Climate Change

Whoa! On Cape Cod? You bet. The Provincetown Banner informed us this week that a rise of only ten feet would submerge Provincetown. What a shame that would be! Here is Sven, this fall, enjoying Provincetown with cousin Xavier, from France. I just discovered a new program that is worth a look: The Climate Code with Dr. Heidi Cullen on the Weather Channel. Today’s show featured Richard Branson, who is contributing 3 billion dollars towards the development of alternative fuels. What can the rest of us do? Recycle. Discuss global warming. Use environmentally-friendly products. We do all three, here at Chez Sven. Try your best to support alternative energy. Wind energy? Why not? Wellfleet erected a tower this week to evaluate the possibility of the installation of a wind turbine at White Crest. Sven and I saw the wind turbines at work off the coast of Germany and Denmark. How majestic they were!

A November Day in the Life

This has been an exceptionally busy day, hardly what one would expect for November. This morning I raked leaves and hauled them off to the dump. I have almost put the whole garden to bed now. The UPS man brought a package of samples form Rishi Tea, which I discovered when cottage guests left an empty tin several weeks ago. I answered emails, sending regrets to three different people for the coming weekend. Then it was off to the Box Lunch for a guacamole sandwich. Sven and I decided to take advantage of the incredible weather and set off for the beach. On the way, we stopped in at the Codder Antiques and purchased a beautiful old chair for Liberty Coin Suite. The ocean waves were exciting! There is nothing quite so invigorating as a brisk walk in the sea air. (If you look carefully, the dot in the middle is a seagull!) Once back home, I planted the rest of the daffodils and helped Sven prepare Seagull Cottage for our guests tomorrow. Pillowcases always look nicer when ironed, so that’s what I did next. For dinner, Sven and I decided to try renovated Finely JPs. We loved the brand new building and color scheme. The menu remains the same. The service was a bit slow, but we enjoyed our dinner, although I regretted not ordering my favorite: Cataplana with lobster, delicious! Since so many of Wellfleet's restaurants close in winter, we are glad Finely JPs merits recommendation.

November Begins ...

November means longer periods of darkness and the arrival of colder temperatures. Sure enough, the weatherman predicts our first freeze tonight. Sven saw our last Monarch butterfly yesterday. We have already brought in the last tomatoes and done our best to put the garden to bed. Most of the autumn leaves were brought down by the wind at the beginning of the week. The pink chrysanthemums still adorn the front lawn, so let’s take one last look. Aren’t they beautiful?

With the coming of winter, Seagull Cottage received two new propane tanks from Days' in Provincetown. Both Sven and I were impressed by the efficiency and patience of Days' employees. At first, placement seemed an issue, simply because I could not make up my mind. We finally settled on the corner between the kitchen and the main bedroom, where the tanks could be hidden away. Seagull Cottage offers both propane heat and a fireplace.

Although cold, the upcoming weekend will boast bright blue sky. Guests have already taken possession of the cottage. More arrive tonight for Liberty Coin. Sven and I have been enjoying our free time to walk Wellfleet’s beaches. We love the way the sandbars reveal themselves at low tide …

Fall Splendor in Wellfleet

This short path leads from one kettle pond to another. Today I read in the newspaper that September and October have been banner months for tourists. More and more people are choosing to visit Cape Cod in the fall. This choice is not surprising. Here at Chez Sven we have long proclaimed our appreciation for autumn's empty beaches, lack of traffic, and quick grocery shopping, none of which characterize summer. The restaurants do not require reservations, and it is possible to obtain tickets for WHAT. What more could you ask? To anyone who may think the foliage on Cape Cod is not worth a second glance, just take a look at the photos I snapped this week, in the National Seashore. It is such fun to be exploring a path and suddenly see blue pond through the trees! Sven and I also like to go walking on Wellfleet's deserted beaches ...

