Well, how 'bout it boys? Look like hockey to you? Looks more like a couple monkeys trying to hump a football to me…
This week has proved to be a fairly busy one- not least because I avoided all semblance of having anything to do today and stayed in bed until 12.30pm- which has helped the tiredness, but has also meant I have spent the rest of the day running errands, I’m late writing my blog and I probably won’t sleep tonight!
However, I did get to TD Bank Gardens to see some Hockey on Thursday night! I do tend to be a bit flighty when it comes to home team support, and home very much is where the heart is, and for me at the minute, having seen all of the Olympics I missing Vancouver, so the Vancouver Canucks are the team I would like to have been out supporting (they are also currently top of the western division and so very easy to support) but since they weren’t playing in Boston this week I slipped my allegiance to the Toronto Maple Leafs who were the first hockey team I ever saw (after the MK Kings- and I’m not sure they count as actual real hockey players). I wasn’t holding out a great deal of hope for this event as the Bruins and the Leafs are currently the bottom two teams in the Eastern Division- and for fairly good reasons, there were points when, quite honestly I could have done better.
I do love the chants at the hockey though, being the most “aggressive” spectators, and even advertised as not child friendly unlike all other sporting events here, the fans still all sit together, although I have to say sporting a Canada shirt and being surrounded by Bruins fans was a little lonely- I was the only one cheering for Kessel and not booing him (his crime being to leave the Bruins as a free agent and sign for the Maple Leafs). So, “atta boy Kessel”, was a welcome refrain from the left of me and few rows down. It didn’t really work though, as was obvious when the other Canadian fans starting shouting “did you sleep in the Holiday Inn last night?” Never good when you have to insult you own team. My personal favorite for the night- “poke him in the eye!” From a Bruins fan as they struggled to get the puck! So, for any brave soccer fans out there who want a way to spice up the terraces next time they are at a game, go ahead and steal some of the chants from the hockey crowd!
In case any of you were wondering, the hockey went to a penalty shoot out, and was won by the Bruins- yay, boo sucks and poke them all in the eyes J It was very entertaining, at least three fights that resulted in time penalties, gloves came off, shirts were torn, all makes for a good evening. The fattest kid in the arena won a pizza, for, as far as I can tell, being fat and stupid- like he needed more pizza, and I rode the subway way with a guy dressed entirely in green lycra- more weird than funny, until a random girl turned around and realized that her purse, followed by her hand as she tried to move it had been rubbing against an altogether inappropriate area!
Saturday saw a girly day out to the summer “cottages” of the old American money in Newport, Rhode Island. One can only assume you have to been born a Vanderbilt or an Astor to refer to a 70 room mansion on the ocean, with 13 acres of garden as a cottage. This wasn’t even the biggest one and was a small retreat for 10 weeks in the summer. Now if only…
Newport is a really charming touristy town. It has amazing views of the Atlantic and a really spectacular cliff top walk. The views across the white sandy beaches, an Atlantic Ocean that I have never seen look so appealing- it is really hard to believe it is the same body of water that laps the shores of England, and then on the land side it backs onto the most amazing ‘cottages”. Newport is also known for its bird watching and surfing, although not doing either I can’t say how good they actually are, and if the reputation is deserved. There were however, lots of surfers riding the waves…
The main reason for the trip and the town’s main attractions are the Bellevue Avenue Mansions. They were all built between 1748 and 1902 (some more than once due to fires) when the rich and famous of NYC fled to the country to escape the city heat. The Vanderbilts and the Astors are probably some of the most famed monied families in America, and their ‘cottages’ are all modeled on European palaces and contain some of the most amazing artwork and architectural features. Who inlays their walls with platinum? Who ships a 17th century fireplace from France to America just to enhance their library? The decoration is incredible if a little ornate and cluttered by today’s standards. Roman style mosaics cover floors, walls and ceiling, tapestries and family portraits hang from the walls, and marble that is no longer available makes up a huge part of the columns and floors. I will say that their personal style is a little bit off for my taste but when you have $200 million dollars (in the late 1800s) I guess you can build what you like- including indoor fountains and stair cases with 95 steps. I’d learn to live with it…
Unfortunately, as it is still the winter season most of the properties that have been donated to the preservation trust are closed, but I have a season ticket so I will be going back. If only to see if all the other families (although they are all related) have four faucets on every running water receptacle…
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