Promoting Wellfleet at ILOVEINNS.COM

A perfect day in Wellfleet has bright blue sky and a light breeze. The sediment layers in the dunes along the beach jump out at you. The ocean is fairly calm. The air is crisp and clean. It's so beautiful you want to do a little dance of joy, not caring one iota if strangers see this personal declaration of how happy you are to be alive. We have days like that here in Wellfleet often, especially in summer and fall. Sven and I try to get out and enjoy them, either walking to the pond or along the beach. That's why, when Deborah Sakach, president and founder of American Historic Inns, Inc., asked me to write about perfection on Cape Cod, my response was obviously an enthusiastic YES! With efficiency, my writing was quickly posted at the gold-medal-winning site ILOVEINNS.COM. Blog readers can find the two articles here.

Update on Local Happenings

W.H.A.T.: New play readings at Willy’s Gym are back! Buy tickets now for Friday-night events throughout the month of March.

Public Library: Bernard Greenhouse is sponsoring two young cellists of talent at concerts Feb. 28 and March 7 at 7:30.

French Bistro: Anyone want to bet on whether the new owners from France will succeed in transforming the building above into a 60-seat upscale restaurant and bakery by summer?

Dance Evening: Enjoy dancing? Paula Erickson has started free-style dance-your-heart-out Friday-night get-togethers at the COA, 1st and third Fridays at 8 pm.

Future Toastmasters: Sharyn Lindsey is the moving force behind the public speaking group meeting at the COA on Tuesday nights, twice a month. Attendees will become toastmasters once the magic number of participants has been reached.

Mass Cultural Council Grant Obtained: W.H.A.T., Preservation Hall, and four other Wellfleet entities will share a 2009 grant of $4000 for their "cultural tourism marketing initiative."

Follow-up on the Shipwreck at Newcomb Hollow

I spoke with Jenna Sammartino at the Salt Pond Visitors' Center, in search of an answer to Amy’s question, posted in Comments yesterday. Jenna told me no one knows for sure when the schooner went down or even whether the wreck was indeed a schooner. She reminded me that thousands of ships sank off Cape Cod. The bones of the hull have been left in place because historians at the Seashore feel the wreck has more value on site. It would lose its story if moved elsewhere. In its present configuration, visitors can observe how the sand shifts around the wreck. Jenna pointed out that the wreck was buried last summer. The fact that it is again visible demonstrates the cycle beaches follow. She suggested I speak with historian Bill Burk, which I proceeded to do. Bill told me that some scientists from Wood’s Hole did a CAT scan a year ago to see how far down the wreck goes, using a LiDAR machine. Jenna seemed to think they had taken a core sample, but Bill was not sure about this. He said a maritime archeologist from UCONN had also come and measured the hull timbers. Strangely enough, neither party has gotten back to Bill with the results. I contacted both by email yesterday. David Patterson did testing on the Vasa, and with our Swedish connection, I must post this link and hope he will be moved to share his findings on our own shipwreck. Below, a peek at access to the beach parking lot in winter, very different from summer. When you walk the beach in winter with a cold wind blowing, you become almost eager to reach the parking lot and hurry, whereas summer visitors drag their feet ...

Update on the Newcomb Hollow Shipwreck

This morning my stat counter showed 87 page loads, surprising to see as the sun rises over Seagull Cottage, the same number as yesterday although the time is only 7:44. Apparently someone from New York discovered the blog and read a lot of past entries overnight. Return visitors seem to have stabilized with around three dozen per day. There were not as many people visiting Newcomb Hollow Beach yesterday. Sven and I went down to check on the shipwreck. It is still visible in the sand, although the ocean seems to have lifted it higher onto the beach and brought it closer to the parking lot, although this impression may be an illusion. We also noticed a lot of erosion. A frigid wind was blowing as we made our way towards what remains of the old schooner’s hull. Even Sven complained of being cold, highly unusual for someone who used to live above the Arctic Circle. The shipwreck has been visible for over a year now. Last winter the beach had visitors every weekend, not satisfied with a simple image in the newspaper. On some weekends the parking lot was full (Feb. 4, 2008 post). People had to see for themselves and touch the waterlogged timbers, despite the National Seashore sign, gone now. The shipwreck continues to solicit interest, although no longer news. The frigid sky was bright blue, perfect for photographs, so I took a few to share with blog readers.

