Last weekend, while travelling in Newport, R.I., I had the pleasure of brunching at Castle Hill Inn.  The inn itself was constructed in 1874 as a summer retreat for the Swiss scientist Alexander Agassiz.  He was intent on studying marine biology on the beautiful coast but ended up hosting many of the "thinking sorts," such as Thornton Wilder and many of the so-called "naturalists".  The interior of the inn still exudes 19th century … [Read more...]