VIEW FROM OUR ROOM AT THE SAMOSET
ANDRE THE SEAL
OREO COWS“Today is our first free day on the Coast of Maine. We are staying at a lovely resort ‘The Samoset’ in Rockport. It's in the middle of a golf course - the Pebble Beach of New England.
As the morning fog lifts, we hop into Rena’s metallic orange Suzuki (the one with the beach sandal car magnet on the door) and head ‘Down East’ along the Coast. ‘Down East’ and ‘Up to Boston’ are the two cardinal directions of the Maine seacoast. This can be confusing to the average tourist since Maine is North and Boston is South, so going ‘Down’ to Maine from Boston seems paradoxical. Just remember that we are in sailing country and that the prevailing westerly winds make sailing downwind (‘Down East’ to Maine) a breeze and tacking upwind (‘Up to Boston’) an uphill struggle. Got it? Don’t worry it takes a while.
The next town Down East from Rockland is Rockport. It is one of many small Maine fishing villages in which life goes on relatively unchanged. Rockport’s one claim to fame is Andre the Seal. André was a harbor seal who spent his winters at the New England Aquarium in Boston and his summers in Rockport Harbor. Every spring for over 20 years the Seaquarium would release him and André would swim north to Rockport (150+ miles). It was always a high point for local residents when he reappeared. During his lifetime Andre was made the honorary harbormaster of Rockport.
A book was written about the famous seal in 1986 “A Seal Called Andre” from which in 1994 a mediocre movie ‘Andre ’ was made. In the film Andre was played by a sea lion -of all things. It was a crushing blow to all his fans in Maine and Boston. One of my favorite films was also filmed in Rockport - “In the Bedroom” (2001)
I stop at harborside to take a photo of the Andre statue.
“What a lovely spot!” we both exclaim. I find out later that in 2008, Forbes magazine voted Rockport the number one ‘prettiest town’ in the USA.
I also learn that the early economy of Rockport was the manufacture of lime for building. We inspect the kilns where limestone was heated to disassociate calcium carbonate from carbon dioxide creating quicklime (calcium oxide). In 1817, 300 casks of lime were sent to Washington, DC for re-building the U.S. Capitol which had been damaged by the British during the War of 1812. I picture tall schooners at night in the Gulf of Maine sailing past Rockport and seeing the landmark red glow of the enormous lime kilns from far out to sea.
Rockport also has a unique herd of Galloway dairy cattle. The herd is at Alemere Farm which is owned by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. A dairy herd owned by the taxpayers! The cattle are known as “Oreo cows” and are a popular attraction. What fun!
As the morning fog lifts, we hop into Rena’s metallic orange Suzuki (the one with the beach sandal car magnet on the door) and head ‘Down East’ along the Coast. ‘Down East’ and ‘Up to Boston’ are the two cardinal directions of the Maine seacoast. This can be confusing to the average tourist since Maine is North and Boston is South, so going ‘Down’ to Maine from Boston seems paradoxical. Just remember that we are in sailing country and that the prevailing westerly winds make sailing downwind (‘Down East’ to Maine) a breeze and tacking upwind (‘Up to Boston’) an uphill struggle. Got it? Don’t worry it takes a while.
The next town Down East from Rockland is Rockport. It is one of many small Maine fishing villages in which life goes on relatively unchanged. Rockport’s one claim to fame is Andre the Seal. André was a harbor seal who spent his winters at the New England Aquarium in Boston and his summers in Rockport Harbor. Every spring for over 20 years the Seaquarium would release him and André would swim north to Rockport (150+ miles). It was always a high point for local residents when he reappeared. During his lifetime Andre was made the honorary harbormaster of Rockport.
A book was written about the famous seal in 1986 “A Seal Called Andre” from which in 1994 a mediocre movie ‘Andre ’ was made. In the film Andre was played by a sea lion -of all things. It was a crushing blow to all his fans in Maine and Boston. One of my favorite films was also filmed in Rockport - “In the Bedroom” (2001)
I stop at harborside to take a photo of the Andre statue.
“What a lovely spot!” we both exclaim. I find out later that in 2008, Forbes magazine voted Rockport the number one ‘prettiest town’ in the USA.
I also learn that the early economy of Rockport was the manufacture of lime for building. We inspect the kilns where limestone was heated to disassociate calcium carbonate from carbon dioxide creating quicklime (calcium oxide). In 1817, 300 casks of lime were sent to Washington, DC for re-building the U.S. Capitol which had been damaged by the British during the War of 1812. I picture tall schooners at night in the Gulf of Maine sailing past Rockport and seeing the landmark red glow of the enormous lime kilns from far out to sea.
Rockport also has a unique herd of Galloway dairy cattle. The herd is at Alemere Farm which is owned by the Maine Coast Heritage Trust. A dairy herd owned by the taxpayers! The cattle are known as “Oreo cows” and are a popular attraction. What fun!
DAKTARI
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