Reflections On Blog Celebrity

I used to have my own radio show in Paris, France. I could tell from the glint in a neighbor’s eye whether he or she had been listening after a particular episode, but, as a general rule, meeting fans was a bizarre experience that provided a brief idea of what it felt like to be Sting or Madonna and why such celebrities become reclusive. As a radio talk show host, you send yourself out over the airwaves and never know how what you say will affect listeners. There are ratings, sure. But I am talking about individuals, strangers. People do not necessarily tell you they listen until you find out par hasard. I have discovered the same is true about blogs. I know there are a number of people who read Wellfleet Chezsven Blog daily and enjoy my photos, like Sand Patterns at Duck Harbor, above. And, I am really glad if my documentation of our town finds an audience out in Cyberspace. What always surprises me is when anonymous blog readers intersect real life. For instance, I mentioned a number of weeks ago that Sven had started a brick pathway between the cottage and the main house. How mystified he was in showing a recent guest around to have that guest comment that really it was about time to finish the pathway since it had been weeks now. (I had to explain to my husband that the guest is a regular blog reader and knew about the project from the blog.) I had a similar experience yesterday at the CEDC meeting. As Bruce Bierhans was leaving, he leaned towards me and whispered, “Love your blog!” Marla Rice of Preservation Hall, a month earlier, had said the same thing. I knew their names but had never met either person. Two days ago a reader in New York left a comment about how important the blog had become, inspiring dreams of Wellfleet during the winter months. I had never thought of a blog as a platform, but apparently platform matters to literary agents and since I am trying to market a book proposal, anyone else out there who wants to manifest support, please feel free. In any case, I’m glad so many people enjoy Wellfleet Chezsven Blog. Thank you and keep reading!

A February Day in the Life

What a busy day! It started with a great massage, thanks to Tracy Plaut. Then I booked two rooms for the summer, one through email and one by phone, always a mood-booster for an innkeeper during a recession. After lunch, I took Sven with me to a meeting organized by Megan Amsler of Cape & Islands Self Reliance. We were disappointed to see her winterization seminar had only drawn one other person. While I already knew most of the information provided, I was glad to support the initiative and came away determined to unplug all our energy-hogging appliances. During the afternoon, I continued reading Elizabeth McCracken’s first novel, The Giant’s House, which takes place on Cape Cod. Then, it was off to another meeting, the CEDC this time. First we listened to Sarah Robin, owner of the Flying Fish and a recent member of the Wellfleet Chamber board. Sarah emphasized that she could not speak for the Chamber of Commerce. Chair Paul Pilcher expressed our concerns, and she offered to relay them to board members of longer standing. It was agreed that Sam Bradford and Alex Hay would attend the next Chamber meeting this Tuesday. Then Dr. Roberta Berrien, CEO of Outer Cape Health, and lawyer Bruce Bierhans spoke about plans for the expansion of this valuable health facility and the possible relocation away from Route 6. We examined ways we could cooperate to achieve our mutual goal of improving the quality of life for the residents of Wellfleet.

South Wellfleet Gets Shot of Adrenalin

Wellfleet will have reason to celebrate in 2009 when it acquires not only a real French bakery with a honest-to-goodness boulangerie chef, but a French bistro with an experienced brasserie chef who has already earned an excellent reputation. I reported earlier in this blog that the French connection was on the way. Now it has made local headlines! Philippe Rispoli and his wife Valeria have chosen the abandoned clam shack in South Wellfleet, across LeCount Hollow Road from the Rail Trail parking area, and intend to open a new 60-seat restaurant as well as a French bakery. Chef Boris Villatte will be shaping the dough at Saveur de Pain. Both young Frenchmen already have experience working in the USA. Rispoli is executive chef at Daniel Bouloud Brasserie in Wynn, Las Vegas. Villatte supervises bread-making at Wynn Resort. This is truly exciting news, especially for everyone in South Wellfleet. Last month the trees beside the bike and surf shop were removed for reasons unknown. The whole South Wellfleet complex will get a sprucing up this spring, no doubt, and it has already begun. The Wellfleet Candy Company will sell its famous chocolate oysters from this location. The other businesses on the lot include the Wellfleet Chamber of Commerce, Seaside Liquors, the post office annex, the South Wellfleet General Store, and Blue Willow. During the economic downturn, Wellfleet can celebrate the fact that businesses continue to invest and even believe in the build-it-and-they-will-come syndrome.

