Boston, Days 3-5

On Monday we went to the North End and walked around, then had lunch at a recommended Italian restaurant. There was a picture of Pope Benedict on the wall, and one got the feeling, a "family meeting" in the back room. We went so I could say I tried it. I don't like Italian food, whether out of a can, in the North End, or in Italy itself. Pasta just doesn't do it for me; I guess too many Ramen noodles and spaghetti during the poor college days wrecked my taste for it.

Then we took the train to our alma mater. I hadn't been to the campus in over 10 yrs and was curious to see what it looks like especially after Dave's wife said that there is a new student building. The building is really nice, and T and I actually felt a little cheated that we didn't have that nice space while we were there.


It is a great campus, with a waterfront walkway all the way around.

This is the building I spent most of my college days in--much cozier than the new one, if not as pretty.

On the upper window, there are a couple of pigeons. We often had pigeons in the hallways and the classrooms, no one thought anything of it.

Okay, they really need a landscape artist to come in and fix the idiocy that was not there when I was a student. They put up several ugly statues, causing us to question where our alumni funds are going. Here is a "statue" of a rock that was put right in the center of where we used to hang out and study when the weather was nice (only maybe 2 times a year, but still). It was a nice place to be between classes, and now this is there...

Magnificent, isn't it...

This beauty was erected between the new student center and the waterfront.

Not far from that are several lawn ornament-ish wild animal statues. There's got to be an interesting story somewhere in here; perhaps battling egos, or some symbiosis amongst them all, or maybe people said F it and just randomly picked these things up from the dump?

Next was the JFK Library, which my dad would have loved. Then a great local pizza place in the evening (that Italian food, I do like).

Tuesday we went to Plimoth Plantation. Last year when I went, for time's sake, we had to decide between this and the Lizzy Borden House. Obviously I picked the latter! So this year we went to PP, and it actually was pretty interesting. The village is a replica 2 miles from the original site, and people dress in "character" and speak in the accent and language of 1627 and become actual people who existed then.

This kiln is fired twice a year, and earthenware pottery is made and sold in a store there.

Inside the crafts building, we visited with this guy. He asked what I thought he was making...

...and I said it's gotta be drink coasters. He quickly corrected me and said he makes these for the native hats.

In the wood working area, they create beautiful furniture with only tools that were available in that time period.

Gorgeous stuff!

The actual tools they use...

A fort near the village.

And the village itself. I'd love to take the boys there someday when they are old enough to enjoy it.

A roof of one of the houses.

They really go all out to recreate the conditions of that time, even putting chamber pots under the beds.

This woman was fascinating. She told us her "life story," all about the death of her husband and her remarriage. I said, there must not have been much to choose from, and she said the men actually outnumbered the women 3 to 1. I was clearly born in the wrong era!

If this guy were 30 years younger and single and it was 1627 , I would have snapped him up. We talked for quite awhile with him as he was on his way to use his musket. He was so cool to talk to.

The Wampanoag village was nearby, and we spent quite awhile there as well, but somehow I thought it would be rude to take pictures there, so only a couple.

We made it back to the city in time to catch the last tour of the Nichols home on Beacon Hill. I'd always been curious what those homes look like inside, and this one was amazing.

It being my birthday, T took me out for the best scallops in the world at Durgin Park, and I did some more damage to my credit card at some local shops.

Next morning I had to come home. Since I was flying United we Fail, where 50% of all my flights are cancelled or delayed, my flight was cancelled, but I got an earlier one and made it home at the scheduled time.

I couldn't wait to see L&L! When I picked them up at daycare, they started shreiking wildly at the sight of me, and ran to me for big hugs and I plastered them with kisses.