Relatives, Reunion and Road Trips

Another Day in the Sultry Cape Cod Summer

The summer has rolled on with visits from friends and short sailing trips with family. Marta Raviele has become a welcome fixture at the cottage and a favorite with the young cousins because of her kind bearing and friendly demeanor, which is directly opposed to those of Aaron and me. Some of the more memorable moments of the past weeks:

• In an outrageous visit, John, Jesse, James, and Katie combined with Aaron, Marta and me for a night of fun on the boat. Waking up for church the next day was accomplished, though not without difficulty.
• Julie, Kaitlin, and Michael joined Marta and the permanent crew for a trip to Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard. A hot day traipsing around the island searching for an outdoor performance of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” culminated in being put off by the unconscionable $15 per person charge for said performance. The pain was eased by a delicious dinner of burgers on the grill, mashed potatoes, and green beans, followed by an evening of casual fishing and chatting.
• Onset Reunion saw the arrival of many friends and family, which Aaron and I were happy to see again and Marta enjoyed meeting. We all spent the week attending the various activities and visiting with relatives.
• Marta and I took a spontaneous road trip to Oakton, Virginia to visit my friend, Priya. We all spent one afternoon in Washington DC, visiting the Museum of Fine Art, the new World War II memorial, and eating satay. We had an excellent few days and thoroughly enjoyed her company and her mother’s wonderful cooking!

We are now about six weeks from our planned departure for foreign ports. Before then, we plan on sailing to Maine, Nantucket, and possibly Martha’s Vineyard again, while continuing to prepare the boat for the voyage.