Long Pond, In Winter

Long Pond, in summer, never looks this pretty with lawn chairs out, towels strung across railings, kids dashing into the water. It's messy somehow. The general hubbub breaks the peace. Much neater does it seem in winter, and pristine. Last weekend we had guests who knew how to appreciate Long Pond in winter and wrote us so eloquently that I requested permission to quote them here:

Dear Sandy and Sven,

I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say how much we enjoyed staying at your lovely cottage. The place was spotless, cozy and warm, and thoughtful touches abounded everywhere: real flowers on the table, fresh berries in the fridge, dry locust logs, a full bird-feeder, even white chocolate truffles.

Andrea and I were absorbed by your fine selection of books. I especially enjoyed reading about Cape Cod archaeology and the book about the Lifesaving Society.


We love living in western Massachusetts, in a sleepy little place called Shutesbury, but the Cape is a magical place. I had not spent a day there during the winter in many, many years, and I had forgotten about the quality of the light. There is something of a salty tang to that clear blue air, a brilliant translucence that makes one blink and stare, that is unlike anything else I know. Maybe it is some synergy of the reflections off the sea, the pitch pines and scrub oaks, the smells of glacial soils and old cedars and locust logs. Temper this with the knowledge that here is where our country first became established, and in my case, where I spent my formative years as a child, and I must return here again and again.

I hope we will come back to Seagull Cottage.

With fond regards and many thanks,

Geoff Rogers

Thoughts About What Constitutes A Perfect Day

Yesterday I wrote a piece for ILOVEINNS about a perfect day in Wellfleet. It was a tough assignment because a perfect day is different in summer, spring, fall and winter. Also, a perfect day from the perspective of a tourist may not make for an ideal day for local carpenters who are trying to ferry materials to a job site from Shepley’s or Mid-Cape Home Center. Anyway, the topic got me thinking about what constitutes a perfect day for me personally and here’s what I came up with: a perfect day starts with perfect weather after a rain shower has cleared the atmosphere: the bright blue sky above is reflected in the ocean, ponds and bay below. The temperature should hover around 75 and a slight breeze would be blowing from the west, bringing the musky smell of low tide and the promise of oysters for supper. Chez Sven would be full of happy guests. Sven would be here, not in Sweden. We would drive out to Duck Harbor and revel in its beauty. To make my perfect day complete, I would include family members in the scene I am imagining, and preferably, my granddaughter who enjoys splashing in shallow water much more than any adults ever could. Since ILOVEINNS is a site for tourists who are planning to visit the Cape, of course I described activities and restaurants, not weather and family. Everyone hopes for a string of perfect days during their vacation and the Outer Cape is quite generous in that respect. There were a lot of families down this past week on winter break. I captured the folks above, clowning at LeCount Hollow, and, on the beach, the blue sweep of ocean, glorious and breathtaking.

Why Photographers Choose Chez Sven

Photographer Walter Baron has an exhibit of photos at the Wellfleet library this month. Over the years Chez Sven has received a number of photographers. Some have shared action scenes of some activity, like kayaking between Williams and Higgins ponds, above. One 83-year-old woman came to shoot the Atlantic Cedar Swamp, at Marconi, for a book of swamp photography. (I never found out whether it was published and, if anyone has this information, please share it with me.) My mother’s friend Julian Olivas visited with helicopter and crew to photograph Cape Cod from the air. Nash Baker came from Houston with his wife and son. Unfortunately, the weather was gray, and Nash was not able to shoot colorful photos of the caliber on display at his Web site. I hope he will return some day. Of course, we have had lots of amateur photographers as well. We also have photographers who do not let on they are professionals. For instance, recent cottage guests went out to Duck Harbor to watch the sunset and captured this amazing photo, Summerhill Photographs copyright. Photos provide a great way to remember a vacation. I like to think photographers choose Chez Sven because of the many beautiful vistas captured digitally for this blog. Taking nice photos of Wellfleet is not hard. It seems as if there is always something worthwhile to shoot here. Last week I captured the remnants of the Chequessett Inn (below) after a snowstorm. This week I was stuck by the bright blue-gray sky above Abiyoyo, barren tree branches warmed by the setting sun but, to my regret, had left my camera home! Let's hope the new, smaller camera my son gave me for Christmas will provide even better illustrations of this picturesque place we call Wellfleet …

