Road trip, Penn to New Jersey

Compliments of Mapquest we easily found our way to Dick and Kathy's house in southeastern Pennsylvania. In fact, to show you how far they live out in the country, we have been to their house probably a half dozen times in as many years and yet we still need detailed directions to end up in their driveway.

But it's always worth the search and we spent a couple of days catching up (of course) and just lounging around with good food and even better camaraderie. On Thursday Susan and I drove over to nearby Longwood Gardens, on one of the old DuPont estates and enjoyed an afternoon out in the beautiful sunshine and blue skies, strolling among the fresh flowers. You can see photos of some of these wonders online. Just click here!)

Thursday night we joined Kathy and the three of us -- dick stayed home with their youngest girl who had homework to do -- went to see their oldest girl in a school play, Bye Bye Birdie. (coincidentally we had seen a niece in the same play some years earlier.) Any way it was a grand time and frankly I rather like school plays -- perhaps it reminds me of when I was in drama club in high school probably one of the best times in my life I suppose.

Friday we had a leisurely morning over coffee and ceral before saying goodbye to our hosts. It seems the past month or so has been a string of hellos and goodbyes. Anyway we piled our stuff in the car and headed north again, edging our way back to Dick and Dorothy's house in Massachusetts.

But before we returned we had one last stop to make, this one in New Jersey to visit Guy and Anna Maria. In fact this was the first time we had seen Guy in the US -- we first met him in the fall of 2005 in Siena and again in November of 2006 in Paris. Now here we were visiting him and Anna Maria in their corner of rural New Jersey, just outside of Princeton. Guy was a consummate artist, having worked in pottery, paintings and now digital photography, and his house was a combination studio and living space.

Friday evening we joined Guy and Anna Maria for dinner at their place, Guy cooking up a series of Italian specialtgies. Also joining us was another couple, Alan and Gail, Princeton locals of a sort -- they had lived there for some 30 years or so ever since they attended Princeton.

It was alively evening of conversation, quiet arguing and gentle disagreements over one thing or another, but we all agreed on the great food. Frankly I loved the lighting over the dining room table. As you can see from the short video below Guy, who has lived in this place for 30 years or so, has strung a large number of different types of colorful lights directly above the dining table. The effect was tres cool.



The next morning we joined Guy and Anna Maria for breakfast at a nearby cafe. Anna maria informed us that she was returning to Paris later in May for work and aske dif there was anyone we wanted her to see and say hi to or if there was anything she could do for us. Susie said you bet and arranged with Anna Maria to have her take a little something to Paris for her friend Misato who works at Pascal's.

So after saying au revoir continued our trek northward.