An October Day in the Life

Here is a photo of reeds at Great Pond. This close-up resembles an impressionist painting, don't you think? .... But back to the daily grind: I prepared a Swedish breakfast for our Liberty Coin guests, as requested the night before. After their departure, dishes and towels and sheets occupied my time for an hour or so. I made a mental note to do a linens inventory once things settle down, which should be now but isn’t. The season for most Wellfleet bed & breakfasts has already come to an end, and Chez Sven is still going strong, which must indicate we are doing something right! As if to illustrate my point, the phone rang and a young lady from England reserved Liberty Coin Suite for this weekend. During the rest of the morning, I cleaned Seagull Cottage thoroughly and carried over the Christmas cactus, already in bloom, for our new honeymooners to enjoy. After lunch, off I went to Orleans to shop. Upon my return, Sven convinced me to walk to Dyer Pond and beyond where my thirsty eyes drank in the beauty tourists come here to enjoy. Nice to be able to appreciate it myself for once! Upon our return, I went out to work in the garden while Sven lit a fire so the honeymooners would feel all cozy as soon as they got here. Uh-oh! I forgot to request an arrival time. Sven feels “anytime after 2:00” is a bit too open-ended. Therefore, I will request arrival times on the Web site for 2007, since I do not always remember to ask. Waiting for guests all day is no fun, it is true. Finally, I typed up our latest comments and sent them to my son for posting. We have met such great people this year. Receiving them has been a pleasure … but it certainly keeps me busy!

Quiet Season Begins ...

Seagull Cottage is booked for the next two weeks!!

Quiet Season finally arrived. It blew in on a cold wind from the north last night. We had to bring in all the blue cushions from the yard furniture and madly eat the tomatoes. Frost is expected by Tuesday, so I have been putting the garden to bed, quite a chore. Sven built a trellis for the raspberries and dug the final potatoes. Only parsley and leeks still hang out together in the otherwise deserted plot by Old King’s Highway.

We have had guests all week. One couple brought a kite, a great idea for Quiet Season. Two ladies worked at a large bed & breakfast located at the other end of the Cape. They were delighted to relax and be served for once. Their note in the guestbook made me smile: “Thanks for being green!” We also had a couple who read the blog about Oysterfest and came down Sunday. And then there was our visitor from London, a journalist writing a piece on organic bed & breakfasts. She came to the right place! Unfortunately, the weather was not ideal. But now the sky is gloriously blue once again. It is a bit too cold for swimming, so people are out with surfboards. Hang-gliders also swing past Ocean View Drive. And what could be more invigorating than a brisk walk along the Atlantic?

Oysterfest!

The weather is ideal: crisp, clear blue sky, warm temperatures. Wellfleet is in absolute glory, and all the bed & breakfasts are full. Here at Chez Sven, autumn leaves parade amazing color. The action, however, is downtown where Wellfleet is celebrating its annual Oysterfest. Each year the crowds increase as the renown of this great street party and fair spreads. Daytrippers have streamed into Wellfleet all morning. I have never seen so many pedestrians on Long Pond Road before. I bet the attendance record will be broken today.* The parking lot behind town hall is packed with people, shoulder to shoulder in some spots. Oysterfest has something for everyone, from the disco dance at the Lighthouse Friday night, to road races Saturday and the oyster-shucking contest on Sunday. Main Street is closed to traffic so visitors can shop at their leisure. Vendors set up booths and hawk their wares: paintings, t-shirts, pottery, one-of-a-kind items. The star of the party is, of course, the Wellfleet oyster. The longest lines form at the stands where mounds of oysters await consumption. Slurp, slurp, slurp. A plate of oysters quickly becomes a plate of empty shells. While over at the bandstand the band plays on, guests and residents alike revel in more (OYSTERS!) as Wellfleet’s high season officially comes to a close.

*The Cape Cod Times reports 12,000 visitors, but locals claim there were as many as 16,000 people at Oysterfest this year.

Changes ...

For children, even the trip to a favorite vacation spot can be memorable. I remember, as a child, keeping my eyes glued to the road, eager for signs of arrival. Often I would also notice differences from previous years along the way. This summer, anyone with similar behavior, must have noticed two major changes on Route 6, a mile or so up from the turn into Wellfleet center.

