Monday, February 20, 2006

The Middle of Nowhere

I know, I know. It has taken us quite some time to locate the schoolhouse plaque, which marks the location of the first school in Wellfleet. We have been up Old King's Highway several times, searching, exploring the maze of dirt paths that crisscross the National Seashore. Now, at last here is the scoop: easy to miss, the plaque is tucked away, five yards off the road, at an intersection called "the Four Corners.” To be honest, we walked right past it today. Luckily a woman was out with her dog and directed us back. The old bronze plaque says “King’s Highway. Here was built the first school house in Wellfleet.” I will have to do a little research to find out why and when the building was torn down. There are no houses nearby, so it is hard to imagine the reason for a school, out in the middle of nowhere.

We continued our walk until we reached a large modern house, also seemingly in the middle of nowhere. The brand new shingles led us to believe someone rich must have purchased a teardown. There is no way the original footprint was taken into consideration, but the government doesn’t seem to care anymore. With no pond in sight, we really wondered why build on this spot? Up on the deck, we understood. There, way far off in the distance, we could see a sliver of blue Atlantic. The owners can rightfully claim a waterview.

Chez Sven is NOT in the middle of nowhere. Our old house is tucked away in the woods off Route 6, behind a rise, so that we do not hear the traffic. Guests like the fact that Old King’s Highway is still a dirt road. Last night we walked down to "the wicked oyster," which opened last year to much fanfare. Visiting restaurants is one of the fun aspects of managing a bed & breakfast. One does not want to recommend a place unless it passes muster. At the wicked oyster, floorboards are wonderfully wide, indicating age, similar to those here at Chez Sven. My salmon dinner was excellent. Our attentive waitress DJ served with a smile. The wicked oyster, open year round, uses organic ingredients whenever possible, so let’s give it a Gold Plate, okay? Within walking distance makes the wicked oyster an ideal place to dine while staying at Chez Sven!