I left for Maine about midday Sunday, and took the quick way there; Route 495 to make a big loop around the crowded areas, then Route 95 north to Portland. It took about 3 hours, so I dawdled around South Portland for a few hours while there was still light. It reminded me of a cross between Port Angeles (near Seattle) and Provincetown (Cape Cod) - very seaside, with jaunty little sea-captain type pubs and cafes along the harbourside; cobblestone streets; lots of shops selling crystals, dried seaweed and oven mitts shaped like moose heads.

Yes, the moose is the official animal emblem for Maine, and yes, there are "Beware of Moose" road signs everywhere! No, I didn't see a live one, but I did hear one when I visited the Moose Point State Park on Monday - more of which later.

By 6pm I was getting tired and hungry, so I checked into the Sheraton, which looks unfortunately like 2 gasometers - large, squat, brown cylinders about 8 floors high, with no other tall buildings nearby to contrast with them. Inside, the rooms are all wedge shaped - radiating out from the centre area where the elevators are. The room was a bit cramped toward the thin edge of the wedge, but certainly not the smallest room I've been in.

Portland is supposedly renowned for seafood, so I asked the concierge where would be a nearby, inexpensive restaurant. She proceeded to give me driving directions to the Weathervane, which I subsequently spotted out of my room window - it was actually within easy walking distance! (Another example of the obsession with cars exhibited by most Americans.) Also nearby was a deli called "Lox, Stock and Bagel" - I love plays on words! Dinner at the Weathervane was uneventful -- I had baked cod, which unfortunately was swimming in butter.

Monday morning I checked out and drove into Portland proper, where I got on a tour bus for a 90-minute trip around the town. (I wanted someone else to do the driving for a change.) I saw, among other things, the tail end of a Memorial Day Parade as well as Longfellow's house and the actual house across from Longfellow's wherein dwelt the blacksmith who became the subject of his famous poem. Another interesting artifact there is a 'Cape Cod' style house built in the early 19th century (by some architect whose name I can't remember), and which became the prototype for what is now widely known as Cape Cod style.

I then drove north on Highway 1 following the coast. This reminded me of the south-eastern coast of Australia - lots of inlets, small fishing villages, boats, etc. Everything was very green, but different trees than grow around Milford. Something else I noticed was a disproportionate number of Thai restaurants along the way, as well as several Korean and an Indonesian.

At Belfast, I went into the Moose Point State Park - a wonderful forest that incorporates several miles of coastland which is a protected haven for seals and various seabirds. I chatted to Ernie, the friendly Park Ranger, who explained that there were genuine, live moose in the forest, but they were shy. During this conversation, there was a low bellowing sound far off in the woods, which Ernie explained was the mating call of the male moose - it sounded to me like a goose honking, but several octaves lower. After this enlightening discussion, I spent a pleasant and relaxing hour wandering along the little paths in the densely wooded forest, looking at all the native Birch, Ash, Maple and Elm trees (Ernie explained to me what they were - to me, they're all just green and shady!).