Everything is bigger in New England

More on the 'everything is bigger in America' riff. I'm not sure it's fair to compare the size of the clams, since the closest British equivalent is probably the cockle. So I'll restrict myself to a comment on the size of these clams, compared to any other clam or cockle from anywhere.

Look at these big juicy fellas, practically bursting out of their shells! That's TLOML's hand for scale, and he has fairly big islander hands. So respect the clam that fills the gap between that forefinger and thumb. We were in Rhode Island, home of the happy clam. Apparently it's to do with the muddy, silty sea floor there. To be precise, we were in Scales and Shells, Newport, RI, a restaurant TLOML visited over a decade ago and has been dreaming of ever since.

TLOML is of the view that there is no such thing as 'too big' where clams are concerned. I think these babies support his case. And our consumption of 50+ clams across 3 meals, in 24 hours, proves it too.

While we were in Newport waiting for Scales and Shells to open (we were there at 5pm on the dot two days in a row), we checked out some of the famous Newport mansions. Breakers, the Vanderbilt summer home, had 15 bedrooms and 20 bathrooms. Further evidence that many things are rather bigger in America.