It takes a special perspective to visit Provincetown in the winter. If you do you will be rewarded with a high level of graciousness by those who live here year round.
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People who pass you on the street will always say hello. They will ask whether you'd like to meet the dog they are walking. The merchants, the waiters, the booksellers are surprised and very happy to see you. They want to ask, "What are you doing here," but they don't. They assume you are not lost and that you are here with intention. They only ask how they can help.
Table for one? "Absolutely, sit anywhere you'd like." The window. The far corner. Next to the fireplace. It is your choice. We have no reservations this evening.
What is it about places like this that draws me in no matter the time of year?
The rest of the world is happy to board up and wait until April or even May to return. To me that's like restricting the eating of chocolate to one season.
If you study the faces of the year rounders, they would confirm I am right. They are always happy to be here no matter the temperature and no matter the weather. Yes, they are happy to share the cold solace of winter, but they are also happy to keep it to themselves.
They know the pleasures of this place at all times not just the warm months.
With the crowds gone - everything is more relaxed.
The gallery owner serves wine while you browse. The bookstore clerk finishes one book per day between customers. The woman behind the counter at the cigar shop has the time to talk all afternoon about any subject you'd like.
The empty shops and cottages of summer tell their own story or you can conjure your own.
This is a season of appreciation and anticipation. One cannot do without the other.
Credits:
© Dean Pagani 2023