Day 7 - The small but prestigious Rhode Island

Oh, how wonderful it is when the sun rises in the sky from dawn and spreads its warmth in full glory. Perfect weather for a day at the seaside. Rhode Island is the smallest New England state and the smallest state of the US tout court. It lies like a pearl on the Atlantic Ocean and its ports were historically important due to trade with the West Indies. Newport was the home base of the America’s Cup sailing races between 1930 and 1985 and is still one of the largest pleasure ports in the world. And even today there are many boats on the sparkling water in the coves of the harbor, from small pleasure boats to large yachts. But Newport has other assets for which it is known.

Especially for the Gilded Age country houses from the end of the 19th century, when rich and famous families came here every summer to escape the heat of New York. The houses of the Astor and Vanderbilt families are undoubtedly one of the most beautiful architectural gems in the country. The so-called Newport Mansions are all located in the beautiful bay where a light breeze today provides for coolness while the upcoming water dies in hundreds of drops on the rocks. Twelve of these mansions can be visited. And today that is not The Breakers, the impressive lavishly designed summer house of the Vanderbilt family. It is considered the most extravagant summer house of all. And to think that all owners wanted to bring a little European grandeur to Newport with immense artworks and lavish decorations. Today we choose Rosecliff, another small palace that is located next to The Breakers. Perhaps not as imposing as the Vanderbilt property, but it comes with its own history. It was built by Therese Fair Oelrichs and her husband Hermann Oelrichs, the American agent for the Norddeutscher LLoyd shipping company. 

They bought the land in 1891 and hired an architectural firm to build a summer house suitable for large-scale parties. And if they succeeded. Theresa had nothing else to do and this was her chance to put her boundless energy into climbing the social ladder. Therese became one of or perhaps the most important hostess in Newport. She gave parties like no other and all of which were talked about. Her guests were invariably among the richest, most famous and most important families. With a stylish dining room, her dinners were always special and her ballroom was the perfect location for an evening of dancing under the most beautiful ceiling paintings. The summers in Newport were a succession of parties and dinners that everyone wanted to attend. 

But the world changed, so did the economic climate, and with the imposing of heavy taxes on second residences, many families left Newport and sold their property. That is how the Newport's social scene died out and Therese fell into a major depression. She wandered around her house for years and only spoke about what had once been. She died a broken woman. But Rosecliff has not been forgotten. It was donated to the Preservation Society by the later owners, as several other families did, and is now open to the public. Rosecliff is also used as a location for various films, of which the appropriate ‘The Great Gatsby’ with Robert Redford from 1974 is the best known. And even though the renowned parties are far behind us, you still feel the atmosphere of the past during your visit to Rosecliff. In the phenomenal dance hall you can feel your legs tickle and in the salons you simply want to lie down. European grandeur in Newport, you'll find it here at the Newport Mansions.

The Newport Casino was once the private club for the elite who spent their summers here. In 1880, the club laid grass courts to introduce its members to the latest craze in  the land of sports : tennis. The first US National Lawn Tennis Championship was held a year later. 

That championship was later renamed the US Open and now takes place in New York at Flushing Meadow. They've lost the grand slam tournament, but this is the place where the International Tennis Hall of Fame was founded in 1954. This must be the largest tennis museum in the world with clothing, tennis rackets and other personal items from the greatest tennis players. But the most important part of the museum is the Hall of Fame, where the great ones are inducted. And that from old tennis heroes like Fred Perry, René Lacoste, Suzanne Lenglen, Rod Lever, to the heroes who taught me my love for the sport as a young tennis player: pioneer Arthur Ash, legend in life Bjorn Borg, the tyrannical John McEnroe, the ice-cool Ivan Lendl, the charming Stefan Edberg, unrivaled athlete Martina Navratilova and the extremely gracious Chris Evert. But I am mainly here as a tribute to our two Belgian tennis legends. Upon arrival, I hear the voice of Kim Clijsters scattering through the boxes. On a big screen, I follow her speech that she gave here in 2017 when she was more than rightly inducted in the Hall of Fame. A year earlier that honor had already been given to our Walloon pride Justine Henin. It fills me with so much joy that we, as a small Belgian country, have produced two greats in tennis sport: one that, according to the experts, had an infinite competitive spirit and an incredible athletic ability (Kim Clijsters) or the other as one of the most professional athletes with an extraordinary range of strokes and style that can be considered as one of the greatest athletes of her time (Justine Henin). The Hall of Fame can be visited but an entrance fee is applicable, the grass courts outside in a beautiful old English setting can be viewed free of charge. I can already see myself playing on one of the courts in my long white dress with a wooden racket. Throw back to the last turn of the century.

Not far from the Tennis Hall of Fame is St. Mary’s Church located, the Catholic church where JFK and Jacqueline Bouvier got married in 1953.

But Newport is still primarily a port. And at the waterfront it is wonderfully relaxing with vividly colored restaurants and cafes with shady terraces where you can chill with a refreshment in your hand.

You need a cool drink with these tropical temperatures so late in September. That Indian Summer, right? With yachts sailing in and out, pleasure boats hoisting the sails and rescue boats that tender the passengers from and to the large cruise ships that have moored just outside of Newport, it is busy on the water. A continuous tribute to the maritime past of Newport and the important port it still is today.