Turning 50 - NY USA here we come!: 20.9.15 - Day 16 Sunday- Lyn's Birthday, Boston, Freedom Trail Walking tour, Harvard, Subway, Langham Wedgewood high tea.

Lyn’s birthday.

John Copley Statue in Copley Square

Out for breaky at Stephanie’s which we had scoped out yesterday, then on to our Freedom Trail Walking Tour.

Lyn

We overdid it at breakfast, but being a special birthday breaky, figured that was ok, we ordered Buttermilk Griddle Pancakes – blueberry and banana, also offered Monkey bread to start, so tried that – (a large slab of warm Cinnamon cake, drizzled with a sweet syrupy icing) OJ and Coffee. The monkey bread was my favourite.

There's our rather large breaky. That's Monkey Bread on bottom left and pancakes on right.

Monkey Bread

Pancakes

We walked to our tour via Commonwealth Avenue again, but a few streets earlier, so some more statues that we didn't see yesterday.

Samuel Morison

A tribute to 9 firefighters killed when the Vendome building collapsed during a firefight in 1972.

Walking to our tour via the beautiful public garden.

Public Garden entry.

The tree lined lake.

Tortoises and ducks

This squirrel looked so comfy leaning back against the tree, with his acorn.

Our tour guide Rob – AKA – Isaiah Thomas, was doing the town cry as we arrived to drum up business for the tour, he was dressed historically in his long coat and 3 cornered hat.

Again lots of good information on the tour, but retaining it all, when not familiar with American History is tricky.

Isaiah Thomas - aka Rob our tour guide.

Explaining something about something.

North church maybe?

Not sure this guy really knew what he was doing with all that spaghetti wiring.

Lots of facts and stories of the Signatories to the Declaration of Independence, Paul Revere’s ride, Boston Massacre, buildings along the Freedom Trail.

This burial ground contained relevant graves/stones to four of the signatories.

Paul Revere marker

The little one is actually the grave stone of Paul Revere.

Isaiah addressing the group in the burial ground.

The brick pathway that signifies The Freedom Trail, and winds it's way through Boston.

I asked him why Boston is called “Beantown” – 2 reasons.

Most recently – baked beans were made here.
Original reason – The Puritans (British) were very religious and didn’t work on the Sabbath, this included not cooking. So on Saturday the boiled and prepared beans, then buried the pots with hot coals underneath. On Sunday they would be seen literally pulling warm and ready to eat beans from the ground, hence others who saw this happening, called it Beantown.

Another church - maybe South Church.

Beautiful hanging pots and flowers throughout the city.

Talking about the meeting house at one point.

Great old lamps.

I had read the Old State House had a grasshopper of weather vane, Rob added, that when it was taken down for repairs, they found that in the hollow section the creator had placed a range of papers of the time, so in effect created a time capsule, which no one knew of at the time.

Grasshopper on the roof of Old State House

We finished the tour at Fanueil Hall.

Had a little look around and found we were able to see the second floor Meeting Hall, which had been built by Mr Fanueil as a place for Bostonians to meet and discuss issues of the day. The Hall was quite beautiful.

Meeting room at Fanueil Hall.

More of the Freedom Trail

Then we tackled the subway, purchased our Charlie Tickets, to go out to see Harvard University, before heading back for Lyn’s Birthday High Wedgewood Tea at the Langham Hotel.

Not quite as ornate as NYC

Got on at State station on the Orange line.

Off at Downtown Crossing? and onto Red line.

The weather on Subway tv today.

Here's some action from Blue Man Group

Harvard was big and interesting.

Columbia central streetscape.

Flags through Harvard.

Me with the Statue of Mr Harvard.

On way back to hotel to freshen up, I popped into Trinity Church – which is a huge old church just near our hotel, ornate inside, lots of stained glass etc.

Trinity Church

Then a cab to Langham for Wedgewood High Tea – all very nice and sweet, I had some Oolong tea option and Lyn an Assam option.

Choosing our tea options.

Oh and of course, a glass of bubbles for the occasion.

There were ribbon sandwiches, curried chicken vol-au-vents, salmon thingos, followed by scones, and lots of very rich, sweet treats to finish off.

Very rich treats to finish off.

The pianist.

On a sugar high, we walked home via Quincy Markets where I got a Harvard shirt (couldn’t get it till I knew we’d been.)

One of the hawker trailers at Qunicy Markets, cool light shades, looked great in the dusk light.

We wandered slowly home via Beacon Street and Boston Common/Public Gardens to see the “Make way for Ducklings statues” that one of my facebook friends recommended we not miss (thanks Alison.)