Boston, Day 4: the MFA

Got up early this morning to have breakfast (coffee yummm and cereal) and headed over to visit with my other family in Topsfield. Got a tutorial from my eleven year-old cousin on how to solve a Rubik's cube - apparently she and her brother watched a video on YouTube which explained the theories and "algorithms" behind solving the puzzle. The whole thing was very impressive, and way over my head.

After a game of Bananagrams (in ways, much more fun than Scrabble) and headed into Boston to see the MFA, where I dragged my poor cousins through the sections full of ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman art and history. The Greek pottery was interesting - such fascinating subjects painted on pots, vases and amphoras. We also got to see the exhibit on Art Nouveau Jewelry, which included plenty of beautiful pieces. Made me want to go jewelry shopping! Also I've decided someday, when I have a place for it, I'm going to find a replica amphora of red figured Greek pottery, or whatever the technical term is.

That evening, we stopped by the Gelateria in North End to have traditional Italian-style ice cream (I missed it; it's much better than American ice cream, IMO)

The train ride home was long, but uneventful. It's almost good to be back.

Things Metro Could Learn from T

1. Flat rate fees (each T ride is only $2! Imagine that...)
2. Day, weekly, monthly passes. Seriously. Discounted fares for these passes. This might (gasp!) lead to more commuters using Metro.
3. Following on from #2, let's update and repair the system, so more commuters can ride without worrying about it falling apart.
4. Increase the number of neighborhoods in the DC Metro area serviced by Metro (excepting maybe Baltimore, that might be a little ridiculous).
5. Service to Dulles (with a cool color like silver). I know this has been in and out of the works for a while now, but let's get a move on!
6. More advertisements (hey, more revenue so you don't have to overcharge your customers!).
7. This has been said before, but it is possible that the escalators don't need to run constantly - motion detectors would reduce energy usage and cost to keep them running and maintained.

Boston, Day 3: Or Rather, Topsfield

Today I was supposed to travel on the commuter rail from Boston to North Beverly. No go. I get to the station, and follow signs for "tickes". I wait in line, and find out that the ticket counters are only for buses, and the actual train station is in a different building. By this time, I'm cutting it short. I get to the train station, and I stand in line again, and just before I get to the only open counter, I realize I'm traveling north, and I'm at South Station. No biggie, I thought, I'll just get to North Station and take the next train. So I call my friend for a ride, but she doesn't pick up... so I call my family, to let them know I'll probably be a little late, having run into a tiny hitch in my travel plans. However, it turned out to be easier to take the T all the way to the end instead, and get a ride from there. So I had to find a map or a Person, who could explain to me the easiest way to get from the wrong station to North Station to North Beverly... My only recommendation for the MBTA is that they consolidate North and South Stations, so careless travelers such as myself don't make the mistake of going to the wrong one and end up missing their trains. Ah well. It all worked out.

I spent part of the afternoon lounging on a boat in Marblehead, which was incredibly enjoyable and relaxing. I recommend boating for stressed people. Seriously. We went on a little tour of the harbor, which was pleasant. We also looked at and commented on all the little, big and bigger boats on the water and the mansions on the shore. Evidently there's one house with a collection of Dutch Masters. Do you think if I ask nicely he'll give me a tour?

The last and possibly greatest news, is that I had Lobster!! Yes indeed, I had the most wonderful dinner that started with the sweetest, tastiest lobster I've had in a while. Mmmmm. Pretty soon I'll be a lobster-eating expert. I already know that 3-5 inches of water is considered fine for the pot when boiling them. And although we didn't race the lobsters tonight, there's no saying that tradition won't be reinstated in the near future. I think I'll start planning my next trip to Boston... ;)

Tomorrow is unfortunately my last day in Massachusetts, but I have great plans for that, too. Stand by.

Boston, Day 2: Various

So, the beach didn't happen. The skies threatened to rain, and the forecast was grey, so we didn't go. Turns out it was a pretty nice day throughout, and we probably would have been fine. There goes my last outdoor swim before Labor Day, I guess.

The highlights for Friday include the Nichols house, which was interesting but not fascinating. An average and slightly rambling tour that took us through a house built in 1808 (hence my interest) but was really about the last inhabitant, an eccentric old woman who lived in the 20th century. Which is definitely not as interesting as early 19th century history, IMO.

We first though, had brunch at Zaftig's, in Allston or thereabouts. Very good, worth a 20 minute wait, but definitely not worth an hour and a half wait. Try the challah french toast.

We walked around the beautiful Beacon Hill, and the Boston Common. Then we walked along Newbury St, where I managed to avoid emptying my bank account on merchandise I don't need and can't afford, and can't bring home either, due to limited suitcase space. Bravo me!

Later that night we went out, to the very touristy (it's on the Freedom Trail) Bell in Hand, where I watched Michigan Uni lose to Utah :( Followed by a unique party on a rooftop. I took pictures, but owing to my camera's automatic flash capabilities, can't be assured that any of them will come out. We left in time to take the T home, and that was that.

