Newport, for those who don't know it, is the East Coast stomping ground for the super-rich. The prime attractions in this town - sailing, yachting, and mansions - might give a hint of that. For the not quite so prosperous, the Nellises among them, watching boats a la Deripaska float gently by in shoal-like formations is a very pleasant pastime. At least for a few days. With lobster every which way you turn - plain old lobster, lobster salad, lobster sandwiches, lobster bisque, lobster ice cream - the food ain't so bad either.
One episode at our hotel last night ranks among the stranger vacation experiences I've had: a champagne toast to - wait for it - the sunset. Yuk, I hear you vomit.
Many of the historic sights in Newport are quite lovely. It's home to the USA's oldest synagogue - a reminder of the religious tolerance which motivated Newport's founders. Slavery played a not insignificant part in the town's development, and the country's first free black church can be found in the colonial centre. Jackie and JFK were married nearby.
An excellent guided tour by the Newport Historical Society - not as beard, socks and sandals as it sounds - will tell you all this and more, should you ever decide to drop in.
We go to Providence tomorrow. Boston next. Along the way we also hope to visit Smith College in Northampton where my grandmother spent a year as an English Speaking Union Scholar in early 1950s. Apparently her records are still accessible in the College library. She died the year I was born of MS. It will, I think, be very moving for the three of us.
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