Gillette Castle and the Ferry Bitch

Today, Rachel and I decided to visit Gillette Castle State Park down in East Haddam. Gillette Castle was built by William Gillette, an actor who was famous for playing Sherlock Holmes in the 1900s. Actually, we read this letter that he wrote to someone in 1915 that said, "I'm going to build myself a place to live... I don't know what to call it yet... but not a house." - Nope, he built a castle.

The castle itself is beautiful and very historic-looking. Inside, a guide told us there are about 47 doors, really ornately carved and scallopped with big, intricate door locks and designs, like puzzles - and that no two of all the doors in the house were the same. It was like the Clue house - secret doors and cabinets and closets and doors that open into other rooms. I loved it.

On the way home, we took a wrong turn and somehow wound up at a ferry crossing. We did not want to be there, we had no intention of getting on any ferry. In the 30 seconds that we sat there trying to figure out what to do, this lady, who was sitting on the curb, piped up. She shall henceforth be known as "Ferry Bitch. This is how the converation went.

FB - Stop, stop, stop! Don't block the parking lot!
R - We just need to turn around.
FB - Don't turn around. Where is there to go?
R - The highway?
FB - You don't wanna do that!
D - We don't want to go on the Ferry.
FB - Why not? Yes, you do.
D - Does it cost anything?
FB - Three dollars per CAR. It doesn't matter how many PEOPLE are IN the car.
R - I think we're gonna turn around.
FB - Don't turn around. Just wait. It JUST left, so you can turn your engine off.
R - Okay, put your window up, I'm turning around in the parking lot.

With that, we turned around in the parking lot and sped away without making eye contact. What a bitch. Every single thing she said to us could have ended with, "what are you, STUPID?" No, Ferry Bitch, we're not stupid....WE JUST DON'T WANT TO TAKE THE EFFING FERRY SO LEAVE US ALONE!! I think what it was was that she just could not fathom anyone driving down to the water's edge and NOT planning to take the ferry. We wound up there because we were following a GPS in an unfamiliar area, don't commit us to getting on a freaking boat! Crazy.