MVY / Boston Part 3 (7.16)

7.18 7:04AM

I meant to upload the rest of my journal entry from 7/16 (also, Happy Birthday, Alicia!) yesterday afternoon, but after arriving to the cafe, I realized that had *once again* left my notepad in the hotel room and didn’t want to waste the effort of rewriting the second half of my MVY entry. Time and space have no meaning on this blog.

I didn’t get a chance to complete my wrap up of the Vineyard day because I decided that I’d start writing the post with 10 minutes left on the bus back to Boston from Woods Hole, despite having 2 hours on the bus to write it earlier. I was busy listening to Madeline Miller’s “Circe” audiobook (would recommend) and ACOTAR smut (sometimes would recommend).

My cycling route for the day--still a ton of island that I didn't get a chance to revisit, so we'll be making a return trip

Having booked a 4:45 bus from Woods Hole back to Boston, I’d sort of hemmed and hawed about whether to take the 2:55pm ferry or the 3:30 ferry out of the Vineyard, wanting to maximize time on the island but not wanting to cut it too close to the bus departure. What I learned is that ferries run on time and busses do not. I ended up snagging the earlier ferry—which was a little bittersweet having to leave the island early—but I thoroughly enjoyed the ferry and my extended time in Woods Hole, so I’d say it was a net win.

View of the island from the ferry

The ferry was about 40 minutes, and other than some windy conditions, it was a really nice way to wrap up my day on the island, getting to see it from a very different perspective (compared to an airplane) and having some time to reflect on the day.

Don't let my expression fool you, I'm having a great time

View of the island from the ferry...not sure which lighthouse this is

I’d never been to Woods Hole, but it’s a cute little spot with good restaurants, an oceanic center, and cute local shops. I was quite grateful for the extra hour because I was able to get another quahog, a few more oysters, and a cup of clam chowder before boarding the bus.

Second lunch at Shuckers in Woods Hole

Don't worry, I got more oysters back in Boston

Clam chowder and stuffed quahog

Also, can we discuss the absolute ABOMINATION that is Manhattan clam chowder? Like, don’t get me wrong, I like tomato-based soups, but compared to New England clam chowder, MCH is absolute trash garbage.

I wrapped up my second lunch of the day and headed over to the bus terminal. I arrived at 3:30 for my 3:45 bus. Our friends Vicky and Eric had booked dinner reservations in Cambridge at 7, so I was feeling pretty confident that I’d only be a few minutes late to meet them and Cory.

And then Boston traffic happened. The bus was 20 minutes late and we had an additional 15-20 minutes of road traffic, so by the time we made it to the South Station, I was already 30 minutes late and still needed to get from South Station to Cambridge. I could have Ubered, but the difference between Ubering and getting a Blue Bike was less than 5 minutes, so I figured I’d get a few more sweaty miles in. 

I met up with everyone right as they were wrapping up pre-dinner drinks. We relocated to Moona, a tasty and upscale Levantine restaurant with some of the best stuffed grape leaves I've ever had. And I was so, so woefully underdressed. We had a lovely time with Vicky and Eric--it was my first time meeting Eric and we bonded over our mutual appreciation for Larry David humor and not wanting to inconvenience service staff. Funny and heartfelt conversations over shared small plates--can't wait for the next reunion. And we somehow managed to leave without getting a single group picture!