Day 55 - Portland, Maine

We woke up in Portland, Maine on the east coast as opposed to Portland, Oregon on the west coast. It was a cold drizzly morning so we were glad to be doing a bus tour and not walking around. Everyone on board had to be cleared by US Customs before going ashore.

The bus was an improvement on Gaspé's school buses. Our African American driver Brother Reed was quite a character. Our guide was well informed and described the extent of Portland destroyed by the great fire on 4 July 1866. Most of the buildings had to be rebuilt so from an architectural perspective the city is predominantly Victorian architecture.

We drove through Portland only able to take photos through the bus windows. Here are a few passable pictures of stately homes where I have edited out the bus driver's head. Most of these once large homes have been converted to apartments.

There are some impressive public buildings in Portland. The red tower survived the great fire through the efforts of the owner and his workers carrying buckets of water to the top and pouring them over the outside of the building. The tower was built in 1807 to see ships approaching the harbour. This gave about three hours notice to prepare for the unloading and reloading. It is the last standing maritime signal tower in the country.

The peak of the fall colour is about a week away, according to our guide. The odd maple tree has turned red and some other trees are yellow. The coastal rose bushes are covered in red rose hips.

The bus stopped at a coastal park where this lighthouse still operates. The drizzle had stopped but it was cold.