The first happened in August: there was a ground–breaking ceremony for Wellfleet Harbor Actors' Theatre. Excavators moved sand around, leaving mounds here and there. A chain-link fence now isolates the work site. Over the winter, a new venue will be built on the lot beside the post office.

Another major difference started over a year ago. Across the state highway from Cove Road, pine trees were cut down, in increments, not all at once. Someone was doing something. But what? Tomato plants were placed in the ground. Then a large floppy scarecrow started watching over the vegetables. This year a firewood stand appeared with an OPEN sign. Anyone curious enough to explore has discovered Rose’s Farm. Jim Rose is a shellfishman who decided it was time to farm the land as well. His operation is small but merits encouragement. Jim is using manure and compost, rather than chemicals, on his crops. This summer he offered Wellfleetians the best sunflowers around for the incredible price of just 50 cents each. So far the weather has not been cooperating. Cape Cod had the worst growing season in 40 years for tomatoes. Still Wellfleet’s newest farmer perseveres. This week an excavator cleared more ground. Last fall fresh eggs were advertised. Next time you drive to Wellfleet, check out what Jim is offering for sale ….

Mushroom Season: Wild in Wellfleet!

When most people think Wellfleet, spectacular seascapes come to mind. In fall, however, our little town has other worthwhile vistas to discover, the National Seashore Park, for instance. This week Sven and I took a walk through the woods to Dyer Pond and beyond. Everywhere wild asters were in bloom. Here is a peek at Turtle Pond, tucked away behind Great Pond, alive with birds and…. mushrooms.

Mushroom season is here! Everywhere you turn in the forest, chanterelles and bolets peek out from the underbrush. I am not a mushroom expert, but my Russian cousin Alexandra Kalinine is. Every fall, she goes wild in Wellfleet. Alexandra learned mushrooms from her father in France. My father never taught me, unfortunately. Still, on walks to Dyer Pond, I am always reminded of the enthusiasm of my French friends, all mushroom fans, who would concoct a whole meal from a day’s mushroom harvest.

I have heard say that Russians still come down from Boston to pick the mushrooms that grow wild in the woods of Wellfleet. The more enterprising among them sell their harvest at open air markets. Today our Russian guest Natalia, here for respite from New Orleans, was delighted by the variety of mushrooms she found on a walk back from Cahoon Hollow Beach with her husband …

Wellfleet, Glorious in Fall

Fall is here, a couple days early. The sky is brilliant blue. The crisp air makes everyone happy to be alive. Empty beaches appeal to anyone in search of peace. What glorious weather for Wellfleet visitors!

It has come to my attention that the local Chamber of Commerce Visitors’ Center is only open on weekends now. Shops are beginning to close. It is not easy to run a year-round business in a town that caters to summer guests. Wellfleet is wonderful in spring, fall and winter, too.

A stroll down Main Street shows hardy souls still operating businesses. Abiyoyo is open. Wellfleet Marketplace is going strong. There are galleries to explore and clothing shops with great sales. The flea market receives lots of visitors. I also send guests down to Provincetown where they can wander through the quaint shops in search of the perfect gift to take home.

The parking lot next to Hatch's is half empty. One reason Wellfleet businesses close early is paid help. Many restaurants import workers from abroad. They come for a certain number of months, then return home. Bulgaria has been well represented this year. Here a couple of young girls delight in the waves at LeCount Hollow Beach, one last swim before heading off to school. As a bed & breakfast owner who must regularly provide dinner suggestions, I am grateful to the restaurant owners who do welcome diners. Hurray for Finely JPs, the Bookstore, and the Wicked Oyster, just down Old King’s Highway, a few minutes walk away from Chez Sven. They are all open year round.

Today I made the decision to join the Provincetown Chamber of Commerce, which publishes a winter guide. Businesses need the “shoulder” seasons to survive. We look forward to receiving guests who want to hide away in the woods in our Seagull Cottage by day and journey down Route 6 to enjoy Provincetown by night. Soon I will post our availability calendar for 2007. We are now accepting reservations ...

