The Moon was Shining Sulkily...

The sun was shining on the sea,
  Shining with all his might:
He did his very best to make
  The billows smooth and bright --
And this was odd, because it was
  The middle of the night.

from The Walrus and the Carpenter by Lewis Carroll

Hands down my silliest purchase in Turku was a candle for the porch. I thought that the days were growing warmer and it would be nice to sit on the porch in the evening by candle light. Well...more fool me...when it is warm enough to sit on the porch it is light enough to forget about candles.

Instead of sitting on the porch we have gotten in the habit of strolling along the river in the evening. These pictures were taken at 10 pm tonight. The Russian ship Shtandart is in town. It is a replica of a ship designed by Tsar Peter in 1703.

Above is a sculler out for a fearless row in the busy river! That will be me on the Merrimack soon. And at the top is yet another picture with the cathedral in the distance.

We will miss living in a town that embraces the river so wholeheartedly. Concord is separated from the Merrimack by the interstate and also by an industrial history that included tanneries. I hope that the future of Concord will include a more prominent role for the Merrimack in the life of the town. A river is a wonderful place to stroll.