Our last day in Boston. Our accommodation was ok. There were a few interesting things about. What would be your reaction when the first thing you see is this?
Yes, our own ear plugs with your choice of colours. No we didn't use any. Apparently they were needed due to the upstairs renters
. For two days, no one was upstairs and when someone moved in, they were fairly quiet. Mind you when the hot water tank heated that got our attention with a loud blowing and drumming noise. Maybe they had personal earplugs upstairs too. Fortunately it came only in 10-minute intervals and only a couple of times a day. Once inside the "studio" we had plenty of head room and space to stretch out.
And the other rooms just fine.
Behind those screen hides the hot water tank.
Living room with makeshift coffee table and a very slippery sofa.
But a king size bed. Nice!!
For breakfast on our last full day we walked 30 minutes to Harry's All American, our first breakfast out since arriving here. Good home cooking, unfriendly waitress and reasonable prices. What more could you ask for, maybe happy servers.
After breakfast we headed into Boston and found a wonderful path way through Arnold Arboretum part of Harvard's holdings in Boston. What a pleasant surprise, walking in woods.
What a massive tree, a variety of beech.
Once in town we decided to take a boat ride to Georges Island, one of a dozen out in Boston harbour used for various purposes over the years. The National Park Serviceoffers tours of the island but surprisingly Charlie, the ship's tour guide, gave us an hour-long commentary all way out.
A view of Boston's skyline.
A sailboat, a rowboat, a ferry and the skyline! Nice eh?
Georges Island was used for agriculture for 200 years until 1825 when the US government acquired it for defence purposes. Fort Warren was built in 1847. It was obsolete once completed so it became a training ground and later as a Civil War prison that gained a favourable reputation for the humane treatment of the Confederate prisoners.
Our next tour guide, Tim, provide a not so stimulating 45-minute tour of the Fort. But we did enjoy the walkabout. Even Yellow Bunny found she could "hang out" there.
Finding shade. The soldiers played baseball on the grass inside the fort's walls.
Looking back at Boston.
One more selfie on the ship.
We barely get back to land when we joined Free Tours by Foot, at 5pm with our guide, David, with a walk around the Back Bay, Chinatown and the Theatre District, called Fire, Flood and Famine. This one is a little different than your normal historical themes. Starting at the magnificent Boston Public Library -- which we need at least two more days to explore -- we then walk at least two miles over two hours. Quite the tour!
Here is quick look outside and below of the library courtyard inside. All I had time to see of this magnificent building by the famous architects McKim,Mead and White before the tour.
On the tour we learned about nine firefighters who died when the Vendome Hotel floors collapsed in a 1977 fire and about the deaths of 490 people perished when the Cocoanut Grove nightclub burned down, about famous people of history and their influence on Boston, about land that was flooded and land that was reclaimed,
This green space, a linear park, is called the Southwest Corridor park and is almost eight kms long. People protested in the '60s with People Before Highways! The park was completed in 1990.
This is statue is of John Glover who helped George Washington cross the Delaware River.
By the time we finished we were very hungry so devoured Chinese food and went home to pack to leave for Manchester, N.H. by bus Friday morning.
Love your Hobbit lodging. I am looking forward to pictures of Manchester. When I was small, we vacationed near there.
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