19.9.15 - Day 15 Saturday - Boston, City Views Trolley Tour, Boston Harbour Cruise, Blue Man Group.

Up and at em again this morning, back to Newbury St to find Sofa Café, which Lyn had seen mentioned in some of the material we had picked up. A Brazilian group now in Boston. 

Trinity Church reflected in the building across the street.

Trinity Church.

Boston has swish tenements and brownstones, with stores in basement and at ground level, we assume they are residences above that – mainly 3 stories high. There were lots of nice planter boxes and gardens too.

Hip Boston Brownstones with gardens.

Boston - City of Churches, here's another one.

Spire of another one.

We walked the wrong way for a bit, before retracing our steps and heading to Boston Public Garden and Boston Common. Gardens are lovely, with squirrels, statues, the lake with Swanboats, flower gardens etc.

Squirrels were cute still. This guy was digging in the grass.

This little girl was getting closer and closer.

The Boston Common is more a big park with some burial grounds and lakes.

I've got my acorn, now to get down from here.

Steinway pianos

Sky shot

We found the information centre and made our way to the State House to catch our City Views Silver Trolley Tour – another hop on hop off bus. 

Memorial opposite the New State House

New State House, roof is 23 carat gold.

Just standing around chatting.

Lots and lots of history associated with British and Colonialists, revolutionaries, Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre, Paul Revere’s midnight ride. 

No idea what or where this was.

Also interesting to learn that much of Boston is built on reclaimed land, so much in fact was man made landfill in the bay area. 

The bay was quite shallow so originally wharves were very long to reach out into deeper water, these were eventually landfilled and built on.

Our tour included a 45 minute Harbour Cruise, so we got off at stop One and did that, it was good to see Boston from the water, we saw the Nantucket, USS constitution – “Old Ironsides”, USS Cassin Young.

Boston Harbour

View of city from Harbour

Nantucket, can't remember it's story,..there was one. It sounds like the start of a limerick tho.

Flags with whom they trade.

Bridge and old pylons, lots of abandoned, disused wharves.

Mmmm, maybe the Duck wasn't such a stable idea. This one had a definite list to the starboard side.

Servicemen playing tourist on board the USS Cassin Young.

Coast Guard.

North or South Church spire.

City views.

Flags and birds shot.

Customs house.

On return we visited Fanueil Hall and Quincy Market, where we took an hour or so to look around/shop/eat/watch the street performers. 

The market was built to be a fresh food market, now lots of stalls and little trolley stalls. Some good food available though, I had a nice shrimp roll. 

There were lots of people around – being a Saturday.

Hip looking woman trying on those sari things you can wear 1000 ways.

Street performer.

Fanueil Hall

Still the street performer and his assistants from audience.

The big finale.

and all good things come to an end.

Ceiling in Quincy Market

The Food Hall within Quincy Market

Street view

Then back about the Trolley Bus for remainder of tour including Little Italy, many churches North/South/Episcopalian/Presbyterian, site of Boston Massacre, Beacon Hill, TD Gardens sport stadium, Old and New State Houses and Boston Common.

street view

State House again.

Amazing, net type sculpture, slung across the Jackie Kennedy greenway.

There is a bike race in town today, the Mayor’s Cup, which has cut off some streets. 

We wended our way past Old State House and around/through the bike race to City Hall Plaza, to find Bill Russell (Celtics basketballer in the 60s) statue for Lyn. 

Old State House.

Front of Fanueil Hall?

The Steaming Kettle

a cycle team, getting their numbers on.

Found it, he was obviously more than a great basketballer going on the quotes and information around his statues – mentor, coach, educator. 

Bill Russell, with # 1 Fan - Lyn.

The two of us with Bill Russell.

All about Bill.

More about Bill, he was a pretty decent sort of bloke I reckon.

Some wise words from Bill

and some more.

yet more things he held as important.

Good one Bill.

We checked out the finish of the Women’s bike race, then walked home via the beautiful Commonwealth Avenue – with posh homes, upmarket brownstones and mansions either side and down the centre of the street a wide tree lined mall, with statues. 

The runner up ladies coming in behind the winner, whose pic I missed.

More of the boys, stretching.

You can see the steam from this angle.

Curved building near City Plaza.

Frog statues at Frog Pond in Boston Common

Tadpole playground opposite the Frog Pond was all systems go, with many kids on board.

Frogs keeping an eye on their pond. Man made, shallow concrete pool. That was once the scene of dunkings of suspects.

A wedding of Mr and Mrs Morse and dog.

The Swanboats all tied up for the night.

?????

Mansion entrance on Commonwealth Avenue.

we really like this Mall.

Flash Brownstones.

another Ivy covered church.

Trinity Church, reflecting building in background and a Duck tour in front.

Trinity Church

Me at our hotel 140 on STUART Street.

Hotel 140 was the site of initial YWCA building. and has been preserved.

YWCA.

Home to freshen up before dinner – Indian at Tantric, and  off to our show Blue Man Group – which we booked on arrival yesterday. We got 4th row ‘poncho’ seats, which meant we had to don ponchos (and worry about what that meant!!)

It was a quirky 3 man show with lots of audience interaction, thankfully we were NOT called on to volunteer. Not going to say much, but a different show, you should see if it ever plays at a venue near you.

Indian for Dinner.

Short walk home for a bit of chocolate and cuppa for dessert. Some movies on TV – everything seems to be set in NYC at places we have been.