Day 14 - Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Not normally known for being an early riser, I had to drag myself from my Travelodge bed at 6:30 am, because I had to be in Cape Cod by 11:30 for a lunch date with Laurel, Wendy, Ruth and Helen. We dined royally at the Wequassett Resort, overlooking Pleasant Bay, all the while talking about food! Other ladies with whom I lunch/dine have similar propensities!

Staying with Ron and Laurel at their beautiful home in Yarmouth Port; they are the perfect hosts - and I have learnt so much about the history and ecology of this area just in the short time I have been here. We spent the afternoon on a tour of the area, including this amazing weeping beech tree, a folly with a fabulous view of the beach and ocean, and Nauset Beach, which has many many miles of golden sand and hardly anything else. The whole area is very unspoiled, and conservation-conscious, so there are no high-rise hotels and gifte shoppes cluttering the beaches, though even here coastal erosion is taking its toll.

We finished the day with a lovely dinner at the Nauset Beach Club, proper Italian flavours, a freshly-picked sage leaf in the olive oil, and a bottle of 2000 Querceto Chianti Classico Reserva, which we all loved.