July 2020 – Snapping The Globe

The Little Church On the Hill

When you gotta pray, you gotta pray.

Most people of faith pray every day and most seek out the comfort of participating in a church service at least once a week, even when on vacation!

Just two doors down from my friend’s island home, is the Cuttyhunk Church. A small, simple structure, it always captured my attention when I walked by in the direction of the dock, the post office, the beach or where ever I was headed.

Never had I seen the door open and I wasn’t sure if visitors were welcomed outside of worship hours.

One day, after a trek to the west end of the island, my friend and I were returning home. Kathie, knowing my love of churches, glanced over at the now open door and suggested we take a look inside.

Built in 1881, the church is known as the United Methodist Church of Cuttyhunk. The church, however, is an interfaith church with Episcopal, Roman Catholic and inter-faith services led by worship leaders from different religious traditions. Only open during the busiest months of the year, July and August, when visits to the island are at its peak, the church bell calls the parishioners fifteen minutes before each Sunday service and can be heard throughout the island.

The church is also used by a variety of religious and community groups for various events, including weddings, baptisms, memorial services, AA and Al-Anon, the Cuttyhunk Historical Society, the Cruisers Community Chorus and other island events.

The interior was intimate and comforting with a pressed tin ceiling and walls and simple wooden benches spanning the width of the building. There are two beautiful shell mosaics designed by artist Manuel Sarmento, depicting the Madonna and St. Francis of Assisi in the front of the sanctuary. The simple crucifix hanging above the altar is made of brass and driftwood and was crafted by Wally Ketchum. What I loved the most, however, was the brightly colored stained glass panel situated above the doorway which embodies the fishing culture of the island.

As we wandered around the rear of the church, I noticed a small basket of clam shells with bright blue writing inside the curved portion of some of the shells. As I studied the framed printout, next to the basket, I learned that these shells are for recording prayer requests. At the end of the season, church volunteers set these shells afloat, encircled by island flowers with the belief that casting flowers into the nearby waters on departure assures one’s return and the answer to their petition. The next day, it was no surprise when Kathie plucked a bloom from one of her hibiscus bushes for me to toss into the waters from the ferry as I left the island.

Hopefully, this action will allow me to return to Cuttyhunk during the summer season and attend one of these church services!

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram @snappingtheglobe.

Cuttyhunk Methodist Church

http://www.cuttyhunkchurch.org/history.html
Address: 1 Broadway Cuttyhunk MA 02713
Services and Events: Thursdays (Summer Season), 1100, an hour of discussion and medition, 1930, Bible Study, 1830 Kids Movie Night. Sunday Services begin on the Sunday before the Fourth of July until Labor Day weekend. 0830, Episcopal Eucharist, 0930, Sunday School, 1030, Roman Catholic Mass, 1945, Hymn Sing, 2000, Evening Worship.
Contact information: For weddings and special gatherings, contact a church volunteer at 781-834-9552 or email puddingstone@live.com
Admission: free

All Washed Up

Everyone loves a good treasure hunt.

Especially on a beach…

The best part is that everyone’s idea of treasure is in the eye of the beholder.

Recently, with COVID19 restricting travel, I found myself with a lot of free time on my hands. Normally, in June, I am home only about a third of the month, with conventions, training and other events that take me away. This year, being unable to commute to work due to the loss of so many flights, I found myself wandering aimlessly around my home, looking for things to do, browsing my travel photos and just generally missing my usual lifestyle.

Sometimes, however, when one door is closed, another opens.

One of my best friends owns a house on the island of Cuttyhunk, just off of the coast of New Bedford, Massachusetts. Every year, she opens her house at the end of May for the summer and every year, the invitation is extended for me to visit.

Because of the ferry schedule, Cuttyhunk isn’t the easiest place to travel to and only once in recent years was I able to work it out. Two summers ago, a few of our friends and I, were able to go out for a quick weekend getaway. Though we enjoyed our visit, it was too early during the season (and still too cool) to see what summers on the island entail.

As I struggled with being home for such a great length of time, Kathie reached out and asked if I would be interested in keeping her company for a while on the island.

Mindful of the cool weather I had experienced beforehand, it was an exercise in balancing my summer wardrobe with pieces that could still keep me warm for those crazy days when the ocean winds decided otherwise.

After finally making my way north and an uneventful ferry ride, I learned that being there in mid June gives you a new perspective. Things certainly were different than on my first visit!

There was lots more activity. More people. More boats in the harbor.

And the best part, for a warm-weather loving person like myself, it was bathing suit and beach weather! Well…on most days!

