An old grist mill caught my eyes. I was standing at the edge of the green truss bridge in Lambertville that spans the gentle Delaware and opens up to a twin town which does not however lie in New Jersey. Cross a line on the bridge and you find out that you have left the state of New Jersey behind; that now, my darling, you have entered the state of Pennsylvania.
With just the crossing of a bridge, we were in another town.
New Hope of the Lenni Lenape Indians; of a thousand acres of land gifted by King Charles II to a certain William Penn; of a succession of men who operated ferries and mills; of an industrial past riddled with working mills and the legacy of a small community that worked hard to produce paper, quarry stones and grind grains. That is till a bohemian lot of artists were attracted to the picturesque quality that this town presented with its farrago of farmhouses, mills and barns, creeks, and the river that slips gently by it.
Towards the end of the 1930s, a group of aesthetes bought the grist mill that you see in the lead picture. They transformed it into a summer theatre. The Bucks County Playhouse, where so many famous actors and actresses honed their trade before they tried their luck on Broadway. That is how artists put New Hope on the map for art aficionados. And then, the rest of us followed on a day drenched with sun, filled with hope about this town that called itself New Hope. Note that the mills had their say in deciding its title for there were the Old Hope Mills which burned down, only to be replaced with mint-fresh mills built as the New Hope Mills.
Right from the main street where the bridge disgorged us, we were hard pressed for which direction to take. But there was no chance of leaving any road unexplored here. There was a roll-call of restaurants and cafes, ice cream shops, hippie shops selling harem pants and Buddhas, decor stores where you could step in and complete wooden jigsaw puzzles only to find some pieces broken, gourmet popcorn shops, food markets promising a tantalising mix of world cuisine…and then there were charming old properties, stone houses and mansions. And a stone bridge below which a somnolent creek crawled past the photogenic grist mill of my fancies before it emptied into the Delaware river.
So what did we do? We ambled around as much as one could; had strange conversations with mothers holding onto occupied loos for their sons; scoffed delicious ice creams; bought popcorn; realised that a credit card had gone missing and which therefore an irate husband rushed to retrieve with remarkable scowls and mutterings; and perched ourselves at a quiet bar humming with couples, by the creek.
Weeping willows hanging shyly in veils of green around us, the waters of the creek sliding by in smooth emerald sheets while all along catching the reflection of leafy trees lining its banks and the dappled sunlight, and flights of sparkling wine. We were caught in the moment.
ARUNDHATI BASU 
What a quaint town!
The evening surely has a definite charm and allure about it with the lights and the lake 😉
LikeLike
Cheers Lorelle. I think there is more to see there. We could not do it justice in the matter of a day, but we loved our brief time there thoroughly. xx
LikeLike
Yes, time is always so precious. Lovely to have that brief but memorable time nonetheless.
Have a great week Arundhati. Xx
LikeLike
Wise words. 🙂 You too, my lovely. xx
LikeLike
I love how you photographed the playhouse in the day and night! Such a contrast with the waterfall and the twinkling lights and so beautiful. The wine and food look delectable! Wonderful bit of trivia about Washington. Enjoyed your post! – Neek
LikeLike
Thank you lovely! It was rather charming. Hope you are ready for the week (guns blazing). xx
LikeLike
Another place on my bucket list. That Victorian house looked like a place I’d love to sketch 😍
Did you find the credit card? How was that avocado dip, it looks delicious from this side of the screen.
LikeLike
Hello V, first things first. I bet you would do a fine job of sketching the house! It was so charming.
The credit card was hunted down by Adi finally. He did get Turkish sweets from the man at the Turkish shop where I had left it behind. But instead of being happy about it, he did his best to harangue me. We had a neat little row too while drinking by the creek. 😛
The avocado dip was Divine. I replicated it when I got home. With yogurt, garlic, fresh coriander, and cumin powder. xx
LikeLike
Another thing, I left some comments on your latest posts (Barcelona and NYC), but they do not seem to have gone through.
LikeLike
You take the most amazing photos of towns and settings, Dippy Dotty Girl! 🙂 Hope you are staying cool. xxoo
LikeLike
And you have the sweetest comments to leave always. Thanks much lovely! xx
LikeLike
Thank you, my friend! Xxoo
LikeLike
Oh my, how PRETTY! I love the artistic history behind it 🙂 You always discover the most amazing places!xx
LikeLike
Thank you love! 🙂 xx
LikeLike
A pleasant stroll and supper ma’amji. Have you bowed to Americans’ early 6PM dinner custom?
(and your hair has grown…)
Take care.
LikeLike
Hello Brianji, thank you for taking the time to saunter through. It has been early for us for a long time now. More like seven-ish though. Why, what is the custom at yours?
And yes, I cannot wait for the hair to grow further. It has been too short for too long now!
LikeLike
Haha! What did your mother say when saw your hair? (Both short and long suit you anyway)
7-ish is still reasonable. For me dinner is at 8-9. But I remember in the Us some having supper at 5!
Bon Dimanche.
LikeLike
Ah that is dinner timing in Calcutta for my parents. I tend to eat early.
My mother was okay with it. She nowadays does not get too vehement about anything I do and has become mellow with age! 🙂 I am not complaining.
LikeLike
I can understand her, having daughters who must be roughly your age. 😉
LikeLike
Tee hee! 🙂
LikeLike
I’ve only just found this as your posts have stopped appearing in my WordPress feed. Another lovely post!
LikeLike
Hiya, WP might have forgotten me for my delayed absence. 🙂 Thank you for remembering that it exists. Hope your feet are keeping busy.
LikeLike