Boston

Here are some pictures and a quick update from my now not-so-recent trip to Boston in October. I was staying in Cambridge for a week working with a collaborator at Harvard. While the week itself was mostly work and no real sightseeing, it was an amazing time because I really got to enjoy Cambridge, with all the little eateries, see some other parts of Boston and experience the T (Boston metro), and enjoy the beautiful foliage sights and fall in New England. The conclusion: Im in love with the area now. Besides, I also got to hang out with my Connecticut family, who threw a lovely surprise late B-day party for me, experience the Boston pumpkin festival, and visit the famous Salem, Massachussets (which in our joint opinion turned out to be a bit of a disappointment). Here are some pictures to recap the touristy things.

Boston Pumpkin Festival




Carving a Halloween Pumpkin for the 1st time




Fall in New England

Boston: Day 3

After sleeping in for a bit and packing, we had a delicious brunch and decided to walk around Harvard a bit before heading to Connecticut where Meg's family lives. We drove out there magically finding our way around, parked, and tried to pretend that we fit in and not just tourists. Our attempts failed the minute I got out my huge camera. We only saw a bit of Harvard before it started to rain again, but even after getting just a glimpse, I can say that I really enjoyed the atmosphere of Cambridge and the University. We drove around a bit more, by accident got to see the Kennedy School of Government, and headed back to CT. Almost the minute we left the Boston area, the sun came out and the weather improved. Oh well...I still really enjoyed the weekend and decided that Boston is definitely one of the places where I can see myself living some day (still sticking to my beloved DC though:)

Meg and I on the Harvard campus

Boston: Day 2

When we woke up, we sadly discovered that it was misting/raining again. However, upon cheering ourselves up with a good breakfast, we walked over to the Museum of Science in time to get on our Duck Tour. After purchasing the duck calls to make the quacking sounds, we boarded a really cool duck boat which, we found out later, was not only decorated with Red Sox signs, but was actually part of the victory parade when they won the World Series in 2004. Our driver was really fun and had lots of good stories to tell about various parts of Boston. The city itself is very old, with lots of history behind every building and area. We also went onto the Charles River and took a little tour around the harbor.

After the Duck Tour we decided to walk around the city and started our impromptu exursion at the Boston Public Gardens where we could enjoy the beautiful scenery and mini-statues of Mrs Mallard and her ducklings (from Robert McCloskey's "Make Way for Ducklings"). We then walked around Newbury Street, had lunch, and crossed the Boston Commons to the Massachussets State House where the famous Freedom Trail begins. We followed the trail around Boston, saw several old cemeteries where a bunch of historical figures are buried, and got to experience various parts of Boston that had different atmospheres. Highlights of the walk include Fanuiel Hall and Quincy Market (both very significant historical landmarks) and Paul Revere's House, who was nicknamed the Messenger of the Revolution.

Make Way for Ducklings

Newbury Street

Back at the hotel, while I was taking a nap, there was a "change of guard" in Meg's family (her Mom left and her brother came). We got ready and took a cab to Fenway Park, the home of the Red Sox. We then equipped ourselves with the proper Red Sox attire (hats and seatshirts) and found our way to our seats, which were very very close to the actual field. The game became more and more exciting as I understood more of what was going on with Meg's patient explanations. Besides, the delicious hotdog and cracker jacks make up for a bit of rain. The Sox were playing the Braves and loosing pretty badly, so once the rain picked up in the middle of the 7th inning, the faithful but discouraged fans began to leave, and so did we. It was sad that my first ever MLB game was not only rained out, but also was a disappointing loss for the Sox (of which Im by association with Meg's family a fan now).

Fenway Park

Boston: Day 1

So, we got to Boston in a short flight from BWI to discover a cold rainy day. However, upon seeing our hotel the troubles seemed to fade away...it is a really nice luxury place, decorated with lots of leopard print, and located in the heart of Cambridge, Massachussets, which is just across the river from the city of Boston. Meg and I marveled at the grandieur of our room for a bit, and then her parents arrived, so we talked to them and figured out our plans for the night since the much anticipated Red Sox game was cancelled due to pouring rain.

The evening started with a complementary wine tasting at the lobby of our hotel and proceeded with the largest and most posh dinner Ive ever had. Since Meg's Dad's company owns the hotel, he is known around these places and has the VIP status, so the chef wanted to be extra nice, which resulted in extra dishes magically appearing on our table. This was a true 5-course meal, with salads, intermediate dish of raw tuna and calimari, main course, dessert (we ordered 2, but were served 4), and tea. I don't think I have ever been so full in my entire life.

Meg and I decided to party it up in the big city and went to a 10pm IMAX show of a movie about the Galapagos islands (which is definitely a destination on my "places to visit" list) showing at the Boston Museum of Science across the street.