Norwalk's Oyster Festival
Saturday, temperature in the mid-70's, lots of sunshine and a light cool breeze. It was a perfect day to leave the city for suburban East Norwalk for the Oyster Festival. My girlfriends and I took the first Metro North train of the afternoon and arrived after an hour's travel.
Washington Memorial Park, where they were holding the celebrations and the fair was about 10 minutes walk from the train station. We passed through quiet streets and roads blocked to give way to the throngs of people trooping to the park. As we hiked our way we couldn't help but compare life in this part of the tri-state to the city: an almost unnerving quiet, multi-level homes and cars in driveways, and roadkill. A life completely the opposite of Manhattan chosen by those who seek out life, as it should be as Matthew has declared. Besides, who ever said people need to live through noise in cramped small apartments shared with several other people in buildings once called tenements. Oh well... As we reached the end of East Avenue, a view of the Norwalk Harbor greeted us and lots of boats.
Walking the streets of Norwalk
Norwalk Harbor
The grass was wet and the earth soggy from the drenching of hurricane Frances' visit mid-week. People however had already filled the park and were looking at the items being sold in the tents. At the gates you pay $10 as you enter and gets a stamp on your arm - so high schoolish!, visible only under the ultraviolet lamp they have.
Giant slides of pink and yellow towered over the expanse of the fair, the same with carousels, dizzy dragons and other rides to make the young ones confused so their parents can roam the grounds with more or less sedated children.
Height Frights
Kites
We were hunting for our lunch when we bumped into Aline and her fiance, Matt. Some congratulations and then we continue with our search for food. When we finally settled down on a table under a tent being followed by small flies (at least hindi bangaw!). For $12 I got myself a lobster weighing 1 and 1/4 lb., steamed and cracked open dipped in butter - hmmm! Des had a tuna steak sandwich, Lucia also got lobsters and Paola had a big serving of mussels - perfect lunch, though not cheap!
By the time we had finished our lunch, it was time to move to the middle of the grounds of the food area which had been cordoned off with yellow tape to give way to a skydiving exhibition. A huge X had been marked in the middle using red tape and this was officially now a drop zone. And by 5PM, a green plane flew over the fair grounds and began ejecting extreme sports enthusiasts including our dear friend Thereza.
One by one, each skydiver made their way to the giant red X. We watched them gracefully dancing in the air with their chutes and then as they came closer to the grounds, seemed to pick up speed until they are almost swooping past us and onto terra firma. Some came down with flags flapping in the wind, another with violet smoke trailing behind him for drama, two, including Drew had cameras on their helmets to shoot their descent and some came in a bunch.
Twin Landing
Finally, we see the chute she had warned us to wait for: red, white and blue with a huge USA to the side - it's Thereza! She circled a bit and then like the rest, came down very fast to a great landing. Of course, we cheered her on, relieved that she was safe (she'd be rolling her eyes if she knew we were worrying about her).
When she saw us in the crowd there were bursts of excited girly screams and hugging. She was glad we had come to see her jump and we assured her we came for the food. And then watched while she picked up her chute, a relatively small piece of nylon rags sewn together and kept her afloat while in mid air. When she was done, people had began to swarm around her and as the crowd favorite, gamefully signed autographs (we, her friends, cracked up of course!) for those she captivated with her guts and her charm.
Thereza signing autographs
As we were returning to the train at the end of the day, we wondered where the oysters were as this was anyways, the Oyster Festival! We only saw one shop selling friend oysters and nothing more. Hmmm, maybe they ought to think of renaming this festival for truth in advertising.
Washington Memorial Park, where they were holding the celebrations and the fair was about 10 minutes walk from the train station. We passed through quiet streets and roads blocked to give way to the throngs of people trooping to the park. As we hiked our way we couldn't help but compare life in this part of the tri-state to the city: an almost unnerving quiet, multi-level homes and cars in driveways, and roadkill. A life completely the opposite of Manhattan chosen by those who seek out life, as it should be as Matthew has declared. Besides, who ever said people need to live through noise in cramped small apartments shared with several other people in buildings once called tenements. Oh well... As we reached the end of East Avenue, a view of the Norwalk Harbor greeted us and lots of boats.
Walking the streets of Norwalk
Norwalk Harbor
The grass was wet and the earth soggy from the drenching of hurricane Frances' visit mid-week. People however had already filled the park and were looking at the items being sold in the tents. At the gates you pay $10 as you enter and gets a stamp on your arm - so high schoolish!, visible only under the ultraviolet lamp they have.
Giant slides of pink and yellow towered over the expanse of the fair, the same with carousels, dizzy dragons and other rides to make the young ones confused so their parents can roam the grounds with more or less sedated children.
Height Frights
Kites
We were hunting for our lunch when we bumped into Aline and her fiance, Matt. Some congratulations and then we continue with our search for food. When we finally settled down on a table under a tent being followed by small flies (at least hindi bangaw!). For $12 I got myself a lobster weighing 1 and 1/4 lb., steamed and cracked open dipped in butter - hmmm! Des had a tuna steak sandwich, Lucia also got lobsters and Paola had a big serving of mussels - perfect lunch, though not cheap!
By the time we had finished our lunch, it was time to move to the middle of the grounds of the food area which had been cordoned off with yellow tape to give way to a skydiving exhibition. A huge X had been marked in the middle using red tape and this was officially now a drop zone. And by 5PM, a green plane flew over the fair grounds and began ejecting extreme sports enthusiasts including our dear friend Thereza.
One by one, each skydiver made their way to the giant red X. We watched them gracefully dancing in the air with their chutes and then as they came closer to the grounds, seemed to pick up speed until they are almost swooping past us and onto terra firma. Some came down with flags flapping in the wind, another with violet smoke trailing behind him for drama, two, including Drew had cameras on their helmets to shoot their descent and some came in a bunch.
Twin Landing
Finally, we see the chute she had warned us to wait for: red, white and blue with a huge USA to the side - it's Thereza! She circled a bit and then like the rest, came down very fast to a great landing. Of course, we cheered her on, relieved that she was safe (she'd be rolling her eyes if she knew we were worrying about her).
When she saw us in the crowd there were bursts of excited girly screams and hugging. She was glad we had come to see her jump and we assured her we came for the food. And then watched while she picked up her chute, a relatively small piece of nylon rags sewn together and kept her afloat while in mid air. When she was done, people had began to swarm around her and as the crowd favorite, gamefully signed autographs (we, her friends, cracked up of course!) for those she captivated with her guts and her charm.
Thereza signing autographs
As we were returning to the train at the end of the day, we wondered where the oysters were as this was anyways, the Oyster Festival! We only saw one shop selling friend oysters and nothing more. Hmmm, maybe they ought to think of renaming this festival for truth in advertising.