Let's go to Marblehead

Today Marguerite and Jude took themselves off to the beautiful town of Marblehead in Massachusetts. It's located on the North Shore and on a day like today, with all this lovely sunshine ...... well it was just about the most perfect place you could visit.









'Jude, is this stupid bus going in the right direction? asked Marguerite as she studied the map on the way there.











Soon enough they were there, in beautiful Marblehead .......












...... with it's cool streets ........














.......... and with it's beautiful old houses ....














...... most of which had these signs attached to them telling you when the house was built, who lived there and what was his/her trade.  This particular house was built in 1663 for Ambrose Gale and he were a fisherman by all accounts.









'Look Jude maybe we should get one of these for our house when we go home', said Marguerite.  'Wise up naaiiy Marguerite - 'Jude Clarke 2000 Civil Servant' just doesn't have the same ring to it, so wise up naaiy', was Jude's response.

'Hey Jude, let's head down this street to see what's going on down here', said Marguerite.

At the end of the street they stumbled upon this cool view ..... very nice indeed.












'Here Marguerite I'm hungry, I need a Lobster Roll, wha?, said Jude.












So following up on Jude's research (the night before he had studied up on the internet regarding where to eat a Lobster Roll in Marblehead - what a geek!!) he and Marguerite found themselves at ......











........ The Barnacle.













This particular restaurant was perfectly located on the edge of  wee cliff. 




 

 'Here Marguerite, this place is mad, it's magic altogether', said Jude.

'Ok naaiy, order me a Lobster Roll and a beer, lovely jubbly, thank you very much', said Jude.












Here was the view from the table Marguerite and Jude were sitting at.











   
'Hi-ya Mum'.

That was one well packed Lobster Roll, and very nice it was too.

'Yum, yum'.

Marguerite went for the adventurous ham and cheese toastie option ......

 .... and scoffed it in record time!!

The Barnacle was a cool wee spot indeed ..... great food and a spectacular location.

Jude and Marguerite were now 'fed and watered' as they say at home, and ready to explore Marblehead.

Anyone who is looking to live their life in total peace and tranquility could do a lot worse than living in this town.  Great houses, great views, no chains shops and everyone was soooo nice.

'Ok Jude come on, we've things to see', said Marguerite as she dragged Jude away from taking pics of houses and the like.

Marguerite really liked this wee spot, it was 400 years old.  Imagine that folks, that's nuts, it was very nice.  Everything in this town was so well preserved and maintained, nearly too good to be true ....... but true it was.

'Hello ..... hello ......... hello ....... is that you Melissa, what's that Melissa?  You're where ..........











  

................. living it up in some Spa place in Vermont ....... sure that's lovely Melissa........... now don't be going buck mad up there now ......... ye know what you're like ..........

....... how many bottles of wine have ye had?  Oh Melissa, sure that's mad'.

'Anyway, yeah we're in a beautiful wee spot called Marblehead, Jude's dragging me up some hill to see some dopey painting ........ ok gotta go now, see-ye soon, bye now, chioow', said Marguerite.







'Bloody women and their phones ............ drive ye nuts, natter this, natter that, natter all day if ye give them a chance', said Jude as he waited for Marguerite on the patio of this shop.

'Here Marguerite, I quite like this here Marblehead sign, do you think I could get it in me suitcase? asked Jude.  'Wise up naaiy Jude', replied Marguerite.










They eventually made it to the top of the hill (to Marguerite the hill seemed like a mountain given that it's only 7 weeks to the revolution).

So they walked slowly and stumbled upon a punter who was out walking his cat.  Eh ...seriously, he was walking his cat .... on a lead and all.  No photos were taken of this strange sight but Marguerite asked yer man, 'What's the story with the cat, are you taking it for a walk?  He replied, 'Yeah, my cat loves being taken for walks'.  What a weirdo!!!
      

Anyway, they eventually they made it to Abbott Hall and walked all the way around it looking for the door ...... but finally they made it. You see, all day Jude had been rambling on about some picture/painting and this is where it was housed.  He rambled, 'But Marguerite, it's not just any auld picture this one, it's the .........

........Spirit of 76'.  This is a classic painting that is often times referred to as 'Yankee Doodle'.  It is one of the most recognisable paintings in the World and it is at home right here in Marblehead and it stands about 20 feet tall.  It was painted by Archibald Willard and it depicts a scene from the American Civil War. Here is a pic of the painting. When in here a wee man gave a quick chat about the painting, explaining who the characters were and what it was all about.  A very nice wee man he was too.

Here is a nice pic of some balloons, some nice flowers, nice plants and ...... hold on a cotton pickin minute .........there's Marguerite in the middle there too!!









 

And this shop had a dog sitting in the doorway saying, 'whatta ye want from me?











 

Marguerite has cleaned this wee shop out of sweets.  These wee things were like miniature bars of rock and came in all sorts of flavours.  Delicious!!

'Ahh jeez, I'd love an ice cream Marguerite', said Jude.












So they stopped into this wee spot.

'That's right naaiy ..... go ahead ....... don't be shy naaiy ..... keep piling the nuts, cherries and cream on there love', said Jude to the ice cream shop doll.











Now that's a perfect looking banana boat if ever I saw one.

'Certainly is', said Marguerite.













When Marguerite and Jude first met, back in the black and white days actually, oh when was it naaiy ..... the year 2000, they used to go to Barhams on the Lisburn Road every night (for about 6 weeks) and they would scoop one of these wee delights.  One night in particular they went in and Jude asked for a Banana Boat and when the lady said they were out of bananas he pulled one out of his pocket, chucked it up on the counter and went 'de-naaaaa!!  Poor Marguerite was mortified to say the least.    




Marguerite enjoying the sunshine and the view in Marblehead.

'Now just where in Northern Ireland could I find a wee spot like this for us three to live ....... oh I know where, I think I know the place', Marguerite dreamed to herself.

'Here this here's a cool pic ....... wha? said Jude

Marguerite is fond of her wee breaks these days.  A simple walk around a 500 yard town square can take anything up to 3 hours as she throws herself onto any bench she sees.










'Ah sure this wee bench is lovely Jude', said Marguerite.

So Jude's walking around looking for cool and exciting things to see and all Marguerite looks for is a bench!!!!

Now there's a lovely wee pic if ever you saw one.  Marguerite and Jude in Marblehead.

'Here Jude I'm away down here for a dander', said Marguerite.













'Right, that's me wrecked naaiy', said Marguerite.  'But ye only walked that wee boardwalk thingy', replied Jude.










Anyone with an eye for fashion out there will have spotted Marguerite's cool dress she has on today. Very nice indeed!!!    

What a nice setting for a wedding.  On that boat over yonder a couple are celebrating their wedding day.











'I'm not sure I want to leave this place actually', Marguerite thought to herself.

Jude takes a wee break now and again himself mind.  Sometimes he forgets that he's not a young lad anymore and often he can overdo it by playing tennis or softball every night and end up wrecked ..... so even he is fond of a wee seat now and again too.










This car was pretty spectacular indeed.  It just pulled up, the man jumped out grabbed a pint of milk and a loaf of bread, he jumped back in and away he went. Magic!!  Moments later Marguerite and Jude asked another man, 'excuse me, where will we find the bus stop', and he replied, 'now it's just up that street, I would run you to Boston but I have an hour's work to do, I'm very sorry about that'.  How nice was that?  That's just one example of how nice the good folk of Marblehead were on this visit.  So where was that bus stop again?
    

After a brilliant day in Marblehead Marguerite eventually made it back to Winchester Street.