On the eastern shores of Chesapeake Bay there exists a little gem of a town called Onancock (o-NANN-kock) which is located 5 miles up the beautiful Onancock Creek. Lining this creek are opulently restored homes with manicured yards. The town is a short walk from the wharf, literally! It has a few art galleries, gourmet wine and cheese shop (yum-yum), a vintage movie theatre and antiques shops.

We left Tangier Island at 9.00am for the short sail to Onancock. We needed to find a secure spot sheltered from the west winds and rolling thunderstorms which were predicted for that evening. This lovely site ticked all the boxes and more.

Late afternoon we explored the historic part of town. The town was laid out in 1681 and was once a bustling sea port for steamboats transporting Virginia tobacco. Being a Colonial town it has a town square and is still used as a meeting place. It is a compact town of essentially two streets with an abundance of tastefully restored and maintained buildings. Unfortunately, there are a few commercial buildings in disrepair, but hopefully they will be repurposed in time.

Today was a much cooler day. It only reached about 36C, so we decided to explore on our bikes. Mark undertook an IQ test in assembling the foldaway bikes. At last we could enjoy our bikes. No flat tyres, no arseritis. We visited antique shops, biked cross-country on a nature trail and completed a circuit over two delightful bridges. Life is good… a little hot… but good!

This evening we attended the Art Stroll down Market Street. Mark enjoyed the wine and I enjoyed the art. We then crossed the street to North Street Market – home of wines, fine cheese and artworks. A very eclectic and trendy store. Mark enjoyed the wine, cheese and artwork so much he left with lots of goodies. And I enjoyed the cheese and artwork so much I left with lots of goodies. We are richer for having visited Onancock and Onancock is richer for having us visit!

Tomorrow is Market Day. Yahoody! Wonder what we will buy!

Such is Life!