Boston, Day 1: The Freedom Trail

Spent most of today (about 4 hours) walking the Freedom Trail, which I found difficult to navigate until after I got to the Visitors' Center and picked up a map ... and then noticed the red trail, about a foot wide, that runs down the middle of the sidewalks and through crosswalks. Doh.

The trail itself is quite interesting: I walked through or around at least three burying grounds, inside a beautiful church, where I boldy asked someone else's tour guide why some of the benches face backward (seriously, who wants to crane his or her neck around to try to look at the preacher who's talking behind one?). Turns out, the children probably sat there, presumably so the devout parents could keep a warning eye on their children who assuredly had short attention spans. I took pictures of quite a few old buildings, and walked over the cobblestone circle that marks the spot of the Boston massacre, where five Bostonians were shot ... by accident? At least, that's how the history books and tour guides tell it. Peeked over plenty of shoulders to try to see some break dancers in front of Faneuil and around the Quincy, South and North markets, Haymarket... skipped Paul Revere's house because I'd seen it before. Then, because I had some extra time on my hands, I walked across the Charles River on the Charlestown Bridge. Where I stopped about a third of the way along, and swore silently when I noticed that the middle section IS WIRE MESH. So I was walking on a bridge where I could SEE THE RIVER BELOW ME. Nobody mentioned that, so I paused a moment to gather my courage, and walked across with my eyes on the beam I made sure to keep under my feet. Then, after I witnessed the amazingness of the children's hands-on section of the USS Constitution Museum, I did it again! Still directly over the supporting beam, though, and I'm pretty sure my speed picked up as I neared the end.

Finally I got back to the North End, where I had great coffee, excellent tiramisu', and an excellent (and expensive) seafood dinner. Yumm. Said goodnight to the host in Italian - Buona sera, signore - think I got a reply in Italian, yay! Probably I could be very comfortable in Boston's very Italian North End.

I think the beach is on tomorrow's schedule - stay tuned.

A Couple of Green Thoughts From Boston

First up: Transportation. I rode the 'Green' (how appropriate) line today, no mistakes or mishaps! The 'T' is very different from the Washington, DC Metro - similar to Chicago's 'El' in my opinion, though I've only ridden each of those a couple of times. The 'T' feels more like a trolley than a subway, but that's maybe only because the 'B' line is mostly above ground. Fun to ride, but hard to balance if there's no room to sit. Plenty of times I thought I'd pitch right into another unsuspecting passenger, but thankfully that never actually happened.

Secondly: Walked about 20 minutes this morning to find a local coffee shop where I could have breakfast, and ended up at one that advertised ice cream as well - the coffee wasn't bad, but what's the deal with coffee shops immediately offering throwaway cups even after you tell them you'd like to eat in? Not only that, but this particular coffee shop offered me my scone on a plastic plate. How many of those do they run through in a month, I wonder?

A Quick Note On Vacation

I did it! I have tickets for Nashville. Travel itinerary still to be worked out, but I have a month to do that.

In other news, tomorrow I leave for Boston! Spent some time last night congratulating myself on getting tickets for a train that leaves at 11am... so I can sleep in a little bit tomorrow, if I manage to finish packing tonight. Note to self: Charge iPod.

I'll try to keep a travel diary here for the weekends I'm away, and will try to include some greenery in both the travel and the diary, to keep with the theme of the blog.

More to come from Boston!

Labor Day in Boston!

It's done. I'm going to Boston over Labor Day weekend. Traveling by train, for what is probably only the second time in my entire life. In the United States, that is. Trains are used much more frequently in Great Britain, where I spent four years, and I took many trips from St. Andrews to Edinburgh, just to go shopping and see castles. That trip, unlike the upcoming trip, only takes about an hour.

I'm quite excited. It will be good to bypass the traffic in Connecticut, which is always a pain when driving to New England. Unfortunately will be unable to stop at Rein's Deli, a traditional stop on family drives to visit relatives for Thanksgiving. On the other hand, if I remember to bring enough food with me, I will not have to buy snacks on the snack train, and can avoid wasting the excessive packaging used to protect and preserve sub-par snacks.

Definitely looking forward to that lobster.

To Do: Train Fare to Boston

My vacation hours expire at the beginning of October, so right now I'm looking at spending those hours in faraway places. Well, sort of far away, at any rate. First on my list is Boston, then Nashville. Unfortunately, Nashville doesn't have a train station, nor are there any others in central Tennessee. Imagine my disappointment when I found out I couldn't take the train west, as in the olden days. "Go west, young man". Or something.

However. Boston has not one, but several train stations. I signed on for Amtrak Guest Rewards, so by buying tickets within three months of joining, I get extra points (very like frequent flyer miles).

Probably most people have seen that commercial for the national railways, where they say one train can go 423 miles or so on one gallon of gas? Well, that's one reason I'm taking the train north. Also, it might be cheaper than flying, especially because I'm a last-minute planner. Not to mention the rising gas prices and extra costs and fees being placed on airlines (and thus customers). I just hope the scenery makes the nine hour trip enjoyable.

Lobster dinners, here I come!!