Walking Around Dyer Pond in Winter

Anyone who thinks Wellfleet is only worthwhile in the summer should think again. Even on cloudy days, it’s possible to walk through the National Seashore and be overwhelmed by nature. Sven and I went to Dyer Pond today, traveling a route we had never taken before. Why? Simply because I did not know it was possible to walk all the way around our favorite pond. This fall Madelyn Atwood, one of our summer neighbors, showed me the path her parents, Ruth and Martin Clapp, had showed her, and now I have shared it with Sven. The pine needles underfoot made him remember how much he misses jogging. “I will have to recommend this to some of our guests,” he commented as we paused to take in a cozy cottage, closed for the winter and still with snow covering the north-facing slope. From this vantage point, we could look across the pond and imagine ourselves in summer splashing in the water. On a bench, the owner had left five shells, picked up at the ocean. Around the icy cove at the northern rim, I saw tracks of ice skates, which will, no doubt, remain until a thaw. Once Sven swam across and met a turtle on the way. In walking the Wellfleet woods, it’s possible to imagine all the people who went before and were awed by the same beauty: native Americans, who first created some of the paths, writers like Edmund Wilson or Dwight Macdonald, nature lovers, my parents and our other neighbors, perhaps even Robert Finch, in search of inspiration for Cape Cod Notebook on Cape & Islands Radio. I really enjoyed his tale of dancing with his shadow at Horseleech Pond, broadcast earlier this month and recommend it to blog readers. How very fortunate we all are to live in this special place called Wellfleet!

Wellfleet Library Wins Accolades

I wore my Wellfleet Library T-shirt with extra pride today. Elaine McIlroy, the town’s compassionate librarian, was honored at last year’s I Love My Librarian awards. Now our library has been recognized by Library Journal and awarded stars. Think Michelin Guide for learning, rather than food. Wellfleet Public Library has received the highest overall rating in Massachusetts and came in fifth overall in the country. Now, that’s quite a feat! The nurturing atmosphere and cheerful staff surely contribute to this most recent acknowledgment of the quality of "our" library, which Philip Hamburger once called “the pulse” and "true center" of our town in The New Yorker. Elaine was quoted in the Library Journal Models Section, which you can read here.

Wellfleet Fills Up for President's Day Weekend

The end of January brought our first guests of 2009, hardy souls who loved to explore the sea coast and were out most of the time, despite the cold weather. We are fortunate to also have guests for Valentine’s Day, a family in the cottage, and for our Green Room, a couple of sweethearts, both literally and figuratively. They reported that the Wicked Oyster was full Saturday night. Not phased one bit, off they went to spend the evening in Provincetown where things were hopping, especially at Jimmy’s Hideaway. Last night they reserved the Wicked Oyster and reported meeting people who told them The Bookstore had so many requests for dinner that they ran out of food, which must be a most unusual occurrence! Since our little town only has three restaurants open in winter, they were all packed. Lots of families are here for the school vacation. I bet they all went down to explore the harbor where it’s fun to watch fishing boats or clever seagulls, dropping clams onto the blacktop of the Mayo Beach parking lot. Unfortunately, the ice melted over the past few days. How amazing the view was last week!

Where to Go for Romance on Cape Cod

Cape Cod has placed third in FrontDoor.com’s “Top 10 Romantic Places to Live.” Number one is New York, and number two Honolulu. Both are cities, note. Cape Cod is a peninsula. What FrontDoor.com does not mention is that of all the towns on Cape Cod, Wellfleet is the most beautiful. I don’t know about romantic. Why would you want to live in a romantic place anyway? Enough rumination. I clicked through and had a good laugh. The Web site suggests a whale-watching excursion out of Provincetown in the morning and a side-trip to Martha’s Vineyard in the afternoon. Then, in the evening, readers are back on the Cape, taking in one of our charming village centers, “filled with quaint gift shops, independent bookstores, and specialty boutiques.” No, no, no. Just stay put in Wellfleet and enjoy life. The living is good. That’s why so many people retire here. Lots of activities going on at our public library. There are beaches to explore, a theater. Great restaurants like Wicked Oyster receive diners with open arms. And everybody knows oysters are great for promoting romance …

The Recession Blues: The Green Guide Dies!

