Monhegan Island Delivers

The one hour passenger ferry steam from Port Clyde, Maine started a long welcomed journey to a point on the map with much to share. Near the coastal town of Rockport, Maine, visitors may choose a day trip from the port, or spend the Summer months living on Monhegan Island. My day trip to explore the island introduced me to Summer visitors, year-round residents and folks exploring like me. There are just 55 year-long residents. Many of those are lobster fishermen or staff of the few accommodations.

From some research in Port Clyde, where the ferry terminal is located, one can see the rich history of Monhegan to the Seventeenth Century of mariners, yet the culture of this island is now an artist haven. Lying 10 miles offshore and simply a few square miles in size, the two hundred foot elevation capped by its lighthouse is a first beacon to the sailors returning to the Northern Atlantic United States. There are no cars, but a few utility pickup trucks and a golfcart taxi service to service the two Hotels and the several room and board houses. Stretching up from the wharf are several well laid-out walking paths that meander through the Village and rise to the lighthouse. Hikers abound here, and a $1.00 map promotes the active search for the perfect sea view from the perfect ocean cliff.

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Bring a great pair of walking shoes. You will find nourishment at either the Island Inn, next to the wharf or other “In the Rough” food establishments, plus the Monhegan Brewery, nearby is in the Village and known for a fine pint. The artists that have found this island brag of the phenomenal light, the unique rocky outcroppings, and the abundant wildflowers under pine trees. Shops do promote their works.

One reaches Monhegan via Monhegan Ferry in Port Clyde or The Hardy Boat in New Harbor, Maine near Pemaquid Point. They charge about $50.00 roundtrip for adults. Dogs must be leashed at all times on the island. On animals: I saw grey seals, harbor seals, porpoise, cormorants, and hawks on the ferry ride and off the cliffs. I did not see a minke whale, humpback, or giant ocean sunfish. They are there!

I do love the Maine Coast and this treat was perfect for a long wished adventure. Let’s have a lobster roll!

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Custom House Maritime Museum Lights Up History

Hidden Gem of American History Shines its Lamp Brightly

     On the waterfront street near the City Pier of historic New London, Connecticut, USA, are the granite columns of the  179-year-old Robert Mills building: The Custom House and Maritime Museum.  Mills is most know for the Washington monument in District of Columbia.  His architecture on the 150 Bank Street location augments the age of seaport towns, such as New London, to regulate and collect the tariffs of sailing ship trade across the seas.  The Granite facade and the red brick vaulted interior rooms, highlighted by massive maple doors and soaring ceilings, evokes a time when government real estate was permanent.  The Custom House and U.S. Treasury Service still maintain office space on the second floor, though it is more of a museum space.  The three levels and a sub-basement contain treasures of the ship building days, mariner memorabilia, Ship Models, ancient sea paintings in oil, collections of sailing art and libraries of books and data.  The groupings are contained in delightfully decorated “captain’s rooms”, replete with mariner furniture.

1839 History that Rocked the World:

First Step To Freedom

On that infamous night of  July 2 at 4:00am, 53 slaves brought through Havana, and onboard the Amistad  schooner and south of the Bahama Islands revolt and seize control of the vessel.  The “Black Pirates” are discovered and taken into custody off the coast of Long Island, New York, by the U.S. Navy . They seize the schooner and escort it to New London to the U.S. Custom House.  The location serves as the beginnings of the Abolitionist Defense Committee and the US Supreme Court to instigate the Free-State Provisions.  The 35 surviving Africans departed New York for Africa aboard the barque Gentleman, and were returned to their Sierra Leone in 1842.  In 1866, the 14th Amendment to the Constitution defines a citizen as anyone born in the U.S. (except American Indians) or naturalized, thereby extending all rights of citizenship to African-Americans. 

compliments of Wikipedia

The second floor remains the historical depiction space of the events and contains many displays.  The current Amistad Schooner  docks periodically on the local wharf, up from New Haven, Connecticut mooring.

Preserving the Protectors

The New London Maritime Museum stretches a bit further to preserve history.  The New London Harbor Light, at the mouth of the harbor, was the fourth lighthouse recognized by George Washington when he enacted the 1789 Act for the Establishment and support of Lighthouse. It is one of the earliest  flashing beacons. This and the Race Rock Light, off of nearby Fisher’s Island, New York, are under the management of the U.S. Custom House and Maritime Museum, having been turned over from the Coast Guard.  Tours have become available to these working lighthouses.  The history of the maritime region and the donated collections, the resources of knowledge and the staffing of very competent docents, make for a sea worthy journey.

http://www.nlmaritimesociety.org/

 

Trustee/Docent: Harrison Lea Jewitt, on command on Sunday for Visitors

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting

Sunkist2 Island Traveler

This page gives you a little insight of my Travels through my lens.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Fleeting

Challenge: choose an image that denotes: Fleeting

Imerovigli, Santorini, GR Fleeting Sun

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Where Is My Back Yard?

Island Travelers Unite and Show that Imbedded Skill

Look here for that Location/Architectual Marvel/Panoramic View

THAT YOU KNOW SO WELL

IDENIFY IT

Where is my Back Yard?

 June_3_2013____________ Solution?______ each next Friday!

Historic Marvel?  This sculpture may be an exageration of sorts . Where is my Back Yard?  Hint : two years back, it sported a hockey jersey for a week.  Enter in Comments.

 

You guessed It?   Paul Revere Statue by C. Dallin, North End Mall, Boston, MA, USA

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Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background

 

Sunkist2 Island Traveler

This page gives you a little insight of my Travels through my lens.

Weekly Photo Challenge: In the Background

The plate glass windows are the lenses’ friend, sometimes.

A Boston Trunk Show
with Stephanie (above) and the models

 

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Color

Sunkist2 Island Traveler

This page gives you a little insight of my Travels through my lens.

Weekly Photo Challenge: Color

Boston Area Shriners Childrens’ Burns Hospital Clowns

They are the best color that brings a smile to the childrens’ faces when they visit the Hospitals.

 

They’re my favorite.

 

Shriner Clowns visit the Mass. Grand Lodge Open House for a little Color.

 

 

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Phoneography Challenge: My Neighborhood

Sunkist2 Island Traveler

This page gives you a little insight of my Travels through my lens.

Phoneography Challenge: My Neighborhood

The Old Hood, and the same old Winter scene, Time for a Change: Spring 2013?

Beantown ( Boston), Mass, USA, My Backbay Neighborhood, off Marlborough Street after our additional unwanted storm.

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Unique

Sunkist2 Island Traveler

This page gives you a little insight of my Travels through my lens.

Unique

Venice, It. makes anything unique. Someone will be unique in these.

Cannon A-1, Ectachrome 200, 50mm.

~Ron

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Weekly Photo Challenge: Delicate

Sunkist2 Island Traveler

This page gives you a little insight of my Travels through my lens. Each weekly challenge brings a unique theme and the juices start to flow.

Delicate

          

 

 

 

I am really concerned about that gingerbread man!  ; )

The ornaments on this little Christmas Tree fulfill the spirit of delicate. ~Ron

Nikon d5100, Nikkor 35mm, f1.8, hand held

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Komboloi, worry beads with magical power?

I have alway been mystified by amber, from the first time I held a small piece to the sky, and behold, a tiny insect came to light, trapped in the yellow resin for all eternity.  Worry beads first appeared in India. They were invented to help count prayers and consisted of a series of fruit pits, punctured and strung on a piece of string. Over time fruit pits were replaced by amber, ivory, coral, semi precious stones, or other precise stones and noble metals. A tassel and a “papas” (the bead that marks the beginning and end of its cycle) were eventually added. The people of India embellished worry beads in various ways and thus created a work of art. Worry beads evolved into a collectible jewel that soon became a symbol of wealth, prestige, power and culture. They were something between jewel and sceptre . Today, they are still used to count prayers.

The Greek word for worry beads is kompoloi (Greek: êïìðïëüé), often spelled koboloi, komboloi, or coboloi and was first introduced by the Turks.  Kombolois became popular among the common people as means for meditation and to calm the nerves.

During that period worry beads were  popular among religious Greek people.  The most common name for the religious worry beads is worry knots or komposkini (Greek: êïìðïóêïßíé), meaning a rope with knots, because the religious persons use  each knot to say a prayer.

You would be hard-pressed to not see a senior citizen Greek man sitting at a tavern or ouzo bar table without a komboloi in hand.  Twirling one is not that easy.  It took me many ouzos to learn the technique! In my right hand, the tassel is held between the middle and first finger second joint, with the tassel in the palm, lying down. A flick of my wrist in a counter clockwise motion, launches the beads over my hand and wrapping around my little finger, I then repeat the motion, releasing the Papas, shield, bead and tassel. My komboloi is silver beads on a silver rope chain with dark yellow amber beads disbursed throughout. It fits my palm size. I have owned plastic ones.  Ancient Persian komboloi can run at $1,000 for large hand hewn Baltic amber. Nice!

When tourism development in Greece occurred, komboloi, being an important element of Greek culture and tradition, became again popular but this time as a souvenir sold to tourists. Then and today, komboloi can be a trinket usually made of plastics, metals, or machine-made silver platted beads and had nothing to do with the jewel of superior aesthetics and a symbol of wealth, power, freedom and prestige that used to be in the past.

In our age, when  stress, shopping, drinking, smoking, depression and antidepressant drugs have become a matter of everyday life, kompoloi made a dynamic comeback and offer many solutions to the “vices” of contemporary life. My chain-smoking Greek shipping friend stopped cold turkey with one komboloi; twirling away the vice.

They are not exaggerating  when they say “show me your worry beads and I’ll show you who you are”.  Choices include the size, color, number of beads, shield, tassel and priest head (papas). In order for a komboloi to be functional as a twirling toy, it is said that they should consist of an odd number of beads, with a sum always equal to a modulus of four, plus one.  I was told they should have forty beads in the body: representing the 40 days of Jesus on earth before ascending to heaven.  The Plaka District in Athens purports a plethora of shops. Nafplion, Greece has a museum dedicated to the art. My favorite shop was on the rim of the volcano in Thera, Santorini, Greece.  Sadly, the old artisan closed the doors some years ago, though, I will keep my komboloi close at hand.

Vitina Village Bead Shop in the Peloponnese Mountains with artisan.

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