Rhode Island

Tuesday morning I boarded a train to Kingston, Rhode Island to visit Vince and his family on vacation. The train ride was a lot of fun and much easier than I expected. I sat in a comfy chair the whole five hours and read 'Mary Barton' by Elizabeth Gaskell - the book I'm still trying to get through. It's a great read and offers much insight into life in the Victorian era - particularly for the lower class in England. I purchased the book 'The Innocents Abroad' by Mark Twain before I left - published in 1866 I believe. Since it's about travel of the Victorian era I thought it would be a fitting read before attending the Belair event so that I can get back in the Orientalism mindset. I had a great idea for my Orientalism stand the other day...but that's getting really off track.

After arriving in Rhode Island at a picturesque yellow wooden train station I unboarded and waited for my Vincent to arrive. The weather was lovely - not too hot or sunny but just warm enough with a salty feel to the air that is a necessity for beach vacations. : ) It was around 2:00 pm. Soon my Vince arrived, just back from playing golf, and we headed back to the house. We are staying in a house owned by his aunt and uncle who used to live in this area. It's a beautiful place with four bedrooms - very spacious for us since there are only the five of us here - Vince, his mother and father, Eric, and I. And Sallie doggie. ; ) The front of the house has a great view of the ocean which is allowed by the windows which encircle the dining area. The house is decorated in light airy colors - pale mirky blues the colors of the ocean, pale yellows like the sand, and white wicker furniture. It's very beautiful and reminds me of one of the houses out of a Victoria magazine (which, by the way, is finally being published again).

Tuesday we went to the beach and I collected various trinkets from the seashore - mainly mother of pearl like shells that I will use for my Orientalism stand. The sand is the color of gold and the water sparkles with flecks of it. Fools gold and minute but perfect seashells with hermit crabs within them are easily found. The beach that we go to is a short walking distance from the house and is privately owned by the locals of this development. Off to the side of the shoreline there is a rocky area visible when the tide is low that is a marvelous place to find treasures of the ocean.

Wednesday morning we headed to Newport to visit the old mansions from the 1880s-1900s. Vince, Eric and I toured The Breakers, the summer home of the Vanderbilts. It was unbelievable! Many of the walls were painted in gold and there were intricate mosiacs, painted ceilings in almost every room, and detailed woodcarvings on the walls and ceilings. Marble was all over the house - even marble bathtubs and fountains. They had a delightful bookstore, too. Vince took us out to lunch for seafood, and afterwards we headed out to the beach for a swim. Last night was ice cream sundaes, compliments of Eric.