From the bustle of New York to the quiet of New Port

We left New York in the evening and whilst we were having our evening meal, Liberty kept appearing in the windows of the restaurant. While we are on our journey to Newport I must mention the free copy of "am New York" we were handed near the subway station we bought our Metro tickets at. Large picture of Lady Gaga on the front with the headline "GAGAWARS" "Firestorm erupts after S.I. pol calls her a 'slut'" What I like about the name Lady Gaga is the contradiction it suggests in British English. The image of a "Lady" is of a superior woman. Probably one who wears high heels, a hat and a smart dress in New York and goes everywhere by yellow cab. "Gaga" in British English means you are old and have completely lost your wits. But it wasn't the front page which took our attention. It was the headline on page 2 which read "Finally! No.6 Uptown transfer at Bleeker a relief to straphangers". Not only did we alight from a subway train at Bleeker, we were able to see the new connection in action. And so to Newport, Rhode Island. What a contrast this place was to New York. Some of our party found it too quiet. Us British know about Newport because of its famous folk festival, where Bob Dylan sang with Joan Baez and also where Bob Dylan upset the so-called folk "purists" by using a backing band which used electric guitars and amps. I thought folk music was generic and contemporary. At least it was in England, when the singers and ballad mongers took traditional tunes around the fairs and markets and sung unaccompanied or accompanied by the instruments of the day. They sung songs about traditional stories, contemporary events and spread news and views in their ballads and songs. The only reminder of the famous folk festival I saw in Newport was the Fender guitar shop I took a picture of for my sons, both keen guitarists. My first impressions of the town were of weatherboarded (wooden clad) homes, little gardens and the relative quiet after the bustle of New York. As we knew nothing about Newport apart from the folk festival, we took a guided tour of the town.

The Guitar shop in Newport, with a decorative acoustic in the window (for folk purists) and a Fender. The weatherboard wooden facade is typical of the buildings in Newport.