VERMONT!

(The beautiful mountain house in Vermont, as photographed from the back.)

The day after we returned from Hamburg, David and I packed our bags (yet again), rented a car, and drove up to a small mountain town in Vermont, where Eleanor and Michael rent a house each summer. The few days' break from the city heat was just perfect. David fell in love with Vermont and the mountain house last summer, and had been looking forward to this year's trip all year long. Unfortunately, due to our work schedule, our stay in Vermont was not as long as we'd originally hoped -- but fortunately, we were able to spend a solid 4 days, inhaling clean country air, reading or doing a bit of work on rocking chairs on the porch, swimming in the White River, cooking up hearty meals over bottles of white wine, playing table tennis... and we even managed to fit in a game of kickball with a few other local grown-ups and their kids. (We were sore for a couple of days afterwards from all the base running!)

We had only one day that truly rained. Otherwise, we had terrific weather and were able to swim and play in the river just a short drive from the house.


This year, the "river beach" had transformed into a velvety sandy beach (as opposed to a more stony, rocky one), due to the heavy rainfall in the area a couple of weeks ago. The water was pristinely clear so that we could see right to the bottom, and the current was not as strong as last year. David threw on his snorkel mask and flippers and thoroughly explored the river looking for fish. He discovered several, most of which we believe are a type of trout.

Some of the local kids found clay in the river bank, which they used to play some sort of mud-hogging and mud-flinging game. The older folks on the beach used it for self-beautification purposes instead, as clay mask:

(David covered in clay, which he explains made his skin very soft by drawing out impurities.)

What I love about the house is the open-plan kitchen and dining area. It's a great place to cook -- sure beats our small New York City kitchen and no dining table living! I had a great time cooking, and feel that I made my best yet melanzane alla parmigiana this weekend in Vermont. The dish was consumed by everyone with delight, and not an eggplant slice remained:

Although the turn around of coming back to New York, driving up to Vermont (6 hour drive), coming back to New York again only to leave for London in a couple of days (we leave very early this Saturday) is rather demanding and strenuous, the trip to the country was worth every moment. Our time there sort of caused us to slow down a bit, breathe, and take in nature. We saw a gorgeous deer and fawn, who casually leaped towards the house one day; we saw hundreds of stars, and David saw the Big Dipper for the first time; one day the sky was as clear and blue as can be, and by dusk mist enveloped much of the field behind the house that we couldn't see the mountain beyond.

We were very happy and grateful we were able to go (frankly, David would have been inconsolable).

(A field just below the house we stayed, by the White River.)

(Misty dusk... photo taken from the back porch of the house.)