Providence, RI, to Woodbury, CT

10 January 2016:  Today started, as planned, with the delivery of Chloé's boxes & bags by a man from College Storage to my B&B.  He packed the stuff in the car very efficiently:  There was room for everything (including my own suitcase), leaving me an unobstructed view through the rear view mirror.  (I wasn't sure that everything would fit, so I had been investigating the options for buying a cargo box to mount on the roof.  I'm glad that was not necessary!)  The man did a good job; I was very pleased.  I highly recommend the service provided by this little company (see http://collegestorageri.com).

The College Storage guy was dressed in jeans and a tee-shirt:  Why not?  Afterall, the temperature was above freezing, and it was merely raining.  We chatted briefly about the contrast with last winter's frequent, heavy snowstorms.  Meanwhile, the rain intensified as I departed and drove south on I-95.  The new car was well and truly baptized today!

My route today took me past the old seafaring town of Mystic, CT. I stopped there to visit Mystic Seaport, "The Museum of America and the Sea" (http://www.mysticseaport.org).  I had been wanting to visit this museum, which I recall from a visit some 50 years ago.  The continuing, intense rain seemed to fit the occasion, a reminder of what conditions could be like on a sailing vessel at sea.  The centerpiece of the museum's collection is the whaling bark, Charles M. Morgan, which was launched in 1841 and completed 37 voyages (some lasting several years) in 80 years.  On board the Charles M. Morgan and later in the museum, I was the only visitor.  This is not high season at Mystic!  And, indeed, parts of Mystic Seaport are closed during the winter, but there was certainly enough open today to keep me interested for a few hours.

After Mystic, I drove on to Woodbury, CT, to visit my brother Peter.  He welcomed me warmly with samples of the delicious beers that he has recently brewed and a good dinner.  We watched a little NFL football and then looked at some of the pictures that he and my other brother, John, had taken during their annual backpacking trip in California last autumn.  Their expeditions make my hike along the GR5 look like a stroll in a park!

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Plein comme un œuf -- enfin, presque...

Mystic Seaport:

The Charles M. Morgan:

Peter serves dinner: