| “Life is a festival only to the wise.” | |
Port of call
PORTLAND, Maine - When I told friends I was heading out to the Old Port Festival with my family on Sunday, a few complained that it was too crowded and there are no places to park.
All of that is true, but there are many excuses to justify staying at home and decaying in front of a television set or a computer, broadcasting useless Twitter messages or Facebook posts.
But I don't understand that kind of negative sentiment and sometimes I feel the human race is slipping when I hear such comments.
The Old Port Festival is celebration of summer, a chance to mingle with humanity, sample good food, listen to soothing music and take the opportunity to spoil yourself with the purchase of a trinket or two from the numerous vendors lining the streets of this great little city.
If I was a single male or female in the state of Maine, I would have the date of the Old Port Festival stamped on my forehead and sticky notes placed all over my house. I would pay to have a wake-up call for that Sunday morning in June. Good looking people abound at this celebration. It just might be the place to bump into a significant other and a shot a long-term relationship.
Who knows!
But you really don't need a festival to celebrate the Old Port's beauty and uniqueness. The architecture and spectacular views of the ocean make the Old Port a delight for pedestrians to wonder the narrow streets and visit the specialty stores. And it doesn't matter if you pay the Old Port a visit during the summer or winter because this is a city of all seasons.
The Old Port put on its Sunday Best as thousands of people strolled up and down the crowded streets checking out vendors and pausing to listen to live performers.
After six days of rain, Mainers embraced the warm sun and refreshing sea breezes to meander along the packed avenues.
We stopped to look at some of the crafts, but what kept me moving through the crowd was the music. There were new age artists and an Irish band playing to a grateful crowd.
Terri and Anthony decided to grab a pizza before moving on to the wharf to see how the other half lives. There are expensive yachts and million-dollar-a-month condominiums that sit just across the street from the Old Port. A handful of seafood restaurants offer exquisite dining, but we are on a budget and settled on a pizza.
After nearly three hours, it was time to move on to the Eastern Prom - another gem in Portland - to get up close and personal with the Atlantic Ocean. For the next two hours, Anthony and I stared out at the harbor and talked about anything while Terri stayed back and absorbed the sun on the sand.
Returning to Auburn was not an option for next two hours. Spending those wonderful moments with my son and wife on the warm, white sand was all that mattered.
John F. Kennedy said we are all drawn to the sea, and that probably explains why I am a frequent visitor to the Old Port.
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