These globes (each one meant to demonstrate green living) were everywhere. I loved that this one is wearing a rooftop garden like a jaunty hat.
Well, no, I did, but I made it back okay. Readjusting to regular life post-holiday has been a little crazy. It’s always a struggle, but for a bunch of reasons (including an angry little cat who refused to let me sleep), this time was harder. As a result, I’m behind on a bunch of things, but most especially I am shamefully behind on thanking you all for your excellent suggestions about where I should go and what I should do while in Boston! One of these days I’m going to write up little travel pages for each place I go, just so your trip advice won’t get lost in the archives.
One thing I learned by walking everywhere: Boston knows how to do window boxes.
Boston was an excellent city for solo travel (L was with me, but he spent most of his time doing conference things). Apparently the week we were there was the best weather they’d had all August, which meant bright and sunny and hot days – it was glorious. It was so nice, in fact, that I didn’t go to a single museum (I would have, but then L wanted to go see USS Constitution, which I’d already seen, but it was his only free time and how could I argue?) Basically this just means I’ll have to go back, and I’m pretty okay with that.
Freedom! (as long as you follow the path)
I sort of told you about Monday already, but on Tuesday I took to following the red brick line of the Freedom Trail. It was the hottest day (at that point – I think it got hotter later in the week) that Boston had had all August, so I slathered on the sunscreen and bought some water and went at it. I started in the Boston Common and took a guided tour as far as Faneuil Hall. It was exactly the kind of thing I would have hated as a teenager (our guide was dressed in period costume), but as an adult, I loved it. It has been a long time since I took American history, so all the extra details were both fun and helpful.
So tempting.
After the tour ended, I wandered around Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall for a bit before continuing on my way, which let me past the fabulous Mike’s Pastry, through Little Italy, and over a very serious bridge to the USS Constitution and from there, up to the Bunker Hill memorial: 294 steps are, it seems, no problem to get up, but after descending my legs were shaking so much I had to hold on to stay standing. And then I had to walk all the way back. It was a slow and painful walk (and my calves hurt for days), but it was worth it.
View from the end of Fan Pier. I love that waterfront architecture.
The next day, still in a bit of pain, I went over to Fort Point and poked around some of the little shops and restaurants. I also walked Fan Pier, which was lovely and offered a totally different Boston skyline than the one I’d become accustomed to seeing.
See what I mean about the window boxes?
I did do some shopping in Boston, but sadly had no way to get to Webs. I did find one yarn shop, but it was so expensive ($69 for a 100g, 400-yard skein of 80% merino, 20% cashmere?) that I just left. I actually knit very little while I was away. I finished the first of my Skyp Socks on the plane heading home, and although I cast on for the second one, it’s one week later and I’m only two inches in. (After Boston we went to Ann Arbor for a wedding, which didn’t allow for much knitting either.) Luckily there’s a long weekend coming up and we have no plans at all.
So, what did you get up to last week? I’m still catching up on all my blog reading and e-mail responding, so if you get a barrage of comments/replies, that’s why.
Pans & Needles 