Side trip to Provincetown!

The season has started, and soon we will be real busy here in Maine.  However, this year, we decided to close down for four nights and visit family and friends in Provincetown.

World famous Provincetown is located on the tip of Cape Cod 195 miles south of Ogunquit. Like Ogunquit, it's roots are in the sea, and salt is in the air. Like Ogunquit, it is a tourist destination filled with artists, gays, and general tourists. The quaint town is dotted with restaurants, art galleries and a variety of lodgings ( Inns, B&B guesthouses etc).

My good friend Jay has a house on Cook Street in the East End, and my nephew Eric also lives in the same neighborhood. Jay's house is a typical Cape Cod shingled contemporary duplex. The top floor has a sitting terrace which overlooks Cape Cod bay. The unit has three bedrooms, a large living room and two bathrooms. It's a perfect place to spend a vacation with family and friends. It's also for rent,  Ptown Vacation Rentals

Third floor terrace view from Jay Crickett's  Three bedroom rental house in the East End. 

Cape Cod National Seashore, miles of trails perfect for running and nature watching. Every morning I ran through some of the trails and byways. Michael and I also enjoyed hiking through the dunes and estuaries.

The "Breakwater" is a 1.2 milestone jetty that connects crosses Provincetown harbor to Wood End Lighthouse. Michael and I crossed the rock dike at low tide and went to the expansive deserted beach. The beach is a long stretch of sand and there are two lighthouses at both ends. The Wood End Lighthouse is now solar powered.

While hiking along the quiet secluded beach we heard a sound of something exhaling. we looked to the sea and we saw a whale that was swimming along the shore line. As I was beach combing, I found a lobster buoy, to my surprise it was from Maine!!

There is plenty to do in P-town during the day, but at night, the vibe is much different than the serene National Seashore. Commercial Street is alive with tourists and sightseers. The famous "Lobster Pot Restaurant"  is a must if you are visiting Provincetown.

This long expansive Ptown institution serves hundreds of pounds of lobster and other sea fare daily. To my surprise they now have a gluten free menu, which is quite expansive and satisfying. I had the baked lobster in butter.

Colonial town of Colonia Uruguay

When you see the Southern Cross for the first time
 You understand now why you came this way
 'Cause the truth you might be runnin' from is so small
 But it's as big as the promise, the promise of a comin' day
-Crosby, Stills & Nash

 

The charming town of Colonia de Sacramento sits 50 kilometers across the Rio de la Plata and a world away from Buenos Aires.  I am really enamored by this little colonial town. The pace in this historical town is much slower, than cosmopolitan Buenos Aires. I have always been attracted to places that sit on the water.

The side streets are tree lined with cobble stones. Much of the architecture is Spanish & Portuguese colonial. The United Nations declared this town a UNESCO world heritage site.

Colonia is the oldest town in Uruguay. The town was founded by the Portuguese in 1680, for its strategic importance. The Portuguese built  a walled fort, churches and a trade port. The Spanish acquired the town in 1771.

Uruguay has an abundance of lighthouses. Some of the islands surrounding Colonia in the Rio de la Plata  are dotted with lighthouses.  In Colonia, the Colonia Lighthouse is famous and administered by the Uruguayan Navy. There are 119 steps to the top if this lighthouse. The admission is 15 Uruguayan Pesos ( .75 USD). The Lighthouse was rebuilt in 1857, and sits on the ruins of the San Francisco convent.

Climbing to the top of the lighthouse is an experience, the stairs are narrow, and the doorways are low. I got a bit dizzy climbing the stairs to the top, but the site was well worth it! The views are incredible.
You can also see the faint skyline of Buenos Aires, islands, and other lighthouses.

There a lot of cute restaurants to have lunch or dinner. Like Argentina, lunches are GRANDE!

Time sits still in this town....