September to Maine - Day 2

We woke before sunrise and tiptoed down the steps.  I made puerh tea, Janet made brazilian coffee and we greeted the captain who was waiting to be let out.  We had no idea that he was to be let out so we gently asked him to stay back and off we were to Campobello Island for the sunrise.
It is a very good idea to scout out a place a day or two beforehand, if you are planning to take sunrise pictures.  Easier said than done.  We arrived early and then proceeded to guess our way around Campobello.  Luckily for us, we ended up at Herring Cove which is a beautifully arced pebble beach, well before sunrise.

... and the moon behind us was high with a star shining next to it

It was a few minutes wait until the sun rose in splendor over the Bay of Fundy....

and we decided to go explore the southern side of Campobello Island.  The flora and fauna were displaying the best of fall colors.  After about a ten minute ride over a fairly well maintained gravel road, we arrived at Liberty Point where there is a nice parking lot and a well built observation deck from which we could take the rest of the morning's pictures.  The most immediately visible item being a huge rock formation called "Sugar Loaf Rock":

I took several shots and decided that the polarizing filter was introducing some serious vignetting (as you can see in the corners).  I really wanted  a good HDR image and took a few more, with the following one tonemapped to a point which I think best expressed the actual light:.

The southern tip of Campobello is truly beautiful in the morning light. The view on the other side of the camera facing back toward the left of the parking lot was filled with fall colors:

and the view to the left of the camera:

Stunning in the early morning sunlight. I took a final picture looking back at the USA and the West Quoddy Head Lighthouse in the distance, and it was almost time to go back for breakfast at the Peacock House.

On our way back to the Peacock House, J2 decided to take a detour and we headed over to the ferry landing where the Deer Island Ferry picks up its passengers. This is another fabulous place - especially for bird watchers.  There were birds of many feathers on the wing.  Unfortunately, my current photography skills are not sufficient to capture them and although I took quite a few, none of them were good.  So, here is one that provides evidence that we were there.

Maybe just one more...

Yes, those are birds.... don't ask which.  Breakfast was a special occasion.  We once again mingled with the other guests while Dennis cooked  and Sue served the guests and made sure that the conversations kept going.  This was the second breakfast seating of the day and we met several very pleasant and friendly people who were guests.  By the time breakfast was over, I felt that we were all going to be friends.

Breakfast was  excellent - with much conversation and laughter and excellent food which started with a fruit cup and ended with a Swedish pancake topped with bananas.  I had forgotten my camera in the room and was thus able to focus on the food.  After breakfast, I started on my ongoing quest - to read through Osamu Tezuka's eight volumes of "Buddha".  The living room of Peacock House was the perfect place to (re-)start volume I.   J2 went for  walk around the neighborhood, leaving me to take a much need nap with my book. Then it was time for lunch!
 
We headed back over the bridge to Canada to the Family Fisheries Restaurant which is a family style place serving outstanding local food.  This was one of the highlights of our trip - down home cooking done well. J2 had their excellent fish chowder and I had the fish and chips with off-the-boat-fresh haddock.  This was a meal that food snobs wouldn't understand - made simply and extremely well. Then it was time again to be tourists and move on.

The next stop was the East Quoddy Lighthouse at the northern end of the island.  Although the lighthouse itself was unreachable (due to the tide being in, resulting in the lighthouse being an island unto itself), there were lots of people there admiring the view and what supposedly were whales.

I was unable to see any whales although I overheard a woman saying that she had just spotted one. I was, however, able to take a few snapshots of the general area:



And a few rocks

We went back to visit FDR's summer home (is there any other American President who has a residence in a foreign country, I wonder).
This place is gorgeous.  It reminded me of some of the old New England Mansions - smaller rooms - but what must have seemed palatial in those times.  The garden, even in early fall, was incredibly well tended and flowers were blooming everywhere:

We took the free tour through the house.  There was a large staff of very friendly and knowledgeable guides throughout the house.  I would highly recommend this as one of the places to visit on Campobello.  A view out the living room which shows a glimpse of the back "yard" of the house:

With that, we said goodbye to Canada.  It was now time for J2's "2 o'clock coffee break" which is a time honored custom in our lives.  We went back to Peacock House where Dennis very obligingly made a pot of boiling hot water. Next stop - Monica's chocolates.  This is a little home-factory where Monica, who is from Peru has a basement full of Mainers making chocolate.  We sampled some, bought some and headed out to the famous West Quoddy Head Lighthouse up-close and personal as the sun started its descent into the west.

 And from the other side (without HDR):

A look at the ocean and Grand Manan Island from the lighthouse grounds..

And a closer view of the sea birds inhabiting the rocks.... in peaceful coexistence..

A final look at the window.. and farewell ... as we decide on what to do for dinner.....

As we were driving away from the lighthouse, I spotted what might be a good picture... and this is the result of my first "stitched panorama" shot - of Lubec and the bridge leading in to Canada. [Note: "Stitching" is a photographic process in which several photographs are placed side-by-side and combined into one long photograph.  There may be a few errors in this picture - and sharp eyed readers are encouraged to comment on it.]  You may be able to double click it and get a bigger image displayed.

Lubec Panorama

By then it was time to make dinner decisions.  Janet had read about a small smokehouse called the Bold Coast Smokehouse.  Perhaps smoked fish and bread?  Off we went.  Although the owner was a very friendly and talkative woman, and the smoked fish looked good, I suddenly recalled that last night's dinner at Cohill's Pub in Lubec was preceded by the smoked mussels that were identical to the ones in the chiller here.  I had spent a bad night expelling those same smoked shellfish.  Off we went.  Now, with no firm plan in hand, we had to proceed with our normal process.  Stop at the nearest parking lot and discuss options.  Machias?  Eastport? Lubec? These, of course had to be in three different directions.  This discussion was long and extended.  We had to move three times to different areas of this parking lot - to move out of the way for various people coming and leaving.  Finally, it was decided that since we were already here, we might as well move on to Eastport (the other "farthest eastern point in the mainland USA").  Off we went.  The drive was about an hour but we made it in time to take the famous picture:

(shhh.. don't tell).  Eastport is a wonderful little town with lots of artists, some funky buildings...

And more ships in the harbor (of course).... but we digress.. we actually came for dinner! So after walking the length and breadth of the town, we decided on Greek.  Greek? In Eastport Maine?  You have to be kidding, right?  Here I was, making fun of New Yorkers who were on vacation and who wanted to bring New York with them..... and guilty of wanting Greek food in Down East Maine.

Guilty as charged.  But ... with a name like Liberty ..who could refuse?  This was a quaint little place with pictures on the wall.

As it turned out, this was the authentic stuff - the thing that made America what it is ... hard working immigrants who brought what they could to this land of freedom and opportunity.  The food was awesome. And Plentiful.  We first had a platter of assorted appetizers...

And then a souvlaki dinner which could not be beat ...

And then it was time to drive homeward.  The other guests were gathered downstairs and we joined them for a while.  As usual, I got involved in heavy conversation relating to the state of healthcare in the US and J2  went upstairs.  I called it a night sometime around 10PM, I think.