There are quite a few beaches that surround the island and we made sure to take our daily walks on them all.

My favorite part was how much the beaches changed shape every day due to the tides, currents and waves. It was interesting to find that while some beaches were rocky one day, they were sandy the next and you never would know what might have washed in overnight.

Kathie was always on the lookout for beach glass. Always amazed at how she could spot the tiniest pieces, I instead focused my attention on driftwood and shells, with my ultimate goal of putting it together to form some sort of artpiece.

As we traversed the mile and half long by three quarters wide island, we poked the soft sand and seaweed, strolled along the waters edge and analyzed the tide pools along Channel, Church, West End and Barges Beaches. Crab traps lay half buried in the sand, and crabs and other crustaceans, both live and dead, small and large, could be spotted everywhere we walked. Barnacles and and long seaweed fingers clung to the side of the boulders and lengths of rope, of all circumferences and colors lay knotted around pieces of driftwood.

Rubber gloves, which may have fallen from fishing boats, could be spotted and they were usually displayed with great fanfare and sometimes obscene gestures. The fishermen, who mark their traps and fishing spots with buoys, were probably disappointed to find that many of their markers had washed ashore.

There were some interesting seashells and colorful granite rocks ground smooth from years of being subject to the pounding waves.

Looking out to sea, it was always interesting to see the many boats making their way to the island, some from the mainland and some from neighboring Martha’s Vineyard. As we walked along Barges Beach, I mistakenly took the remains of the fourteen barges that litter the shoreline as shipwrecks. In fact, these barges were buried here in 1949 to stabilize the land damaged by a 1944 Nor’easter. Though they are slowing eroding away themselves, they provide a natural habitat for some of the island’s creatures and a place to capture some unique beach shots.

As we walked near the sand dunes, we watched the sandpipers and seagulls soar around us, and the occasional rabbit hop our way.

Every day was a new day.

You never know what you were going to find!

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Cuttyhunk Island

The Fisherman’s Monument

The port city of New Bedford, Massachusetts, has been the home of countless fisherman for thousands of years.

While I love sailing in and out of this port when traveling to Cuttyhunk Island, I haven’t had much of an opportunity to see what makes up the city itself.

Known as the “The Whaling City” due to its importance in the whaling industry during the nineteenth century, there is a wonderful museum which focuses on the history of the trade. Though I would have loved to have visited this institution, the Covid restrictions had closed it down until further notice.

I wasn’t in town for long…only as long as it took to get groceries and board our boat which was to take us to Cuttyhunk. As I stood guard over our belongings at the New Bedord State Pier, my friends brought over load after load destined for our stay on the island. My attention wandered from the multitude of fishing boats lining the harbor to the occasional passerby. As I finally took a turn carrying one of the many bags from the car, I noticed a statue on the edge of the pier. Taking a quick walk over, I noted the plaque set into the concrete.

The statue, which honors the fishermen of the Port of New Bedford, was installed in this spot on June 30, 2016 and designed by sculptor Erik Durant. The installation depicts the scene of a fishing family consisting of a mother standing near her fisherman husband, who is down on one knee. He holds his daughter in his lap, accepting her hugs, and has his hand on the shoulder of his son, who holds a crew cap.

The monument is quite moving and it is evident that it is one that most families of the area can relate to. With a little research, I learned that the passing of the cap to the son signifies the continuation of the fishing tradition and the clinging daughter represents the regret of the separation that the family has when the father is away. The woman stands behind the father and the children, representing those who stay behind while the fisherman are at sea.

So, I didn’t get to take a quick tour of the whaling museum, however, I stumbled upon something more significant.

One that represents the fishermen of both the past and present.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

The Fisherman’s Monument

Address: 49 State Pier, New Bedford, Massachusetts, 02740
Hours: 24 hours, daily
Admission: Free

The Veteran

Eighty years ago, the D-Day operation took place.

Thousands of soldiers took part in this important charge and in addition to these participants, the mission employed a millenary of ships, airplanes and tanks.

As with the passage of time, most who lived to recall the events of this day have passed on…

Most of the mechanical craft that saw action have been retired, scrapped or gone to their grave. Incredibly, some have been restored and live on in museums, but there are few that are actively continuing their careers in a different capacity.

The USS LST-510 was designed to be a short-lived assault craft which was designed to allow the landing of both armored and unarmored vehicles on a beach. Appearing to be a basic cargo ship, it was able to deceive those surveilling the area. The LST, also known by its crews as a Large Slow Target, had a flat bottom and was able to sail directly up to or close to shore. It then opened the ramp hidden inside a door on its bow and allowed vehicles to exit and go to combat.

