We awaken to another glorious windless sunny day here in Hyannis. Is this the lull before hurricane Sandy arrives? There has been nothing else on TV except Hurricane Sandy or the elections with the elections taking 2nd place at the moment. Winds of up to 75 mph are forecast which doesn't seem any worse than what we get in Wollongong from time to time. By the time it hits, we will be in our apartment in Boston and may have to be indoor- bound for a day or two.

Today we are going to Provincetown, a tiny sandy outpost on the northern tip of the Cape Cod peninsula. It is about 80 km from Hyannis with 2 arterial roads leading there. We opt for the coast road snaking our way along through some small towns, some tacky with now closed tourist attractions, and other towns which look a bit jaded with the passing of time and money. We stop at Chatham to admire the wide expanse of surfless beach and the old lighthouse. Some seals frolic in the water not far from shore. Eventually we arrive in surprising Provincetown which is the hottest gay and lesbian destination in the north-east with it's flamboyant street scenes and brilliant art galleries. Considering this is off-season for tourists, the crowds are still plentiful probably because of the beautiful day. We wander the quaint narrow streets as does everyone else, we eat hot chicken or BLT sandwiches in the park while an aging busker entertains the passers by and we stick our noses into peculiar shops selling all manner of things. The time passes quickly and as we have to hand our car back at Hyannis airport by 5pm, we reluctantly leave this entertaining little town and join the never-ending stream of traffic heading back south along the narrow peninsula's main road.

We return our car without having had any incidents thankfully. In general we find the American drivers to be very courteous except on the freeways where it is dog eat dog as it is anywhere on freeways. Tonight we decide to eat at Alfredo's Ristorante which is a lovely well-freqented restaurant in Hyannis. It is a bit pricey but because we split meals here in the states, the price is quite reasonable and the quality tonight is excellent. Our salad caprese and veal piccato are both cooked to perfection.