Joyce had two and a half days of meetings in Waltham, before our trip to Maine. I flew in the night of her second day, arriving in time for dinner at Boston’s Trade Restaurant, drinks with Joyce and few other colleagues at Waltham’s Naked Fish restaurant, and a night’s sleep. The next morning, before our noon departure to Portland Maine, I was on my own.
What to do with two hours to kill in Waltham MA? That’s the problem I faced when Joyce had to spend three hours in a meeting. Too much time to spend in our hotel room but not enough to go into Boston. From our years in the city, I knew the options: a walk around Walden Pond, a visit to the Lexington Minute Man National Park or a stop at the DeCordova in Lincoln. Although my primary interest was in the museum’s sculpture garden, there were also some interesting exhibits. The primary one was a retrospective on contemporary sculptor Tony Feher, who creates constructions from discarded mass produced products that he feels possess beauty in their own right. I particularly enjoyed another special exhibit, Character Study, which included some fascinating and innovative portraits by Boston photographers between 1950 and 2000.
Leaving Waltham at noon, we decided on classic New England lunch at this classic North Shore clam and lobster shack. Nothing fancy here. Order food (especially steamed lobster, lobster rolls, fried clams and assorted accompaniments) at one window and drinks at another. When your number is called, pick up your food at another window, sit down at a picnic-like table and eat. We had our typical New England trifecta: fried clams, lobster roll and onion rings. Nice memories, but none of the three were memorable. We will, however, have other chances this trip.
