I was in Camden Maine for the wedding of the oldest son of grad school friends. Long ago, they left for England, where she was from; they decided to settle there, not here, because she had an extensive family there and because of what England provides citizens (like health care) that the U.S. doesn't. She was pregnant when she left, and we've seen the whole family through the years. In 2016, we went to Arizona for the wedding of their younger son, and we met some folks that we saw again this past week-end.
I had never been to Maine before, and I was surprised to find how much it reminded me of the parts of Maryland that are near the Chesapeake Bay. The buildings look similar, as does the landscape, and the vistas of water that seem to be at every turn of the road. The weather was perfect, which was fortunate, because the week-end plans were mostly outdoors: a gathering at a picnic shelter on Saturday and the wedding itself on Sunday afternoon.
We got to Maine on Friday afternoon and made our way to Camden after flying in to Portland. One of the best meals we had was on our way, at a roadside pizza place. It may be the most perfect pizza I've ever had. The crust was perfectly crisp with abundant toppings: cheeses, onions, bacon, and mushrooms. We ate at the Sea Dog brewery Friday night after we literally bumped into the friends we had met in Arizona as we passed each other on the street. That was one of the more perfect settings as we settled into a picnic table on a back covered terrace that overlooked the bay.
It was a week-end of various festivals around town. In addition to Labor Day, there was a Windjammer celebration, and some other smaller events that had streets blocked off and lots of traffic. Because we were there for a wedding and to see friends that we don't have a chance to see as often, we didn't do much sightseeing. I didn't buy anything except for food and drink. I didn't even really go into the small shops that looked like they had interesting stuff.
The only good cup of coffee I got was from a bookstore, The Owl and the Turtle. It was a mocha, and the woman in line behind me recommended that I opt for the whipped cream on the top. It was homemade and worth every calorie. The food was good, but the company was better.
The wedding was held at a beautiful venue. It was one of the first times I'd been to a Jewish wedding; the bride is Jewish. I sat there as we waited for the wedding to start and went back to previous weddings I've attended--could it be possible that I've never been to a Jewish wedding? Yes, it is possible, but then I remembered that we went to the wedding of the mother of a college friend. In terms of the ceremony, it seemed similar to every other wedding I've attended: a celebration of love and a reminder that marriage doesn't keep us safe from hard times.
The wedding event included an open bar and a delicious meal and cake and dancing. We didn't stay until the very end--we had to be on the road early on Monday to get back to the airport. We had an easy trip back. It may have been one of the easiest zips through TSA security that I've ever had. Returning the rental car was also quick and effortless. The plane took off five minutes early; I guess one of the advantages of a small airport is that we don't have to wait for the one lone passenger making their way to the concourse.
And now it's back to Fall. Today I teach, and tonight I don't have class. Tomorrow, my schedule heats up. But it's OK, because I'm looking forward to all the events that are coming my way. It's very different than other times I've returned from vacation where I've dreaded all the work stuff about to fall on my head.
Tomorrow I'll post some pictures from the trip. Today I need to make sure I'm ready for teaching.
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