Day 9, 28.06.2022 - Bye, Bye NY - Welcome Connecticut

Today we have to say goodbye to New York. The 8 days went by very quickly and because of Anne's and my illness, we unfortunately couldn't see everything. But for Anne and me, it was enough in the big, noisy, and hectic city. We longed for peace and relaxation. Maybe it's because of our age? The girls, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of New York and would have liked to stay longer. Pauline and Marie still had some unfinished to-do items on their list. But the girls were excited about the sea, the landscape, and a quiet small-town life in the USA, a la Gilmore Girls. Since we had until 11:00 am to leave the apartment, we could take it easy and have breakfast on the terrace. Then pack our suitcases and tidy up. We were supposed to pick up our rental car at Herz at JFK Airport, so I thought about getting a Lyft taxi. However, there are no fixed prices for that. They vary depending on the demand, and in the morning, the demand is very high. So we decided to take the subway. Unfortunately, this time Pauline didn't have it under control, so we traveled through Brooklyn with our luggage. I had opened Google Maps and got directions to take Line G to Hoyt Schermerhorn, then transfer to Line A to Howard Beach Station and then take the Air Train. When we arrived at the transfer station on Line G, we had to go up the stairs and down the stairs on the other side (all with luggage :-). Then the Line A arrived and we got on. However, we passed stations that were not on Google Maps. When we suddenly arrived at our starting station (Clinton Washington Ave), where we got on Line G, I didn't understand the world anymore. The next station also didn't appear on Google Maps, so I decided 'everyone out'. There we were with 4 suitcases and carry-on luggage, discussing. After 15 minutes of discussion, the next Line A arrived and the sign said 'via Airport JFK', so everyone got back in. From there, the station names worked with Google Maps. We traveled for about 30 minutes to Howard Beach Station. There we could directly transfer to the Air Train, which departed 2 floors higher. After 2 stops, we arrived at the car rental center and could go straight to the counter of the company Herz. We had booked the car, an SUV, with Canusa. I compared it with various websites on the internet and couldn't find a better price (950 USD for 9 days). After completing the formalities, we received the key, rental agreement, and parking location. We didn't have to search for a long time and found a black Chevrolet Equinox. Unfortunately, not all 4 suitcases fit in the back, so we had to take one in the middle. But otherwise, there was plenty of space for the four of us. During the inspection for damages, Anne and I noticed a huge scratch on the rear right fender. I thought that someone had hit a wall in a parking garage there. Anne suspected that someone had fixed the fender with white tape but unfortunately kept her suspicion to herself. It would later turn out that she was right. Otherwise, the car was in perfect condition, modern and well-equipped, including a navigation system (which was very helpful). So I had a staff member acknowledge the damage and then we set off into the US traffic. I was optimistic because I was familiar with the major roads from Canada. However, after about 2 miles, we encountered our first traffic jam. There were many construction sites on the highway at the airport, and it was very crowded. After 30 minutes, we made it through and the traffic flowed better, heading north, past the Bronx with many high-rise buildings, over bridges where we could see the Manhattan skyline once again, and finally eastward. There was a maze of highways, and I was very grateful for the navigation system in the car, which was better than mine at home. After leaving the greater NY area, it became quieter, although there were still many cars on the road. It was definitely busier than in Canada, and the roads were not in good condition. In general, American drivers were much worse, jumping between lanes, overtaking on the right, cutting in, etc. The big trucks drove on the median strip in general. But it didn't matter since you could overtake on the right. The speed limit was between 55 and 65 miles per hour, but everyone always drove 10 miles over the speed limit. The landscape was very green. The median strip between the directions was very wide, sometimes about 200-400 meters, and also very green. After about 2.5 hours of driving, we arrived in Guilford. Already when entering the small town, we could see that we would like it here. Everything looked very well-maintained, clean, and nice. In the center, there was a big park with meadows and trees, and around it streets with shops, cafes, and restaurants. We parked in a parking lot and first looked for a cafe, as it was already around 3:00 pm. We found a nice coffee shop called 'Cilantros Coffee Roasters'. Here we each ordered our drinks and cake/sandwich at the counter and sat on benches in front of the cafe, watching the bustling activity. After we finished, we went to our little house, which was located towards the beach, about two minutes by car from downtown Guilford. It was very cozy and clean. We entered through the veranda and inspected everything. There was even a basic supply in the fridge. We quickly unpacked the suitcases and then went to the nearest grocery store, 'BigY', where we got everything we needed. We filled up the car and then went to the liquor store because we felt like having a glass of wine. Then we returned to the house. Today, we decided to cook pasta with tomato sauce and wanted to eat in the garden. However, we couldn't stand it for five minutes as we were attacked by mosquitoes. So we fled to the veranda, which was also very airy and beautiful. There were no walls, just curtains connecting the sides from top to bottom. It was like being outdoors, but without mosquitoes. After dinner, we wanted to go to the beach again, which was only two minutes away by car. We parked the car at the harbor and enjoyed the peaceful twilight by the sea. Many young couples stood by their cars at the quay wall, enjoying the romantic atmosphere. We went a bit further away and went down to the water.

The evening was quiet, everyone did their own thing. I enjoyed the veranda, with mild temperatures, fireflies, and absolute tranquility. The night was wonderful, no noise, no sirens, just silence and occasionally the chirping of crickets. The kids didn't find it so nice and were afraid of burglars. They were not used to the quietness and thought that someone was outside watching them. After a short inspection (inside the house), I couldn't find anything and promised to leave the doors to the rooms open.