Monhegan Island Part II

As I was saying...

It was a beautiful Columbus Day..day.. and my intrepid hiking companions and I were at last disembarking The Elizabeth Ann at the Monhegan town pier.

For those of you who have never been to the island, it is a throwback to a Maine of long ago, most of which has been lost on the mainland. Although only 12 miles away from modern Maine, Monhegan is an insulated time capsule of Maine.... 
Maine back in the day.

A place of dirt roads like the main thoroughfare leading us away from the town landing..

To quiet country lanes barely wide enough for one of the few vehicles on the island,  beat up lobstermen pickups that travel these paths at a breakneck speed of 5 MPH.

 

It's a place of hand painted signs...

 

and one of the loveliest lighthouse settings on the Maine coast (which is not really located on the coast at all) 
but rather on top of a rocky bluff in the middle of Monhegan.
 

And from which unfolds a majestic view of the Atlantic and the village, which is nestled beneath that rocky bluff,  offering it much needed protection from, what I can assume, are some pretty nasty winter storms blowing in off the sea.  We followed the path leading down to the village cemetery to browse the headstones and monuments, pausing to have lunch which consisted of my regular hiking standby..a PB&J. 
As we were sitting in the warm sun, sheltered by that rocky bluff, I couldn't help but think....what a fine spot to spend eternity, looking out over the village and on, toward the sea.

 

 


After eating however we were at a quandary about which trail to follow.  And having forgotten our our trail maps at home (that would be me) , we ended up back in the village near the town library..

 

almost opposite of the one room (?) schoolhouse.

 

Having gotten our bearings back, and with the assistance of a kind but somewhat bemused native islander, we headed back up that same rocky bluff, following one of the trails to the outer edge of the island,  the highest ocean cliffs on the Maine coastline.

 


That was the "the"  moment.. on that calm and fine fall day.. looking out over the sea..in the company of close friends...well, frankly I'm at a loss for words, now and then.

But as they say, "all good things must end" OR " time and tide (and The Elizabeth Ann) wait for no man".  it was time to move on for there was lots more to see on the "out to sea island" before we re-boarded. 

To be continued...................