Change of pace in Portsmouth

You just can't be putting stuff away every day.  So after my dental visit (with a new dentist) to nurse and scrape a sore tooth, we headed to Portsmouth.  It turns out that Portsmouth is equidistantly far away (but North East) as Nashua (South West).  So after our happy late breakfast at Hollow Cafe (around the corner from the Amesbury Dentist) we headed there to Best Buy because DH wanted new monitors.  (Who knew?)

The fact that we had big new high resolution monitors in the back of the car did not disallow a happy browse and walk around the center of Portsmouth.  I think I like it better than Newburyport because it is just as artsy/craftsy but NOT so touristy.

In fact, after Photoshopping this picture, I wondered if it was at all like France.

 I got to browse one of my favorite Handcraft/Art stores: Tulips American Handcraft which is on Market Street.  I must call them to see who this painter is.  The paintings aren't that "fancy" or over-worked, but they are stylish and always evoke a mood.  I would be happy to paint with that effect.

 Another artist makes semi-Steampunk birds with felt, beads and buttons and wiry, spiky little feet. Another inspiration!

 Worldly Goods is another local craft/art gallery (that reminds me of the Carlyn Galerie in Dallas) had several wooden crows, all of whom carried keys.  This one was perched on a heart.  There were others on posts and corbels.  Intriguing.

and of course, they had this moose!  In assorted sizes.
Another gallery had more crows. And a frame shop had nice originals and prints.
 

 On Congress Street there were some OLD buildings.  The Atheneum has been there since 1805.  I don't know the age or exact address of this building, but I liked the xo circle/flower design... whether it was carved or merely cast into the concrete.

 If you look up, you can see this hard-nosed guy and the zipper like decoration that points him out.

 Again , the profusion of colors, flowers and interesting shops made me think I might be in France.

 The tree wasn't really all THAT mossy, but the bicycle tires really WERE that yellow, with a purple chain cover.

 A Starbucks reminded me we were still in the USA, even though historical enlarged photograph of Portsmouth Harbor did NOT feel anything like Texas.