July 22: Holderness, New Hampshire and environs
Today, all of us awoke early, as none of us had slept very well. We heard the loons cry and wail again, and this time we knew that they were closeby. Then Marthe spotted them on the water, right in front of the house—6 of them, whom it was a privilege to see. Later on in the morning we also saw a blue heron as well as a chipmunk.
After packing everything, we decided to pay the region one more visit by car. Our goal was the Kirkwood Garden in Holderness. The historic Holderness Inn is currently vacant but is slated for renovation. However, it was its 1-acre garden we were interested. Even though it was raining, we all got under a huge umbrella, and I would jump out from beneath the umbrella quickly every time I wanted a photo. Shade and sun beds are planted with a variety of trees, shrubs, ferns and flowers adapted to the northern New England climate.
A series of granite steps leads visitors from the shaded upper garden to the sunny, informal lower garden. Ancient sugar maples, a variety of ferns, hostas, azaleas, rhododendrons, and other shade-loving plants are in the upper garden. There is also a beautiful wooden pergola, covered with a variety of vines, and it is located at the western end of the lower garden. A combination of cobbles, pavers, and river stone provides the surface under the pergola and highlights a large lunaform pot. A delightful place, made all the more beautiful by the addition of a tree in memory of Hilde’s husband Dick.
After walking through the lovely garden, we went further and toured two art galeries, one of which was absolutely fantastic and offered a wide selection of crafts and designs from the Squam Lake area.
We stopped once more at Hilde’s house, had a lunch of crackers, cheese, and various fruits, plus hot coffee to fortify us, and then bid our friend Hilde adieu. What a splendid visit it was! Another 2.5 hours of driving awaited us, and this was lengthened even more by a tremendous traffic jam due to a wreck on Hwy. 93. Finally, however, we reached the house, where Josh had prepared dinner, which we stowed in the car and drove to a house he has rented, facing an estuary. We had scallops, grilled vegetables, a grilled potato, a salad, and some good French wine for dinner and a liqueur for dessert. We toasted, then drove home, and while the others have gone off to bed, I am putting the finishing touches on today’s blog. There—I am all caught up after having to reconstruct three touring days due to the fact that I had no WiFi for the past few days. Strange not to be able to text message or answer emails, but good at the same time. Reflections were definitely in order, and their importance was accepted! As ever, SV
After packing everything, we decided to pay the region one more visit by car. Our goal was the Kirkwood Garden in Holderness. The historic Holderness Inn is currently vacant but is slated for renovation. However, it was its 1-acre garden we were interested. Even though it was raining, we all got under a huge umbrella, and I would jump out from beneath the umbrella quickly every time I wanted a photo. Shade and sun beds are planted with a variety of trees, shrubs, ferns and flowers adapted to the northern New England climate.
A series of granite steps leads visitors from the shaded upper garden to the sunny, informal lower garden. Ancient sugar maples, a variety of ferns, hostas, azaleas, rhododendrons, and other shade-loving plants are in the upper garden. There is also a beautiful wooden pergola, covered with a variety of vines, and it is located at the western end of the lower garden. A combination of cobbles, pavers, and river stone provides the surface under the pergola and highlights a large lunaform pot. A delightful place, made all the more beautiful by the addition of a tree in memory of Hilde’s husband Dick.
After walking through the lovely garden, we went further and toured two art galeries, one of which was absolutely fantastic and offered a wide selection of crafts and designs from the Squam Lake area.
We stopped once more at Hilde’s house, had a lunch of crackers, cheese, and various fruits, plus hot coffee to fortify us, and then bid our friend Hilde adieu. What a splendid visit it was! Another 2.5 hours of driving awaited us, and this was lengthened even more by a tremendous traffic jam due to a wreck on Hwy. 93. Finally, however, we reached the house, where Josh had prepared dinner, which we stowed in the car and drove to a house he has rented, facing an estuary. We had scallops, grilled vegetables, a grilled potato, a salad, and some good French wine for dinner and a liqueur for dessert. We toasted, then drove home, and while the others have gone off to bed, I am putting the finishing touches on today’s blog. There—I am all caught up after having to reconstruct three touring days due to the fact that I had no WiFi for the past few days. Strange not to be able to text message or answer emails, but good at the same time. Reflections were definitely in order, and their importance was accepted! As ever, SV
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