Conanicut Island

You wouldn't imagine an island in Narragansett Bay would have much to do with Germany, but, in fact, Alred Andersch, well known author of the German Nachkriegszeit was imprisoned here as a POW during World War II. He is the author of Der Vater eines Moerders, but also wrote the very first book I ever read in German: Sansibar oder der letzte Grund. I believe being a POW in Jamestown was a pretty good way to spend the war. The POWs worked the local farms and then, as now, Jamestown was a beautiful island with fabulous views and a mild winter.

I took a bike ride around the island yesterday and shot some great pictures of the rain squall over Newport from the southern tip of Conanicut (the geographical name for Jamestown.) I was gloating about those poor devils over on Aquidneck Island, but less than three minutes after taking the picture above, I was in a torrential downpour myself. I guess Schadenfreude is bad karma.