Holiday in New England - Ramblings

Hall Tavern Visitor Center

Here in the UK, I am looking out of my window at the rain falling and the Hart's Tongue ferns unrolling; it reminds me of a trip I made a couple of years ago to visit Western Massachusetts and the Pioneer Valley.  I was on route to revisit Historic Deerfield Village and The Deerfield Inn. 

This spectacular 350 year old village is a National Historic Landmark where 90% of the town’s historic buildings are still located on their original sites.  In 1675 the American Indian village was called Pocumtuck but by 1704 it had been renamed Deerfield by English settlers.  This was a frontier settlement and on 29^th February 1704 a mixed party of two to three hundred French and Indians attacked the town, killing 56 people and carrying off over 100 to Canada.  Some eventually returned.

For those interested in early New England life, a visit to Historic Deerfield is a must with the first stop at the Hall Tavern Visitor Center.  This is an active museum where there are daily activities for children and adults with demonstrations, guided and self-guided tours of the town that take in an 18^th century kitchen garden-the Cook’s Garden; The Sheldon House portrays farming life between 1780 and 1810 and The Apprentice’s Workshop at Dwight House – shows how goods were made by hand.  There are other walking tours and guided house tours.  The Museum Shop is well worth a visit for unusual items, American crafts, gifts and a very comprehensive bookshop.

The Museum Shop Hart's Tounge "fiddleheads"

The Deerfield Inn at Dusk

Whilst visiting Historic Deerfield, I had a guided tour of The Deerfield Inn.   Anna and I had stayed here a few years ago and it was good to be re-acquainted with Jane and Carl and their wonderful 24 guest room, traditional country inn that was built in 1884.  It was here that I experienced “fiddleheads.”  These are the tips of unrolling fronds of the ostrich fern; they had been handpicked from beside the river and are an early spring delicacy with a very short season.  They had been boiled, sautéed in olive oil and garlic, salt and pepper with a squeeze of lemon juice – a delightful and unforgettable occasion.  We ate in the tavern but Champney’s is the award winning restaurant that only uses the finest local produce.  Lunch and snacks are available and Sunday morning Brunch is a special occasion.  This, arguably, is the heart of Historic Deerfield.

On 29^th August 2011, Tropical Storm Irene swept through the western half of New England leaving behind flooding, washed out roads, washed away bridges, washed away homes and chaos.  The Deerfield Inn was flooded and it is currently closed but a major restoration is underway and later on this year it will re open in all of its glory.

Links:  www.deerfieldinn.com

www.historic-deerfield.org

Click to see the entry of the Deerfield Inn on www.holidayinnewengland.com

 

A Clam Chowder Cannonball

History

The word "chowder" comes from the same root as the word "cauldron," and refers to the pot in which the soup is made. The precursors of American clam chowder came from England and Northern France, but the American colonists were the first to use clams as a main ingredient, due to their easy availability on the Atlantic coast. Clam Chowder originated as a one-pot meal among the fishermen of New England. The first printed recipes for clam chowder in America date from the mid-18th century, and have continued to evolve since then.

Basic Ingredients

There is more than one type of clam chowder, and recipes for each type will vary according to the personal taste of the chef, but all clam chowders share some basic ingredients. The most important ingredient, of course, is clams. Small clams are favoured for their texture; larger clams tend to be somewhat tough when cooked and can be gritty. Chunks of potato are also often used in chowder, along with onion. Diced or chunked carrots and celery are not uncommon, and clam chowder is often sprinkled with a bit of chopped parsley before serving to add colour.

Boston Clam Chowder

The most popular type of chowder in America and the one most people picture when they think of chowder is Boston clam chowder, also called New England clam chowder. Boston chowder is the original form of chowder, with roots in the 18th century. Natives of Maine and Massachusetts invented this dish, and made it with a cream- or milk-based broth, giving it its characteristic white colour and thick texture. Traditional Boston clam chowder is made with clams, potatoes, hardtack or crackers, and salt pork or bacon. Today, the layers of hardtack or crackers are generally left out, especially outside of New England, and carrots or celery are often used for extra flavour and colour.

