P.S

LOD 2013

Part 4

Day 4

Sunday

I keep thinking that the weather must break but it's another gorgeous day.

No breakfast for us today. We’ve booked a table at McLoones again for Songwriters by the Sea so we are trying to save ourselves. We eat so little, by rights, we should be as thin as rakes but it doesn’t seem to work that way.

We are keen to go and see Ocean Grove so retrace yesterday’s steps but this time walk on further passed the Casino.

Ocean Grove is an interesting place - well we thought so. I understand it has been through tough times but seems to have come out the other side and appears rather well-to-do now. It’s a dry town set up by a group of Methodists as a sort of summer camp. We researched all this after we came back and it explains why there are beach chalets surrounding the church. 

The streets are full of Victorian houses and newer builds in-the-style-of. Imagine the main street in a Western - Court House, General Store, brothel, that kind of thing - that’s what it reminds me of. It would make sense given the time that the original houses were built.

The boardwalk here seems to have taken a bit of a hit but the houses are apparently OK. 

I’m not sure whether they escaped the worst of Sandy or whether they have already been repaired.

Anyway we meandered around in our usual fashion, with no particular idea of where exactly we were heading, and happened upon the main street. There are a few quaint little shops and cafes but if you want more than a cup of tea or coffee you will be out of luck!

On our way back to the hotel we decided we couldn’t manage all day without food so we stopped off for a coffee and a cake in Cookman Avenue. Free Wi-Fi here and we find out from the UK that there was a wild party in our hotel lobby last night. This internet thingy is pretty impressive - the other side of the World knows what’s happening in our hotel before we do!.

So then onto the music which is after all why we are here. We nipped into the hotel bar for Songwriters by the Sea - Mike in his slippers - did I say we were beginning to feel right at home? This afternoon session was pretty laid back with everyone on stage together taking turns to give us a song.

On to the evening’s Songwriters by the Sea at McLoones. It followed the same format as the afternoon session with all the artists on stage together.Such a good contrast to the previous night. We sat at a table eating our meal and absorbing the atmosphere. Very leisurely and laid back. I’m a big fan of acoustic music so hearing songs, familiar from last night, given a new sound was right up my street.  

We ended with a nod to Bruce again - hearty renditions of Hungry Heart and Twist and Shout.

Mike and I spoke to James Maddock and Joe D’Urso after the show. They were both very gracious, signed the CDs we had just bought and took time to chat. Well, Joe was so chatty we could hardly get away! 

... and a good night was had by all.