A September Day in the Life

Just as we were beginning to feel the season winding down, a young man knocked on our door at sunset, in search of accommodation for his parents, from Italy. Of course, we could not refuse. Sven settled the group in the garden with glasses of wine, an unusual occurrence, while I turned myself into a green tornado. Soon Liberty Coin Suite sparkled in the last rays of summer sun. This morning our guests set off for a cruise in Provincetown harbor. I had called Wellfleet cruises, but they have all closed for the year. It is frustrating to see the tourism industry shutting down when people are still flocking to our town. This morning I did laundry. This afternoon I worked in the garden. Our Seagull Cottage guests called on their cell phone to say thank you for the granola and cherry tomatoes. They also appreciated the wireless Internet, a new feature and quite a success. Chez Sven has had a wonderful summer, and we have made lots of great new friends, many who plan to return next year. Both Sven and I are glad the rhythm is slowing a bit. We even got to go to the beach together today since the weatherman has said a cold front is on the way.…

In the Wake of Florence

Crisp clear air, bright blue sky, September is an ideal time to be on Cape Cod. Of course the tourists would like the temperatures a tad warmer, but no one will argue that this weather is invigorating. Sven and I went down to the sea this afternoon and admired the waves, churned up by Florence. We witnessed erosion in action at high tide. The beaches of Wellfleet may not be perfect for those who wanted to sunbathe, but the weatherman says the temperature will rise this weekend. We year-rounders simply take our cue from nature. Walking is a much better choice right now. Time to go fetch some hiking boots in one of the many tempting sales now happening in Provincetown. That's what our current guests did yesterday. Today they set off for a hike on Great Island. Sven and I can only get away for an hour, so we chose Lecount Hollow. The power of the ocean was awe-inspring!

September Already!

Labor Day has come and gone. The summer season is almost over. I tell everyone how weird the weather has been this year. September is usually our most pleasant month, weatherwise, but fall is in the air. I dug out the comforters today, since the weatherman predicts cold nights ahead ...

The results of the online poll in the Provincetown Banner last week were heartening. 33% of the respondents show no interest in switching to environmentally-friendly cleaning products. Of course there is much room for improvement, but when you consider there was no information whatsoever online, just the question out of the blue, the results could have been far worse. At Chez Sven we followed the advice in our last blog and purchased third-stage filters, shown here installed in Seagull Cottage.

The grapevine says this was not a good summer for Cape Cod businesses. We are happy to be one of the exceptions. I attribute our success to the wonderful Web site my son Paul created, but also to our espousal of important issues like the environment. Our guests love the breakfasts we serve. Many have left with my organic granola recipe in hand. Several requested our Swedish breakfast, with fresh tomatoes from the vegetable garden. Sven has enjoyed sitting outside. Here is his latest sandwich creation: the Chez Sven Tomato Special. Yum!

We had our first Swedish couple last week, an exciting event. I hope they will tell all their friends. What lovely guests we have enjoyed this summer! Thank you one and all for choosing Chez Sven.

More Water

It is raining today, to the distress of Wellfleet’s tourists. Downtown this afternoon I observed the crowd in slickers and raincoats, exploring our shops and art galleries. The water I want to discuss is not falling from the sky, however. It is the water we drink, groundwater, partially replenished by rain. I wrote a letter to the editor of the Provincetown Banner, inspired by an article in the August 17 issue:

“Thank you for last week’s 'Study finds hormone-disrupting chemicals in groundwater.' I obtained the article Kahrin Deines mentioned and intend to give it to the Wellfleet Board of Health. We all know Barnstable County has a very high cancer rate. Now here is something we can do to lower it. Stop throwing chemicals down the drain! What we put into our septic systems inevitably ends up in our groundwater. I use non-toxic Seventh Generation washing powder for laundry, but what about my neighbors, whose wastewater runs underneath my green bed & breakfast? They may use detergents and detergent contains alkylphenol, “a synthetic compound that mimics estrogen’s structure.” Kahrin Deines’ article indicates a community effort may be needed to lower the incidence of cancer in Barnstable County. Household cleaning products can be hazardous to health.”