Manhattan Clam Chowder

The other main type of clam chowder, though not as popular as the Boston type, is Manhattan clam chowder. Manhattan chowder is immediately distinguishable from the Boston variety by its colour. Since it is made with a tomato base, Manhattan chowder is red, rather resembling cioppino or bouillabaise. This type of chowder may have been introduced by Portuguese immigrants in the 19th century. It never achieved the wide popularity of Boston clam chowder, remaining mainly a regional dish. There is a rivalry between the aficionados of the two types, and most restaurants that serve chowder will serve either Boston or Manhattan, but rarely both.

Rhode Island Clam Chowder

There is one other type of clam chowder, which is almost exclusively regional to southern Rhode Island. Rhode Island chowder, like Manhattan chowder, is tomato-based, but the broth is thin and almost clear. This type of chowder is loved by locals, but remains virtually unknown outside its native region.

Which one will you try …?                                                        (Source www.ehow.com)

 

The Marconi Poldu Wireless Station on The Lizard, Cornwall.

On 14^th April 1912 the unthinkable happened to the unsinkable Titanic, following a collision with an iceberg – she sank.  The link with Cape Cod, Titanic and The Lizard is Guglielmo Marconi, the inventor of the Wireless.

Marconi’s Poldu Wireless Station is located in Cornwall in the UK on a peninsular called The Lizard, near the town of Mullion.  Its construction was completed in January 1901.  Many experimental wireless transmissions took place here and the first transatlantic message in Morse Code was between Poldu and the Wireless Station in St.Johns in Newfoundland took place on 12^th December 1901. 

Marconi Beach Station, Eastham, MA.

On Cape Cod, Massachusetts, between Eastham and Wellfleet, Marconi built the first Transatlantic Wireless Telegraph Station in USA between 1901 – 1902.  It was from here on 19^th January 1903 that President Theodore Roosevelt sent the first US transatlantic telegram to King Edward VII in the UK, it was received at Poldu, on the Lizard.

Marconi built the Glace Bay wireless station in Nova Scotia but the Cape Race wireless station in Newfoundland used to pick up all messages from transatlantic liners.  It was Cape Race that received the Marconi distress signal “CQD” from the sinking Titanic.  “CQ” was the signal to stop transmission and pay attention.  The “D” was added to signal distress.  In 1906 the International Radio Convention created the “SOS” as the official distress signal.  Both signals were sent by the Marconi operator Jack Phillips on Titanic.

This road sign is near Bethel in Maine and indicates some of the far flung locations that early settlers came from.

The Plaza Mayor, Madrid, Spain.

Our daughter was moving from Buenos Aires to take up a teaching job in Madrid. She sent out a request on Facebook for apartments and received a recommendation about a houseboat that was available to rent currently moored in Madrid Harbour.  This sounded intriging but follow up requests were not forthcoming and she found alternative accommodation.  On our first visit to this lovely city in February, we went on a walking tour of old Madrid, saw fabulous architecture, some art gallieries, did some shopping and enjoyed a glass or two of sustainance with tapas.  We were delighted that many things were cheaper than in UK.  The Metro was clean and efficient with a train every 5 minutes.  I understand that Madrid has the largest network of underground trains in Europe.

Back to our quest.  Well, we found an anchor that was retrieved from the harbour and established on this very spot in 1982.

Anchor from the Frigate "Ville De Madrid".

We ran out of time to visit the harbour but we did find that street maps were posted on all of the bus shelters, with - as you would expect - water marked in blue.

The official street map of Madrid,

This unusual sign caught my eye as I was driving on Route 102 between Trenton and Somesville, on Mount Desert Island just outside the Acadia National Park in Maine.   I was intrigued, a bit like the signs outside butchers shops in UK before Burns night in late January - "Freshly shot Haggis."  All is not what it appears to be.  A shop where you can buy fresh clams and mussels I can understand but are they fresh rats?  These cherry stones are not the pips to be found in cherries but cherry stone clams are a delicacy that can be eaten raw, in soups, stews or for stuffing.

Subsequent research revealed that "RATS" are the initials of the fisherman Richard Alan Taylor and his garage 7/10 mile up the road is where you can buy delicious fresh seafood.

 

 Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail photo - holidayinnewengland.com library

Self-Guided walking tour around 24 historical sites in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.

 Portsmouth Black Heritage Trail website

Link to Exeter History blog