Wednesday, October 8, 2008 - Port Clyde Tour

"Freddy the Pig" on the way to Port Clyde
Docks in the fishing harbor
The cafe where we had wonderful soup
Harley's Dock
Our friend lobstering Harley

Today will be our last full day in Rockland. It was recommended by the chamber of commerce to visit Port Clyde, another one of the finger points off the mainland. The weather was again fabulous, so I planned to bike, while Helga drove. Our plan was to meet in the village by 1:30 pm. It was only 15 miles from Rockland. Before we left, however, we strolled again over to the studio and the Eric Hopkins Studio/Gallery (a very well known local artist). The timing was right for both. We first noticed Eric outside his studio, talking with a friend. He invited is in to look around and to talk with him. Hi space is a huge, remodelled warehouse, all painted white. His work is primarily of aerial view, abstract landscapes, of bright intense, beautiful colors. He has a signature style, but also throws in inventive techniques. We found out that he was an instructor at the Haystack Center for Crafts two weeks prior. I was very impressed with that place and would really like to be a student sometime. He is also in the second edition of a book titled, "Maine Painters". This book includes all the well known painters including Wyeth, Nevelson, Hartley, etc. It is a book that I will be purchasing soon. After a nice long chat with Eric, we walked towards the studio and saw a woman leaving. I immediately ran to her and asked her name. She was Kay, the student who had decided to come and work even though the workshop was cancelled. Finally, we met up and it was great. We planned to all meet at the studio the next morning to work together for a few hours before Helga and I departed.
All of this happened before we actually set off for Port Clyde. We each left around 10:30 and had 3 hours to stop along the way and sketch or do whatever. I took a few detours where the road looked as if it went towards the shore. One was Bridges Point Beach Park and another was a small wharf. Both were very quiet and picturesque. We both arrived in the very small working fishing village at 1 pm and each had a large bowl of homemade squash soup from the popular cafe on the water. We then walked towards another wharf where a young man was setting up lobster traps. He didn't mind that we sketched on his dock and was actually very talkative and informative. His name was Harley and he would have made a great model for a painting. He said he is in some paintings, since it is a popular place for artists to come. His was the premier, hardworking maine lobster man with a thick accent and lots of tales. We spent a lot of time with him, and I think he enjoyed the company as much as we did. The best part of this trip is meeting "real" people like Harley. He had been up early and pulled up many traps already before attending to this monotonous task. Helga and I sketched a bit and I took a photo of Harley. We then left to go back to Rockland. I went back on the other side of the finger and found it to be a more interesting route. My total distance was 40 miles for the day, and was to be the last riding of the trip.

Just for the record:

*750 total miles

*No Flats!

*No Spills!

*No mechanical issues!

*Only 5 miles of heavy rain!

*I LOVE MY BIKE FRIDAY!!!!!!