Our breakfast offerings this morning were waffles or avocado toast. Still full from an avocado toast we had on Malta months ago, we both chose the waffles. There were also some specialty-shaped cakes as you see here.
We saw another couple feeding the alpacas while we were finishing up and that made Nicole a bit nervous. She was worried that the alpacas wouldn’t be hungry for any more snacks. Obviously snacks from Nicole’s paws are better, but the alpacas didn’t know she was fixing to pay them another visit. She asked the workers if another bucket of snacks was going to be overindulgent for them, but was assured that they would be just as excited to see her.
The alpacas walked up to the fence with enthusiasm as Nicole approached. We also found out that it wasn’t actually Crystal and Rachel yesterday, but rather Britney Spears and Noelle. Britney Spears had quite the appetite. Today Nicole doled out a mixture of carrots and apples. The alpacas seemed pleased, and Nicole said her goodbyes. The alpacas looked at Nicole and her empty bucket wistfully before losing interest and going back to eating grass.
Around 11am, we headed out on the road. It was about 2.5 hours to Rhinebeck, New York as a way of breaking up the journey a bit. It has a quaint town center with some old shops and cafes. We went to Samuel’s Sweet Shop, co-owned by actor Paul Rudd. For anyone who has seen his episode of Travel Man with Richard Ayoade, you might note that Paul Rudd went to a candy shop in Helsinki and nearly vomited from the local salmiaki (salty licorice). No licorice was present in Samuel’s Sweet Shop.
I grabbed myself a rather large apple turnover that substituted for lunch and Nicole grabbed some chocolate that promptly melted in the east coast heat wave before we even got back to the car. According to the Nissan’s temperature readout, it was 102º outside. It was another twenty minute drive or so before we reached Marist University, Nicole’s Alma Mater, and excellent place to use a restroom.
Finally, we endured another two hours on the road as traffic got consistently more aggressive as we closed in on New Jersey. I had to use my horn for the first time as someone recklessly jerked into my lane without seeing me in their blind spot. Welcome to Jersey! We arrived at the very random Caldwell, New Jersey Avis/Budget rental car drop off before getting a transfer to Gath’s place (Gath is everyone’s favorite ostentatious celebrity Jersey couple for those not in the know). There is now some debate as to what happens next, but for now, we need to do a bit of laundry.
passports & pepto bismol 