Of Horses and Clocks and Music

Bristol, CT is the heart of carrousel country. Carvers immigrated from Europe and settled in the area, creating those wonders of our childhood, the carrousel horse. At the New England Carrousel Museum we learn their origins as training tools for knights who rode them while practicing their aim at the brass ring. Though rarely labeled, each of the carvers had a recognizable style. American horses went counterclockwise (English clockwise) and the right side of the outside horses was called the romance side because they had the best carvings and paintings. The left side was generally carved and painted by apprentices. Our tour filled us with nostalgia and made us wish to go round and round again.




The town of Bristol is past its glory as a center of manufacturing. But in the 1700s the names Seth Thomas and Elgin were part of the success of the town. With thousands of clocks and watches going back to the 16th century, the American Clock and Watch Museum honors those artists for their beautifully carved clocks as well as Eli Terry for his revolutionary change to the clock. Who knew that the industrial revolution was started by a clock maker here. Terry, apprenticed to a local clockmaker, had a dream that clocks could be for everyone, not just the rich. He fulfilled his dream by inventing the jigs and fixtures to create interchangeable parts. No longer making each clock by hand, Terry produced thousands of affordable clocks and we have all been cursing him since.

Norwich was holding a Greek Food Festival and a Taste of Italy. With the promise of fireworks for dessert, we chose Italian. The park was filled with hundreds of people of all ages and backgrounds. Maybe it’s the small town atmosphere that made it seem idyllic in the way people behaved. Everyone seemed to have a good time and the fireworks were great.

In Hartford we saw Katherine Hepburn’s birthplace. In Old Saybrook, we were in the town where she grew up. At a theater named in her memory, the Capella Cantorum Men’s Chorus performed a concert including Berlin, Handel, Puccini and Robert Frost. The solos from South Pacific were excellent. After the concert we drove to find her home. We didn’t succeed but the homes we saw had great views of Long Island Sound.

Following the advice of the couple seated near us at the concert, we dined at Dock and Dine. It is doubtful we will ever have bouillabaisse or crab cakes as good as these. But we will keep trying.