Day 38

October 7, 2019

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

Welcome to America - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hy70q_awGUk 



We went off to Old Cape Cod.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HT2ao0rcxoA

The bus ride was remarkably rough as, in general, the highways and roads we took are in poor shape. One two-mile section of Highway 6, we are told, has been under repair for five years at a cost of several million dollars, and it is still unfinished. Contrast that with:
https://www.flixxy.com/the-8th-wonder-of-the-world.htm?utm_source=nl&utm_campaign=website&utm_source=flixxy.com&utm_term=video%20of%20the%20day&utm_medium=newsletter

Our nine hour tour visited the lower half of the Cape from Sandwich to Chatham. We did not get all the way to Provincetown at the very north end, it was simply too far. Nevertheless ours was a worthwhile trip on a warm, sunny, short-sleeve shirt day. What was immediately striking about the area was its density of trees. They were ubiquitous, lining every road and so thick and robust that their branches were continually brushing our bus's roof. For a sand spit the vegetation on Cape Cod is way more dense and greener than I imagined.

The Town of Barnstable is the most populous centre on Cape Cod at 45,000, but that town is comprised of seven separate villages, the largest being Hyannis (pop.13,000). So, really Cape Cod is a mixture of comfy, cozy hamlets - no box stores, no large malls. In Chatham the charming shops cast a spell over us - Karen bought a lovely vest that I had pointed out to her at the front window, I got a sweater. We now have a suitcase problem.

One could easily sense the history of this place - ancient buildings are everywhere, both among the relic, though still functional, homes and the quaint stores. The more recent homes are along the seashore and they are stunning, both in size and in value. Big money here. We motored past the Kennedy Compound in Hyannis Port we but had no time to stop there for lunch (as if!).

Cape Cod is pretty as a picture and life there is slow paced, relaxed. The downside is that it has few of the amenities that city folk become accustomed to. It's not for everyone.