How desperate I felt at reading the postcard in my mailbox today: "We are writing to let you know that effective with the Winter 2009 issue, both the print and digital editions of The Green Guide will no longer be published." I introduced all my guests to the magazine. It was bought just over a year ago by National Geographic, which filled me with delight because everyone knows how powerful that glossy has always been. Who would have imagined the recession would make publishing The Green Guide impossible? Why did they have to go and buy it from Wendy Gordon in the first place! The result is an excellent green publication will cease to exist. This makes me very sad. Wendy Gordon now blogs at Huffington Post. I wonder how she feels to know her baby has been turned out in the cold and abandoned, killed, in fact? National Geographic did not give its new publication much of a chance. So, I'm singing the Recession Blues. We have not had guests for two months but at last a few reservations are trickling in. At Seamen's Bank and the Wellfleet Public Library, cardboard boxes stand open, ready to collect canned food for the needy, but otherwise the economic crisis is not evident here, although carpenters do struggle to find work, For Sale signs have become more prevalent, and police cars lie in wait, eager to pounce on anyone who drives above the speed limit, a means of raising money for the town. The retirees are secure, but even shellfishermen must feel the crunch. When people have no money for groceries, they certainly cannot afford oysters. Pretty soon we will all need to set up shacks on the beach like this one called "Home Sweet Home."

Frozen Foam at Duck Harbor

The big thaw has begun. Two nights ago, I could hear a steady drip, drip, drip as icicles and snow from the roof melted to form several large puddles, which again froze overnight. Yesterday Sven and I journeyed out to Duck Harbor for our walk. High tide had deposited a bank of snow at the top of the beach, a sight I had never experienced before and quite beautiful. The waves had sculpted the bank into whirls and soft angles. Examining it closer up, I realized most of what I had taken for snow was actually frozen foam. Gingerly we stepped across and the top layers crunched underfoot. Since the moon is full, creating extreme tides, waves were breaking further out than either of us could remember having seen before. The empty sea basin reminded me a bit of Mont St. Michel. Cape Cod Bay had retreated into the distance but the roar of the waves could be heard up and down the beach. Here, I thought, is an adventure worthy of the trained eye of naturalist Robert Finch. He should come and document extreme low tide for Cape & Islands Radio. After our walk, Sven noticed hang-gliders on the horizon, so we set off in the car to investigate. Two men with boards and sails were skimming along Cape Cod Bay at breakneck speed. They were highly skilled, not beginners, soaring off the water from time to time and able to negotiate what appeared to us as gentle landings. It looked like fun, but cold fun. Standing on the beach, we felt thoroughly chilled by the wind, and happy to head home again.

Evidence of Erosion at LeCount Hollow

Walking at LeCount Hollow yesterday, Sven and I saw evidence of dune erosion. I checked back in my photo file and located a fall shot of the same area,with a happy beachcomber out enjoying life. How changed the beach has become! The wooden walkway was removed before the winter storms lashed at the dune. People use the walkway in summer to reach the shore from the houses above. No matter how many times you walk a certain beach, it will always look different, based on the tide, the light, and the weather. As we went along, jumping across little streams of rushing water that would never form in exactly the same spot again, it occurred to me how fortunate we are to be healthy and able to take such walks here. When you are in the midst of a phase of your life, you do not necessarily think to look around and appreciate the world as it is then. On the way home, Sven turned on the radio and we heard Mark Knopfler’s guitar solo in “Sultans of Swing,” which reminded me of my days as a radio talk show host, in Paris. A French DJ friend had brought in the latest Dire Straits album, which he had sweet-talked some secretary at Polydor into giving him before anyone else. He pulled the album from his briefcase as if it were contraband. I remember listening to Sting croon, “I want my MTV,” and, at the time, it did not occur to me how extraordinary the experience was. We rush through our lives and don’t make time to smell the roses. At LeCount Hollow, this afternoon, Sven and I smelled roses.

Spring Return/Guest/Blog-Reader Special!

