![]() We started on Boston Common, a lovely green lung in the centre of the city, full of vibrantly coloured autumn trees and strolling citizens. The first order of business was to do at least part of the Freedom Trail, the 2.5 mile walking trail that winds through Boston and takes you past 16 sites of national historic significance, mostly centred on Boston’s pivotal role in rebelling against British rule. We managed to find cheap parking in the docks area and then strolled into town, marvelling again at how very European the city feels. The next day we were up bright and early, checked out and headed off to see the city. If I could have fitted it into my suitcase, I would have □ After a huge seafood salad and a movie, we were happily tucked up in bed which was just possibly the nicest bed I have ever ever slept on. This, combined with my sniffles, meant that I voted not to go to a restaurant for dinner so we just popped into a huge supermarket and grabbed some stuff to eat at the hotel. Don’t know if this is just how Boston looks on a Sat night or whether the regatta was causing it, but it was just heaving. In fact, everywhere in Boston that we saw that night was packed to the rafters. Headed for the Prudential Centre and discovered that there’s a mall at the base – yipppeee! Wandered through the shops and saw a branch of the famous Legal Seafoods – the queue outside was ASTONISHING. It’s more European than Europe and really, really lovely, but by then I was cold and tired and had the sniffles, so I wanted to get out of the chill. Decide to stroll the city a bit – walked down Newbury street which is wall-to-wall shops but all in old buildings with bay windows, and all the trees have fairy lights in them. Nothing else for it but to hail a cab, which gets us back downtown in about 10 minutes. My burger was properly meaty and hit the spot, together with some of the beer brewed on the premises at their microbrewery, and Ronel’s plate of faijitas looked enough to feed a small family! By the time we had eaten lunch, had coffee and pored over photos of the yacht that Neil and Ronel are going to be living on for the next couple of years while they sail all over the world (yes, really), it was about 6pm and dark, so we took our leave and Nick, ever the pioneer, decided to walk back into Boston.Īfter about 10 minutes it looks to me as if we are totally in the sticks…and as it turns out WE ARE – almost off the map and heading the wrong way. The food was textbook American – burgers, Tex-Mex, steaks, and all in impressively gigantic portions. ![]() ![]() After asking a random passer-by for a recommendation (not my preferred method but there you go!) we ended up in the John Harvard’s Brewhouse in Cambridge which is rather like a Spur (a South African steakhouse chain), but kid-friendly. If I hadn’t had my fill of lycra-clad men in Henley, I was certainly getting it now! Walked up and down the course, idly watching the rowing but mostly catching up with my friends and taking pictures of the lovely autumn colours.Įventually, after probably 2 hours of walking, Nick had had his fill of rowing and the kids were getting restless, so we headed off to find some food. This is the American equivalent of London’s Head of the River regatta held in March every year and is extremely well-attended. Once introductions were over we set off for the river where the Head of the Charles regatta was in full swing. Although we were almost an hour late, my friends from South Africa, Neil and Ronel, were still patiently waiting with their 2 kids. For those of you who don’t know, Boston and Cambridge, home of Harvard University, are separated only by the Charles River. Hopped on the T in Braintree and in no time we emerged in student and tourist central (or so it seemed) – on the Cambridge side of the river. Check in to find we officially had The Biggest Room In Boston! Wasted no time in dumping our stuff and driving to the station to catch a train into town. Clearly some architect had a sense of irony that was working overtime. It’s hard to miss the only building for miles around with a crenellated roof. Once near Boston we easily found the Sheraton hotel in Braintree. The drive went very smoothly as it was all Interstate, lined with trees that got steadily redder/yellower and more spectacular as we drove north. After our lovely stay in Stonington, we hopped back into our trusty PT Cruiser and set off north for Boston. No, it’s not that I’ve been holding out on you and slipped off on a secret weekend in Boston… The truth is that this is the final post in my series on our trip to the USA last year.
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