot (and only had to delete six or seven).

This duck is much easier. She’s constantly swimming around the dock and practically posing for close-ups. Note how clear and beautiful the water is here.

And I managed to sneak up on this little merganser family:

No such luck so far with getting close enough to the loons for a good photo. They’re out on the bay most evenings and you can hear their haunting cry late into the night and sometimes at dawn, but I’d need a longer lens and a tripod (or a really quiet boat). Still, as I’ve learned from this tree . . .

Don't let 'em get you down! — Don’t let ’em get you down!

. . . NEVER give up!

Seriously. Never.

New England Summer

Lake Life

13 July 2014 Sunny Bridge 5 Comments

Lake life in July involves late nights that start with gorgeous evenings

. . . after days on the dock and in the lake . . .

. . . cocktails on the deck . . .

"Papa John" Trethaway — “Papa John” Trethaway

. . . or booze cruises . . .

. . . a lot of family, including extended family . . .

Cousins: Pete and Tammy Kraeger, Ali, Molly and Owen Fox

. . . dinners by a rotating cast of chefs . . .

. . . followed by more late nights . . .

Pola protecting herself from the evil mosquitoes! — Cousin Pola’s evening wear — protecting herself from the evil mosquitoes!

and enough talking, laughing, and catching up to hold us through till next year.

Most have gone their own way by now, and it’s getting quieter here by the day as more depart, but we have treasured the time together.

New England Summer, The Grand Tour

Home Sweet . . . Garage?

12 July 2014 Sunny Bridge 1 Comment

We made it to Boston late on Saturday, the 5th of July and then up to Lake Sunapee on the 6th, so we really are home, sweet home, in a way. Just in time for this:

Fireworks over Lake Sunapee -- July 6th — Fireworks over Lake Sunapee — July 6th

This place has been a treasured home base for David’s far-flung family for many years. But before I switch gears to the New England summer, I have to show you where we spent the last three nights in almost-Paris.

You know when real estate people talk about location, location, location? You should probably listen. And if your first thought about lodging is “how fun and quirky”? Rethink your choice, especially if you also think “too bad about the location.” It’s time to back away from the computer. Really.

So here’s how “fun and quirky” this place was:

David was at my mercy, since I had made all the arrangements. Oops. Sorry.

So if we had had pre-schoolers along, maybe, but there was the added bonus of the sketchy neighborhood, which required bars on the windows and combination-code-operated bolted entryway. I started getting claustrophobic as soon as I realized in a fire, electrical systems have a tendancy to fail, so how would we get out? Yikes.

Other than that, though, it was an excellent experience in seeing the more multi-cultural side of living in Paris–or really almost-Paris, since we were just on the other side of the périphérique in Saint-Ouen, where they have massive street flea-markets with every possible kind of dusty old castoff you’ve ever seen.

So although I won’t book that apartment again, and I cannot recommend it to you, we’re actually sort of glad we did.

New England Summer, The Grand Tour

Hard Drive Crash!

4 July 2014 Sunny Bridge 3 Comments

Well, excellent timing, I guess, since we’ll be back in the states later tonight, if all goes well. But my computer is temporarily toast — or en panne, as they say here.

So no photo software at the moment. I hope I’ll be able to pull it off yet, since I really wanted to show you photos of the crazy apartment we rented in “sort of” Paris. It’s actually just on the other side of le périphérique from Montmartre, in Saint Ouen, where all the flea markets are. So we’re still walking everywhere, including all the way to the Rodin museum on Thursday, near the Eiffel Tower, though I admit we caught the Metro on the way back.

But now it’s time to pack up and leave France for a while. We’re headed here:

But first we have to make a connection in London. Last time I came home from Paris through London, a weather delay caused me to miss my connecting flight, and spend five hours — yes FIVE HOURS — in line waiting to be rescheduled. And today it’s raining. Just saying.

So please wish us traveling mercies. And if we do end up in interminable queues, wish us charming companions while we wait, like I met last time.

And for all of you already stateside, have a safe and happy 4th of July!

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