I am back in America for a two week trip, while our customer completes testing and go live with a new release of Software. I have been here for a few days now. Headed to Heathrow airport on Thursday from Aylesbury Parkway, and arrived here in Connecticut on Thursday in day light. This time I have an all American Car, a two seat Black Mustang. So I am out cruising the highways, living the American dream. I do love accelerating away at the traffic lights, leaving others behind in the rear view mirror. The roar of the exhausts as I take off. At least I am not paying for the (gas) petrol.
On Friday, made it into work, and prepared for the disaster recovery server upgrade, which was starting in the evening. I was not required for the Friday evening work, or Saturday work, this was the server being upgraded. My turn would come on Sunday. I headed into the office on Sunday to perform my tasks, which in the main went well.
So what have I been doing, well visiting the usual eateries, the Tilted Kilt on Thursday evening, the Red Lobster on Friday, and the Tilted Kilt again on Saturday. The bar staff at the Tilted Kilt, in the short skirts and short tops are a definite draw. Last night had a quieter meal at the Wood-N-Tap, which does have a quite lounge bar where you can have a conversation. Alas my conversations are with people on Twitter, so a bar without free internet access is a no no. Wood-N-Tap is cyber wired, so I was not lonely. Odd I was following a link on twitter to the red top newspaper The Sun and it was stopped, not for good taste, but for nudity. Puritanical Americans.
Saturday was going to be a good day weather-wise, though a tad cold in the morning, there was still ice on the car at 10.00 am in the morning. Saturday was a day of learning. Drove first to old Wethersfield, which claims to be the oldest town in the US, and is remarkably well preserved in its original form. Visited their museum and was take around three historic houses by a guide, who had lived in Oxford (UK) back in the seventies. The Webb Deane Stevens Museum taught me about the revolutionary war diplomat, Silas Deane, who went to Paris to get the French on board in the fight for freedom from the British. Typical French joined in, any excuse to bash the Brits, they still are at it now.
In one of the houses, the Webb house, the French commander Rochambeau met Washington to plan battle strategies. The house is now decorated with murals commissioned by Wallace Nutting celebrating that meeting and the victory in York Town.
Old Wethersfield most definitely looks the part of an fairy tale American town. Now its near Halloween, the verges were adorned with pumpkins and figures made out of all types of garbage. The place is also a far cry from the area where I am staying, and is only a few yards off the Silas Deane Highway. Now I know why its called Silas Deane.
I then continued into Harford, was a bit scared, there had been announcements on the radio about traffic being a bear. All to do with a Marathon and Half Marathon being run. Turned out where I was headed, there were no runners, and pretty well everyone else had been scared off. Did get accosted by one lady runner who wanted me to take her photograph. Parked in an empty lot, which had signs that you would be clamped. A passing stranger said, no problem, you can park there during the weekend. It was the city hall car park.
First visit was a traditional old clap board house on Main Street in between the modern concrete buildings. It was the Butler-McCook house. It had been lived in to 200 years by the same family and was now owned by the Connecticut Landmarks. Had yet another personal tour of the house.
Next up was the art museum, another longest continuous serving museum in the USA. The Wadsworth Atheneum had some fabulous Renaissance pictures, and yet again I had a guide to show me around. Not one to one this time, but almost by the end as she lost people through her tour. Some modern art, Picasso and recent stuff like the cube of cocktail sticks, a good meter cube, which holds itself together without glue. Wallace Nutting, from Wethersfield was also a large contributor to the American furniture section.
Finally I had a recommendation to go and see Elizabeth Park, I would expect its fabulous earlier in the year. Its famous for its rose garden. Huge rose garden, but of course at this time of year Rose flowers are rather sparse.
Sunday as I mentioned before was a work day, was in the office by 7.00 am, still pitch black. It was very quiet in the office, I was the only one there. Lights kept going off, unless I moved. I had thought of taking my music player in, but had decided not to. Wish I had now. Worked through to 16.30, and then went out for a meal. Had a lovely succulent gristle and fat free steak. The steak was as thick as wide, and was tender and rare as requested. I have to agree with JCC that these American steaks, which might be fed vast quantities of hormones, do taste pretty damn fine. I did start with some blue finned tuna and salad, panned seared, lovely and red in the middle. One mistake I made, I ordered a starter, the tuna, which came with a salad. Main course invariably come with a salad as well, served before the main. No problem said my waiter, we can change the second salad for chilli, and you can take it home. Good idea, I can microwave it in the office for lunch. Trouble was he did not place it on the table, said I could collect it from the counter when I left. Darn, totally forgot about it.