Thank you, blog readers, who wrote in to comment on the photos posted yesterday. Yes, it really was beautiful. I am sorry you cannot be here in Wellfleet to see for yourself. Snow on sand provokes a strong response because we usually associate the beach with summer. Here are more photos taken yesterday: the cottage (above) almost hidden from view, and a block of ice at Powers' Landing. There are folks out in cyberspace who consult Wellfleet Chezsven Blog several times a week. For you regular readers, I am posting a Spring Special, before anyone else hears about it. Chez Sven will offer economic-crisis-busting rates for return guests on two weekends: April 24, 25 and June 5, 6. If you are interested in a real deal, please let me know, by email at Chez Sven (AT) Comcast (dot) net or give a call to reserve your spot now.

Wellfleet Becomes a Winter Wonderland

The Cape Cod Times reported a dead whale on a beach in Eastham today, but Sven and I drove to Duck Harbor instead. We saw a surprising number of cars out with folks taking in the magnificent winter landscape: enormous chunks of frozen seawater marooned at Powers’ Landing, kids joyfully skimming down slopes at the golf course, boats moored at the pier but unable to move due to ice. A mantle of fresh snow coated driveways, only used in summer. The bright blue reflections took my breath away. Here are a few of my favorite views:

Come to Wellfleet in February!

I took this photo yesterday. Sven and I cleaned the cottage and did not walk because of the cold. This morning we woke up to three inches of fresh snow, which only fell on Cape Cod, soft, fluffy snow. Wellfleet is a great place to visit in the dead of winter. Think I’m being facetious? No way. Our cottage has been called “whimsical,” “cozy,” and “a hidden treasure.” It has availability for the next three weekends. Not this one, though. Our latest guests are already ensconced in their new home and pleased as three peas in a pod. Fortunately the temperature will rise on Saturday, which will facilitate one of their favorite activities: hiking. The snowy roads did not phase them, since their car is equipped with four-wheel drive. There are things to do here in the evening, thanks to WHAT and Preservation Hall. If anyone has any doubts about whether Wellfleet is a suitable destination in winter, just check out all these upcoming events:

WHAT offers the Metropolitan Opera on the big screen and 92nd Y Live programs all through the month of February. The show this Saturday is Lucia Di Lammermoor, live at 1 pm. ($24) A full schedule can be found at the theater Web site. I especially noted Christiane Amanpour, on February 18th at 8 pm, admission $9.

Or come have dinner at a benefit for Preservation Hall:
February 22: Oscar Night Silver Screen Buffet ($50)
February 27: That’s Amore, $35, at The Moorings
February 28: Murder Mystery Night at the Rices ($75)
February 28: Vegetarian Delights at the Reinharts ($75)

Reservations for WPH can be made by contacting Nicholas whose email address is nicholas@wellfleetpreservationhall.org.

Wellfleet Enjoys Spring Day in February

Spring was in the air so this afternoon Sven and I headed for LeCount Hollow, our favorite place to walk, after taking a photo of the ocean from White Crest. We saw hopeful surfers, people with dogs, even children out for a run. The ocean waves lapped at the shore, spreading across the sand bars like molten steel. In winter, the water looks so very different from summer. It's a shame more people who love Wellfleet cannot be here to experience its winter beauty. Once home, inspired by the warm weather, Sven started a brick path from the cottage to the main house, as soon as I had taken in the laundry, hung out for the first time in several months.

February Brings Guests, Films, and More Snow!

February is here and at last the countdown to spring can commence. For the final weekend of January, Chez Sven received its first guests in over two months. Sven and I enjoyed spiffing up Seagull Cottage prior to their arrival. A roaring fire was going by the time Friday night rolled around. The young lady, who made the reservation, is a return client and knows how cozy our cottage is in winter, a great place to retreat. The economy has frozen travel, along with everything else. Hopefully, a thaw is on the way. We have more guests scheduled this week, but now the weatherman is predicting another snowstorm! ... Anyone who is already in town and wants to watch the Superbowl this evening should head over to WHAT for a free screening. More February news: the Wellfleet Harbor Actors Theater is teaming up with the Provincetown International Film Festival to present the second annual Cape Cod Filmmaker Takeover on February 21 & 22. Just $5 brings a full day of movie viewing at the Julie Harris Stage. What's more, you get to vote on your favorite. Independent filmmakers, take note: entries are still being accepted. Prizes will be awarded Sunday evening at a celebratory party, hosted by PIFF.