Today I sent the study to members of the Wellfleet Board of Health, asking whether they would favor a campaign to inform Wellfleet’s population on the benefits of environmentally-friendly cleaning products. The Banner is conducting an online poll this week about whether or not its readers would be willing to switch. It will be interesting to read the conclusions.

I also contacted Chris Swartz, author of the study mentioned in the Banner article, to ask whether Pur filters eliminate alkylphenols. I would like to share here his response:

“I cannot tell you with a certainty backed by actual data that a PUR or any other activated carbon filter removes alkylphenols (which are a class of chemicals – there are many within this class) because there is no data that I could find. When companies test these products for their removal efficiency, they look at it from the perspective of regulated pollutants – those that EPA has on the list to monitor under the Safe Water Drinking Act. Alkylphenols are not on this list. They are currently unregulated.

I went to the PUR website and found this list of removed contaminants:

Although we cannot endorse any product specifically, the two-stage filter looks like it would remove alkylphenols, as the chemical properties that control the removal of alkylphenols from water fall with the range of other organic chemicals such as pesticides, benzene, etc.) that are removed.

The three-stage removes an even wider range of chemicals for greater peace of mind, but this is only available as an add-on to the tap and as a separate side tap (go to the product section in the Website to see all products available). It doesn’t look like the three-stage is available as a dispenser if you wanted that convenience."

Chez Sven already uses the two-stage. I will buy the add-on, three-stage, too. We have been full all summer. I attribute part of our success to being green. Guests do care. I would love it if all the bed & breakfasts on the Cape stopped using products that are detrimental to the environment. They could take baby steps, the way we did. Start by switching to Seventh Generation washing powder, for instance.

What visitors can do is be more discerning. Ask your waitress whether the restaurant serves water from the tap, or uses activated carbon filters. At your hotel or bed & breakfast, request linens washed in environmentally-friendly products.

Together we can make a difference, and perhaps reverse the cancer statistics on the Cape.

View from the Trenches

The crush of tourists in downtown Wellfleet is a good argument for vacations in June, July, or September. I know I have said this before, but it feels like an invasion. Our Seagull Cottage guests report that there even was a small traffic jam on our road yesterday. I sneak in and out when most people are at the beach. Come September, Sven & I will begin our walks again.

August has brought families to Chez Sven, Wellfleet’s “kid-friendly” bed & breakfast. Sven and I have enjoyed both the children and the parents whose presence allows us to travel in our heads as they describe countries of origin: Canada, France, Russia. Here one young guest smells the flowers, morning glories that grow on the fence of our smaller vegetable garden.

I share information about Wellfleet with guests, and frequently learn from their experiences. People have been enjoying the beach at Marconi, where it is possible to buy an annual pass, good in all the national parks in America, for only $25. Most recently, I found out a jazz band has been playing at The Juice, on Commercial Street, to the neighbors’ absolute horror, but to the delight of the restaurant’s customers.

If I have not been blogging about Wellfleet as much as usual, I must admit it is because I have been busy with my other blog, By Bea’s Bedside. A reporter from the Cape Cod Times even came to do an interview. The article was published this week. The star of the blog is my mother Beatrice, 96 ½ years old, surely the most important guest at our bed & breakfast.

Potato Man

I met Sven in Paris where we enjoyed shopping together for potatoes at the open-air market. I used them in stews. New potatoes tasted great boiled fresh with butter and parsley. Potatoes were always on the menu when we ate out. French cuisine satisfied Sven’s craving for the humble tuber, the result of having been raised on a potato-rich diet in Sweden.

My husband retired nine years ago and we moved from Europe to Cape Cod. Since American meals consist of a vegetable, meat or fish, and a starch, I started alternating rice, pasta, and potatoes at dinner. Little did I know this regime was a recipe for disaster. Sven began to lose his joie de vivre. He did not walk with the usual swagger, the glint left his eye, and meals ceased to be the treat they once were. Something was wrong . . .

