Corning, New York

 

New England, Day Three

First Century Glass

This morning we left the hotel a few minutes after 8:00.  The continental breakfast was notably post-COVID with individually wrapped muffins and a few anemic pastries, oatmeal in packets, and several varieties of breakfast bars.  Since I don’t like to eat a lot first thing and I also happen to like those oatmeal packets I was well-satisfied.  Pablo struggled a bit more, being a big fan of breakfast food with all the trimmings.  The coffee was hot, black, and good though, so he will survive. He has been declaring his intentions of curbing his eating habits so this might be just the jump start he needs.

It occurs to me that the frustration is not so much about a lack of breakfast trimmings but more about the fear mentality shrouding so many people. A dining area that resembles a hospital operating room more than a kitchen speaks volumes about the level to which we have descended.  I was determined to not allow this travel blog to sink into the quagmire of viruses and politics but my resolve is being tested.  Time after time we find places not open because they do not have enough help.  Gone are the steaming trays of food in open buffets, rife with shared germs and bursting with tempting aromas and appetizing mounds of delectable foods.  Instead we have room temperature, prepackaged, processed breakfast bars and people skittering in and out as if they are afraid of each other, the tables and chairs left empty and quiet. 

Back on the bus normalcy returns.  No one cringes when someone sneezes.  Instead “Bless you!” comes from several directions.  Tupperware containers of homemade cookies are passed around and no one can resist them. We on this bus are people who have all been touched by COVID.  We’ve lost loved ones, we’ve experienced its virulence personally, we’ve been hurt. We are all fully aware that being together carries certain risks. But we are people who refuse to allow a mutant virus to steal our lives away an inch at a time.  I’m hopeful there are millions of others out there who are the same.

We spent over an hour at the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY.  What an amazing and extensive collection of archaeological treasures they have!  I was prepared for some Corning ware and instead saw first century pieces that could have been in use when Jesus was here!  The decorative glass rods found in doorways dated at almost 2000 years BC. Egyptian excavations produced vials, cups, and decanters from the times of the Pharaohs.  I walked through the “35 Centuries of Glass” exhibits, my mind swirling with thoughts of the people who actually made, purchased, or used these priceless treasures and almost felt like I could sense something of them still here.  

We saw a demonstration of glass blowing and the creation of a blue pumpkin, stem, leaf, and all.  Thanks to COVID, a new technique for blowing glass was needed.  Hand blowing was impossible when wearing a mask for obvious reasons so an air supply line was attached to the mouthpiece of the tool used to hold the molten glass.  These innovations put in place will continue even when COVID is no longer an issue. I find it fascinating how creative we can be when pushed by the unavoidable.

We stopped for lunch at another cluster of fast food places.  KFC in this town was open, dining room and all.  Paul’s boycott ended abruptly and we ate deep fried chicken before boarding the bus for the next few hours.

Since one of the planned attractions was unavailable, thank-you covid, our trusty tour guide, Martha, found another place to stop along the way.  Cohoes Falls in New York is a short distance from the highway. The beautiful water cascading over black rocks made it worth the walk and we all needed the exercise anyway.

Dave and Irene

Supper was in Bennington, VT at Jenson’s, a family restaurant serving up hearty hot meals.  The air is notably cooler and the leaves are just beginning to change color.  It’s almost dark now as we are heading to our hotel an hour or so up the road.  Looking forward to a good night’s sleep and exploring the eastern states in the coming days.