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Homespun Farm - Part 2
Written by: Janet Pope
Photography by: Donald
A Tale of Two Lodgings
Included each day, was a delicious full breakfast, featuring fresh eggs from
the backyard hen house or French Toast served with fresh fruit. Homespun Farm is a working farm with goats, chickens and sheep and a lush garden in season.
We got a chance to retrieve some warm eggs ourselves - a fun experience for
any city slicker.
If the house and the surrounding farm weren't enough of a draw on their
own, this B&B is in a central location for many neighboring attractions. It is across the road from a golf course and 10 minutes away from Foxwoods. Homespun Farms is also easily accessible to Mohegan Sun, Mystic Seaport and lots of shopping! When we wanted to venture out, the innkeeper provided plenty of maps, suggestions and directions near the back door. We had a wonderful weekend taking in all of the sights and we loved the unique history and warm hospitality offered at Homespun Farms.
On our way back to New York, we discovered another great place to stay and
to eat. This is where choices come into play. Though Don and I love the
atmosphere of a B&B, we have many friends that look for a little more privacy, yet don't want a big slick hotel. The Bee and Thistle Inn is in Old Lyme, Connecticut and we headed for their Sunday brunch. This is an Inn with 11 guest rooms, though simpler and more austere in style, the rooms have an old world ambiance in this home dating back to 1756. We checked out a few rooms for a future stay and each was differently designed in period, with four-poster beds and some fireplaces. There was a distinctly elegant atmosphere here.
The Bee and Thistle Inn serves breakfast to their guests and is also open
most nights for dinner and two days a week for afternoon tea. Our brunch was delicious and filling from start to finish. We enjoyed sipping our Mimosas as we looked out onto the extensive grounds, with a backyard trail leading to a river. We both chose the New England clam chowder, which was chock full of clams. The chef, Christopher Rydell, has a flair for both artistic presentation and combining tastes.
I sampled the almond encrusted french toast with raspberry syrup and the combination of crunchy almonds and moist toast was different and delicious. Don had the beef tenderloins in a baked pastry shell, but as a side dish, loved the pistachio and raisin sausages. Again, an offering of something a little different, but flavorful. Though full from our meal and the warm sticky raisin buns, we ended this great meal with a baked pear good enough for one of Don's famous pictures. Most people take photos of scenery, Don loves to
take pictures of food, displayed in such a way as to cause you to "aaahhh!"
This was one of those times.
We roamed around the four diningrooms downstairs and the inviting living
room area and made a mental note to come back again. The area has many art galleries and museums, as well as quaint stores in which to shop. Most guests we were told, just come here to relax - sounds good to me. So there you have it - two very distinct options to experience in Connecticut. Oh, so many places, so little time.
Part 1
Part 2
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