Two Weeks Across The Pond – Part Two
Google Maps had suggested that the drive up to Greenwich would take about 3 hours. Karen had warned me to avoid the George Washington Bridge and to take the Tappan Zee Bridge instead. The drive ended up taking about four and half hours. I hit the New Jersey Turnpike at about half past five, on a Friday afternoon, the week before Xmas. It was solid. Sat Nav kept trying to take me over the George Washington Bridge but I stuck on the NJT and then up the Garden State Parkway on to 287 East and over the Tappan Zee Bridge.
I never used to have a problem with bridges, but for some reason, when we were on holiday in San Francisco I got a bit freaked out when we went over the Richmond – San Rafael Bridge and since then I’ve been a bit nervous about big bridges. So the drive up and back to Greenwich was a bit interesting with the Commodore Barry bridge over the Delaware (the fourth longest cantilever bridge in the world and the longest in the USA) then the Tappan Zee Bridge and then the Delaware Memorial Bridge.
I finally made it Greenwich and thanks to Sat Nav I found the house. There could not be a bigger contrast between my hotel room in Wilmington and the house in Greenwich. Karen had dinner waiting for me, a delicious roast beef, that was cooked to perfection. I had a quick chat with the family but soon called it night and went to bed, fully intending to have a lie in on Saturday morning.
Obviously the jet lag was still having an effect as I was up bright and early Saturday morning. Karen was there to make me waffles, topped with maple syrup and fruit – rasberries and blueberries. Ashley and Kelsey had to go down to Long Island, Karen was off to the Gym so I popped down the road to Babcock Preserve. After a week in the city a couple of hours of walking in the woods was just the tonic I needed.
Babcock Preserve Map
Once I had left the car park it was as if I was in a different world. The only noise seemed to be the breeze in the trees. I followed the Yellow Birch Trail west from the Entrance car park, deeper and deeper into the woods. I turned North onto the White Ash Trail and then returned East on the Red Maple Trail. This is obviously a less well used trail as the path on the ground was very faint, the blazes on the trees not at all visible and in some places I lost the trail completely. Damage done by SuperStorm Sandy was very evident, with a number of trees blown over, their tentative grip on the rocky ground broken by the wind.
Fallen Tree
Even here in Connecticut, I was absorbed by fungi and lichen, spotting some familiar looking ones and a couple that I was not familiar with.
American Fungi
After a couple of hours of wondering around in the woods I decided that it was probably time to head back to the house. After a short detour (intentional) along the Mountain Ash Trail, I returned to the Yellow Birch Trail and was soon back at the car park. I got back to the house in time for lunch and a very pleasant afternoon and evening was spent catching up with various family members and meeting new people like Bill and John.
How is this for a back garden?
Sunday I had to head back to Wilmington and so had to leave Greenwich before the twins got in, so missed meeting them. Hopefully I will have the chance to catch up with them if they visit the UK next year.
Week 2
Having driven up to Connecticut and back over the weekend, I was no longer worried about driving up 202 in search of some decent food:
TGI Fridays
2012-2013
In an effort to get away for the holidays the client was keen to finish the work today, Thursday so after the training finished on Tuesday we spent Wednesday and Thursday finishing off bits and pieces.
So, the good news is that the client has been happy with what I have done so far (apparently there has been lots of positive feedback). In fact they are so pleased they might want me back in January for more training and floor walking.
Carl Sprake 