Boston Day 2
The Charles River runs through Boston and into the harbour. Our hotel is on the north side of the river and overlooks the inner harbour of Boston. Boston itself is across the Charlestown Bridge on the southern side. However it is only a 1.5km walk across the bridge and into the centre of Boston. It's another beautiful sunny day so we decide to walk. We head towards Faneuil Hall Marketplace, down near the harbour. Faneuil Hall was built in 1742 as a market place with a meeting hall above. The hall is now a government centre and there are three rectangular buildings in front of it - North Market, South Market and Quincy Market in the middle. There are plenty of shops and boutiques and over 50 restaurants, cafes and eateries. But it's the street theatre and entertainment that makes this market so different. Buskers, clowns, acrobats - in every direction we look. We sit down at a cafe, order some lunch and take it all in. We notice a queue of people in front of the cafe which stretches so far down between the buildings that we can't see the end of it. I had to find out! Leaving Colin to wait for our lunch order, I walk to see where it ended. There would have been well over a hundred people in the queue - all lined up for..............auditioning to go on Wheel of Fortune!!!!!
Our trolley tour ticket from yesterday came with a free 45 minute cruise of Boston harbour. The sky was beginning to look like rain so we hurried down to the docks. There's a really long queue of people also waiting there but luckily we manage to board the next boat and sit outside upstairs. Boston is not the most picturesque harbour but it's a very pleasant cruise, not at all rough, and it is interesting to see a city from the water. Luckily the rain held off. While we were on the harbour, we passed the other city tour company, the Boston Duck Tour. The duck is actually a W.W.II style amphibious landing vehicle so it just drives straight from the road onto the water. It looked quite fun! Maybe next time we're in Boston.
At the end of the cruise, we walked back through the town heading towards Boston Common, the oldest city park in the United States. We entered near the Park Street church and followed the path across the park to Charles Street on the opposite side. Boston Common has very green thick lush grass and there were squirrels running everywhere! Of course, I spent ages watching them and taking photos. As we walked from one side of the common to the other, we passed a wedding in one corner, and buskers and musicians scattered around. There were lots of food stalls - even one selling fried dough!!! We crossed Charles Street and entered the adjoining Public Garden. The garden has an artificial lake in the middle and is famous for the 'Make Way for Ducklings' statue - a statue of Mrs Mallard and her 8 ducklings. Again there were lots of squirrels scurrying around.
Walking out of the garden brings us into an area of Boston called Back Bay. It once was a bay until it was filled in during the 19th century. Back Bay is famous for having the best preserved Victorian brownstone homes in the US, and today it is one of Boston's most expensive neighbourhoods. Another feature is the streets are named in alphabetical order. We've walked out of the garden into Arlington Street. Crossing the road and walking along Marlborough Street, we cross Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, Exeter, Fairfield, Gloucester and Hereford Streets. The houses are very impressive and mostly very well maintained. The gardens are only small but many had lovely arrangements cinerarias, daisies, hydrangeas and other small shrubs. I haven't seen so many bay windows since I was in Schaffhausen in Switzerland!
We double back and walk home up Charles Street which has an eclectic mix of little shops. Each shop is only allowed a small wooden sign hanging outside. Quite by chance, we come across an Italian gelataria which, of course, I can't resist. The double scoop of mint chic chip for $5 plus taxes is delicious.
By the time we get back to the hotel, Colin's phone App tells him he has walked 16 kilometres!!!!
At the end of the cruise, we walked back through the town heading towards Boston Common, the oldest city park in the United States. We entered near the Park Street church and followed the path across the park to Charles Street on the opposite side. Boston Common has very green thick lush grass and there were squirrels running everywhere! Of course, I spent ages watching them and taking photos. As we walked from one side of the common to the other, we passed a wedding in one corner, and buskers and musicians scattered around. There were lots of food stalls - even one selling fried dough!!! We crossed Charles Street and entered the adjoining Public Garden. The garden has an artificial lake in the middle and is famous for the 'Make Way for Ducklings' statue - a statue of Mrs Mallard and her 8 ducklings. Again there were lots of squirrels scurrying around.
Walking out of the garden brings us into an area of Boston called Back Bay. It once was a bay until it was filled in during the 19th century. Back Bay is famous for having the best preserved Victorian brownstone homes in the US, and today it is one of Boston's most expensive neighbourhoods. Another feature is the streets are named in alphabetical order. We've walked out of the garden into Arlington Street. Crossing the road and walking along Marlborough Street, we cross Berkeley, Clarendon, Dartmouth, Exeter, Fairfield, Gloucester and Hereford Streets. The houses are very impressive and mostly very well maintained. The gardens are only small but many had lovely arrangements cinerarias, daisies, hydrangeas and other small shrubs. I haven't seen so many bay windows since I was in Schaffhausen in Switzerland!
We double back and walk home up Charles Street which has an eclectic mix of little shops. Each shop is only allowed a small wooden sign hanging outside. Quite by chance, we come across an Italian gelataria which, of course, I can't resist. The double scoop of mint chic chip for $5 plus taxes is delicious.
By the time we get back to the hotel, Colin's phone App tells him he has walked 16 kilometres!!!!