Having contributed to the success of and having survived D-Day, the USL LST-510 was destined to continue its career long into the next century. Now known as the M/V Cape Henlopen, this World War II survivor was sold into commercial hands and was converted into a car ferry. The ferry’s name and owners have changed over the years, but her new mission has remained constant.

Today, the M/V Cape Henlopen crosses the Long Island Sound between Orient Point, New York and New London, Connecticut.

When we had decided to take the ferry while making our way to Massachusetts, we had heard about this World War II survivor from a few locals. Never did we realize, however, that the ferry that we would be traveling on would be this historic seafaring vessel. In fact, as we sat in line, waiting for it to arrive, we were more concerned with the overcast skies and deteriorating weather conditions.

After driving on board, we exited our vehicles and made our way into the wind and drizzle, attempting to climb the stairs to the lounge area as quickly as possible. As I glanced over to the right, a blue sign caught my eye, perhaps the only clue to this ship’s wartime service.

This was the one we had heard of!

Excitedly, we entered the lounge area and took a look around. Sadly, there was nothing more to see which informed travelers of her historic and significant past.

Our ride was uneventful and a short hour and fifteen minutes later, we were arriving in New London.

Ordinarily, upon arriving at one’s destination, passengers are often in a rush to disembark and continue on their journey. As we sat in my friend’s Ford Expedition, we glanced around as we drove slowly from the hold and imagined what the soldiers who manned the vehicles in the hold on that pivotal day must have felt.

Fear and anticipation.

For us, there was only admiration.

This magnificent veteran played such an important part in history and continues to serve the citizens of our nation to this day.

For more pictures, check out Facebook, Snapping the Globe and Instagram, @snappingtheglobe.

Cross Sound Ferry

https://www.longislandferry.com/
Address: 2 Ferry Street, PO Box 33, New London, CT 06320 and 41270 Main Rd, Orient, NY 11957
Fares: Vary, depending on traveler type and vehicle
Schedule: Vary, check website

Segovia’s San Martin

There are about fifty-four churches in Segovia.

Of course, I wanted to see them all.

But sometimes you don’t always get what you want.

Many churches were closed at the early hour when I made my way through the city. Many were only open at certain times. Of course, I was able to visit the cathedral, but I wanted there to be more.

After more misses than hits, I was finally able to find a church with some historical significance that was open for visitation.

The Church of San Martin.

In the prime location of the Plaza de Medina del Campo, there is an important Romanesque church, built in the 12th century and known for its unique design and structure. Its tower, which was designed in the Romanesque-Mudejar style is topped by a Baroque spire and the body of the church offers alluring porticos on three of its sides and a large fortified tower, the Torreon, built in the 14th century.

As I entered the church and paid my admission, I learned that a ticket can be purchased which covers most of the churches within the city. Since it was the end of my day, I opted to pay the single admission and begin my exploration.

The church has been restored on multiple occasions with reconstructions of some parts and the elimination of others. It is a rather small structure and takes only a short time to make your way throughout its ancient interior which consists of three naves and three apses.

The high altar commanded my attention with its beautiful gilded altarpiece. There are some interesting statues and altarpieces in the side chapels as well a prostrate statue of Jesus. The church is dimly lit which lends to its intimate appearance. It was interesting to note that the church boasts a dome, however, it is not visible from the inside as it is covered in plaster.

Moving on to the exterior, I was able to reexamine the doorways from which I had entered the church. These doors are quite beautiful made of arched archivolts. Continuing along the arcaded galleries, I was able to study the religious scenes which decorate the Romanesque capitals. Some have been restored and also focus on God’s creatures…lions, birds, griffins among others. There are also some scenes of the Nativity, the Annunciation, the Flight Into Egypt, the Massacre of the Innocents, the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple, the Resurrenction of Lazarus, the entry into Jerusalem, the Last Supper, the Betrayer of Judas and the Ascension.

Once my tour of the galleries was complete, I made my way around the entire exterior of the church’s walls. I discovered the image of the Saint Bishop San Martin de Tours (12th century) and gazed skyward at the bell tower. Though this particular one does not soar as high as the cathedral’s, it and the galleries, do lend to the unique beauty of the square.

Although my visit was short, it was extremely fulfilling to visit the ancient temple.

There are many other churches throughout the city. Try catching them during opening hours. Though I can’t vouch for the beauty of their interiors, some of their exteriors are extremely pleasing to the eye and have a rich history.

Segovia’s religious history is one to investigate.