One day I decided to start a vegetable garden in order to provide fresh tomatoes to guests at our bed and breakfast. While perusing a seed catalogue, I noticed Swedish peanut fingerlings and remembered a neighbor’s comment that potatoes would thrive in the sandy soil of Wellfleet. It occurred to me that Sven might enjoy growing spuds. After all, didn’t potato plants dot the fields around his hometown? His mother had even produced “snow balls” in her backyard. Perhaps we should try growing potatoes, too? Without hesitation, I added a pound of “Swedish peanuts” to my order.

When the seed potatoes arrived, Sven showed me how to cut them so two eyes were on the surface and explained the hilling-up process. Eagerly he planted the spuds himself. He began to go out into the garden more often. Together we watched as the little plants began to sprout and flower. He watered the plants with care and picked off potato beetles. Then one day Sven pronounced the growing period over. Our crop was ready. Digging our first potatoes was quite an event. At dinner that night Sven slid a slice of fingerling into his mouth as if it were a communion wafer. A look of bliss spread across his face. In fact, the potatoes made him so happy that I decided to order more. In subsequent years, I purchased five pounds, then eight, then eighteen. Each year we try new varieties. Our organic potatoes taste better than any I have ever purchased at a supermarket.

Sven has become Potato-Farmer-in-Chief, responsible for our potato crop. Every fall he shovels in compost and manure. In the spring, he tills the soil and digs furrows. He makes holes in neat little rows and tucks the tubers into the earth. Together we wait expectantly as the garden blossoms with potato plants flowering purple, white and pink. With bees buzzing around us, we hold hands and contemplate our potato fields, happy at last. “I guess I’m a potato man,” Sven concludes as he serves up a feast of fresh boiled new potatoes with salmon and dill. Potato man he is.

An August Day in the Life

The alarm clock awakened me at 7:15. I had breakfast and showered, then started preparing breakfast for our guests, scheduled for 8:30. I believe in choice and always provide one. Guests can eat at 8:30, 9, 9:30 or 10. I checked on Sven, still sleeping soundly after his return yesterday from Sweden, and suggested he wake up. The first thing he did last night was pick cherry tomatoes in the vegetable garden and water, with the help of Teddie, in Seagull Cottage this week with her parents. Our Liberty Coin Suite guests had lived in Turkey. After their breakfast, Sven enjoyed talking archeology with them out in the parking lot, but I was already back inside, stripping the beds. Laundry time! I vacuumed the rooms and cleaned with Trader’s Joe’s Cedarwood & Sage Multi-purpose Cleaner. Through the skylights I admired the bright blue sky. More good weather is predicted for the rest of the week, with cool temps at night, perfect for sleeping. Meanwhile Sven was having coffee with Rick, here to install a new screen door in the cottage. Since guests are arriving for the Studio as well as Liberty Coin Suite, Sven then helped me clean the Studio. (Anyone who is thinking of starting a bed & breakfast needs to realize the amount of cleaning involved!) All morning I fielded phone calls for August. I gave Sven a lesson in answering the phone, in case I am away: "I'm sorry but we are fully booked until after Labor Day." One of the phone calls was from a woman in Croton-on-Hudson who is starting a green bed & breakfast. She will be on the Cape at the end of the month, and wanted to come visit. I said, “Sure!” The more green bed & breakfasts in the world the better. I just read that 1 in 166 babies today is born with autism. I think of that statistic every time I remove plastic bottles from trash baskets and put them in the recycling bin. We have become the throwaway civilization, polutting the planet. Something in the environment is causing autism, lowering sperm counts, disrupting estrogen receptors. I called my son and learned about a theory that autism may, in fact, be caused by the MMR vacine. Our most recent guests had take out every evening, so I was able to note which restaurants in town offer biodegradable recepticles. The prize goes to Wicked Oyster so far. They care enough about the environment to invest in biopaks. Bravo! I placed the Green Guide in prominence on the bedside table, so our next guests can read it. …