From Boothbay to Chinatown

I’ve recently added a bunch of new pix to my flickr page. A few highlights:

I spent the last weekend in June in Boothbay Harbor, Maine. This was the view from the porch of where I stayed (in nearby Southport), and it pretty much made the trip.

Boothbay has the whiff of a tourist trap but is not without beauty–you just have to look for it off the beaten path, like this glassy calmness found in the back of Kaler’s restaurant.

A more representative view of Boothbay, complete with gift shops full of cheap t-shirts and regional knick-knacks. Note the curious sign on Gimbel & Sons: “NOW associated with Gimbels Dept. Stores.” This rivals-to-Macy’s chain (which had stores in my hometown) went out of business in 1987; apparently this Gimbels now owns their trademark.

Luckily, vacation towns like Boothbay still retain bits of quaint, old school charm.

Obviously not much FAME outside of Boothbay because the contest has come and gone and I still haven’t heard who the winners were.

Stopped by the  Nubble Lighthouse in York Beach on the way back to Boston. I haven’t been there in the summer for some time, so I was startled by how vibrant and green the grass appeared.

A few weeks later, on a Thursday morning I had an hour to kill so I walked through Boston’s Chinatown. It can be an odorous, cramped enclave, but visually, it’s striking on occasion, as seen by this pagoda arch.

I’ve dined at China Pearl (for dim sum) more than any other place in Chinatown. This gives you an idea of the mishmash of architectural styles prevalent throughout the neighborhood.

These days, one rarely sees poultry hanging in windows outside your typical Chinatown butcher shops.

After leaving C-town, I ended up strolling through the Public Gardens. I think this adequately captures the park’s lazy weekday vibe.

To view my whole Chinatown set, click HERE.  My Boothbay Harbor set is HERE.