This is a deviation from my normal postings. First, I'm not in any exotic locale and second I'm not posting daily on the trip.
This week I'm renting a lake house in the Berkshires (part of the Appalachian Mountains in Massachusetts). Specifically, it's a
rental house by Ashmere Lake in Hinsdale. I've stayed in this house in the past and I really like it. It's almost lakeside - technically there's a street between the house and the lake but there's a beautiful full view of the lake from the porch (and particularly the comfy porch swing) and direct access to boating on the lake from the dock in front of the house. Of course, it also has the benefit of being close to all the activities available in the Berkshires - hiking, Tanglewood, orchards/farms, etc.
There's a paddleboat that comes with the house rental that we've taken on the lake several times already. It's really peaceful on the lake with great serene waterscape. I really enjoy reading on the boat with a cool summer breeze as I glide across the lake. My favorite morning activity however is reading on the dock with a warm cup of mocha (I poured some hot chocolate mix into my coffee). I've also gone swimming in the lake which is pleasant but not great since the bottoms muddy so you can't really see much into the water and there's some algae around. It's a nice way to cool off though.
 |
| ducks in the lake |
One of the main reasons for scheduling this trip was to coincide with the Tanglewood schedule. For those of you who don't know,
Tanglewood is the Boston Symphony Orchestra home away from home (Boston) during the summertime. It's where rich Bostonians
used to vacation in the summers and hence the symphony came too to entertain them. Tanglewood has a rich tradition of almost 75 years (75th anniversary next year) and boasts many top names. There is a large orchestra shed with ample lawn seating (5000 seats and 10,000 lawn spots) and a chamber music hall - Ozawa hall - dedicated for smaller groups. I picked this week to be here because it's the Tanglewood on parade annual celebration, food and wine week, and has 2 performances by Yo-yo Ma who's just amazing (saw him here last year and had to see him again).
Tanglewood on Parade is a great full day of fun with many small group performances through the afternoon and an evening performance by 3 orchestras - Tanglewood music center orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, and Boston Pops Orchestra - directed by 5 different conductors. The finale was highlighted with fireworks! It was a really fun way to spend the day. The campus is amazingly beautiful with beautiful views and great old towering trees to provide ample shade for the lawn seats. I was really impressed by the sound quality coming out of Ozawa hall and how far the sound traveled. I also like the sloping lawn outside of the hall allowing everyone a great view of the performers. The evening show was wonderful. I loved the variety and energy. It was really novel to see all 3 orchestras on the same stage and 5 different conductors in one show. There was an entertaining rendition of the stars and stripes which included an audience sing-along. The progression of the day and evening was perfect and I would definitely come back to this again - maybe next year for the 75th anniversary.
 |
| Brass band welcome to Tanglewood on Parade |
 |
| Tanglewood students performing in Ozawa Hall |
 |
| view from the Lion Gate |
 |
| view west of Tanglewood |
 |
| evening performance on the large screens in the Shed |
One of our more memorable hikes was to Tannery Falls in Savoy. The cascades were beautiful.
 |
| Red spotted eft newt - juvenile |
Something I discovered this year was the Jacob's Pillow Inside/Out free dance performances. These were great. The first one was by a group called Texture and was contemporary ballet. The most amazing thing however is the breaktaking view behind their stage. It's really a wonderful backdrop to all the performances.
 |
| Texture |
 |
| sunset behind the Inside/Out stage |
Our second Tanglewood performance was a violin+cello+piano performance including Yo-Yo Ma at Ozawa Hall. We had lawn seats since the hall seats were sold out 8 months ago but we were still afforded a great view (though distant) and a wonderful auditory experience. We brought picnic dinners and had a great time. One word of advice though - bring a blanket - it gets cold after the sun sets. Yo-Yo Ma was brilliant as always and his ability to completely meld/melt together with the pianist was sublime. The trio was also wonderful, so great in fact that they played an encore.
Other than these activities, we also went raspberry picking and wine tasting. With a head to head taste test of store bought vs just picked raspberries - there was just no comparison. The store bought ones seemed tasteless. The picked ones were juicy and flavorful and sweet! We went to Furnace Brook Winery which is at Hilltop Orchard and tasted a number of their wines. Interestingly, they grow their grapes on Long Island but make the wines in MA and then are unable to sell the wines in NY because of distributor laws. I had an amazing Moscato and their Shiraz wasn't bad either and got suckered into buying a bottle of each.
 |
| ducks |
 |
| pretty dragonfly |
 |
| Becket |
 |
| Ashmere lake by dusk |
 |
| Ashmere lake by dusk |
more to come...
