On the Road in the USA – Portsmouth, NH

Portsmouth was settled first in 1623

Portsmouth was settled first in 1623

Portsmouth is a very quaint town with all its historic buildings, many shops, and a lively feeling permeats the city in the evening hours. The population is only 21.000, surprisingly.

Portsmouth

We had dinner at the Surf Restaurant and I’d rate the food quality with *** (out of five).  I had chosen Blackened Fish Tacos, but instead of some Cajun sting, the wrap was filled with mild ingredients. My companions enjoyed their meals more than I did.  More about that in another post.

We left our hotel (Residence Inn Marriotts Portsmouth/highly recommendable) to walk down to the waterfront.

waterfront

The town is so inviting I ended up buying a colander from a home supply store. I have never done anything like this on holiday…

Portsmouth at night

Portsmouth at night

Wish we could have stayed a bit longer, but we had our friends in Maine waiting for us. Not only them, but hitting 10 locations (incl. a wedding, visiting friends, our teenage kids wanting to see Boston, breaking up the drive down the East Coast, etc.) in 18 days is not a leisurely feat.

It is fun, tiring, nerve wrecking, exciting, educational, and so much more.

I’ ve learned that a fee for checking out late does not mean much to sleepy teenagers. I have listened to Selena Gomez and company so much, I knew some of the lyrics by heart. I must have said, “Take out these ear plugs and listen once more!” at least thirty times already. I have learned to say everything twice, e.g tell them our next overnight place, how long the drive is from A to B, etc. Well, when we come to the end, I will share this in a bit more detail. Maybe.

And now, for an additional tidbit of information, I’d like to point out Greenland, NH. This is a vibrant community with a small-town feel that makes for a great getaway from the hustle of the East Coast cities. For more information, visit: AllTheRooms.GreenlandNH:Things To Do

More about Portsmouth from Amazon.com:

Biarritz and Bayonne

These little tents are quite useful on a hot day at the beach (euro 9,70 for the day rental).

At the beach in Biarritz

There are many good restaurants in Biarritz, among them the Restaurant Des Terrasses, where they serve mussels for appetizer.

Another view overlooking the ocean just before sunset.

Just about 15 km northeast of Biarritz lies the city of Bayonne, which is also the cultural capital of the northern Pays Basque. We spent a couple of hours walking around the historic center, lined with shops, restaurants, bars, and a Subway Restaurant (our children were ecstatic at this point!)

Cathédrale Sainte-Marie, a.k.a. Notre-Dame-de-Bayonne

Half-timbered houses, traditionally with red or green shutters in the Basque style, face each other separated only by a narrow alley.

Bayonne Basque style houses

There are still many other towns to explore around here.

Check out DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast from Amazon.de, or DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast from Amazon.com

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