This is a place

The biggest mall in New England has 7000 car park spaces and several miles of corridor. That was our exercise for yesterday. We had to work off the pumpkin pie somehow, and it seemed like a good idea at the time. But surely even 7000 carloads of people couldn't buy all these clothes, or eat all this fast food ? There's a bit of a retail meltdown in America, apparently, and prices are keen, but there's just not many people around in these big shopping centres, except in the queue for McDonalds which was never less than 10 long. As with the desert, the mountains and forests, I'm struck by the scale of American shopping. Our latest hotel is on a 35-mile main trunk road into Boston which is lined with palatial retail parks like giant fiefdoms facing each other across the four-lane roadway. Every one seems to have McDonalds and a Dunkin Donuts. My idea of building a fast salad empire in the US is faltering.

The pumpkin pie was delicious by the way. Clam chowder in a breadbowl, similar, and there have been some good Caesar salads though I only managed to finish one of them. Coffee, on the other hand ... don't get me started.