Boston Photos
Boston-
Jenny writes.
 View of Boston from the boat |
We arrived into Boston on a Sunday afternoon and tied up at Constitution Marina. We were right beside the Charlestown Bridge and had the most amazing views of the Boston skyline.
We were getting ourselves organized when there was a knock on the boat, and we found a fellow kiwi welcoming us to Boston. Colin has been an expat for many years, and lives on board his 36ft Tartan, Antipodean, at the marina. We invited him on board for a beer and he suggested where we could go to watch the Patriots game that evening.
We then got a text from our friend Mark from Delaware, saying he saw we had arrived in Boston and he and Meghan were also in town visiting their son. They suggested joining us at the sports bar as well.
So we spent a fun evening watching big screens showing the Patriots game, and the Boston Red Sox playing in baseball’s ‘world series’ as well. Colin joined us and so did Mark and Meghan, in one of those totally random coincidences. It was lovely to see them again, particularly as we are unsure whether our travels will take us back to the Delaware coast.
Boston is one of the oldest cities in America, and it is steeped in history. Many significant American historic events occurred in Boston such as The Boston Tea Party, which lead to the Revolutionary War. Many of the streets are paved with cobble stones, most of the buildings are made of brick. The architecture is fascinating.
Boston also is famous for higher education, and is home of world renowned, Harvard University, and MIT. There is a very high concentration of medical research facilities, with lots of biotech businesses based here (hence our new friend Colin).
We were in Boston for two reasons, firstly I have never been there, and really wanted to see it. Secondly, Ted has a very old friend from his Caribbean charter days who lives in Scituate, about 20 miles south of Boston. Ted contacted Tom, who suggested he would drive into the city on Tuesday to spend the day with us. So Monday we cleaned Southern Star and made her presentable. We took a walk around the local area, passing by the USS Constitution, berthed nearby, and toured the destroyer USS Cassin Young. It was cold and windy, and was predicted to stay like that all week.
Tom arrived Tuesday morning and it was lovely to listen to him and Ted sharing stories and memories. He and his wife Rosemary had been very good to Ted when he spent time working in Boston with Sealegs, even taking him away for weekends on their boat around some of the New England coastline.
 Tom and Ted – two old charter captains |
Wednesday was a better day weather-wise, and we walked across the bridge and spent the day wandering around the city. I loved the old buildings converted into apartments which lined the waterfront, and which reminded me a lot of the area where I lived in London. In fact, much of Boston brought back memories of London, with its blend of old and new architecture, well designed open spaces for city dwellers and office workers, and the central market area which made me feel like I was back in Covent Garden.
Michelle on Roam had recommended a restaurant in Chinatown, which we happened upon by chance, and which was definitely worth the visit. If you like great Asian food, then visit Q restaurant in Boston. By the time we walked back to the boat we had walked 7 miles.
Thursday we decided to take the subway out to Harvard. It was very cold again, with a strong wind, but we walked along the river and up to the subway station and rode the train out to the campus. What an amazing area, with the old buildings and gorgeous grounds. I was surprised that we were able to just wander through the campus. It must be an incredible experience to actually be a student there.
We spent several days walking Boston, averaging over 6 miles per day. The city is really a great one to do on foot. We found an online deal on admission to the Dreamland Wax Museum, and were able to get photos of Jenny with Tom Brady.
 Jenny meets Tom Brady (sort of) |
We had an authentic Italian pizza in Little Italy. The city is just such a neat place to visit. It is so pretty with the old buildings, and the skyline was amazing from the back deck of our boat in Constitution Marina.
Ted writes.
Boston for me is a really interesting place to walk. It has more history than I being from California, am used to experiencing. But Boston is more about seeing my ole mate Thomas Gavin, from our Virgin Islands days –of 1982. Tom and I both operated charter boats with our first wives, Jane. Yes Tom was married to Jane and I was also married to a Jane, not the same one. So we were a pretty funny couple of couples – Tom and Jane, Ted and Jane.
We spent lots of good times together living the trials and joys of running luxury charter boats in the 80’s in the amazing Virgin Islands. Tom has always been a very funny person, full of stories, and always with a good joke. I love to spend time with him, and love his new wife, Rosemary.
Tom and Rosemary were also very excited to meet Jenny. We had a great time with both of them. As Jenny mentioned Tom came up to Boston one day upon our first arrival and we walked around the Navy Shipyard and the USS Constitution.
We talked Tom into joining us when we moved Southern Star from Boston to Scituate, located about 20 miles south. We had a great afternoon, with nice sunny weather and docked in Scituate Harbour in a very quaint marina.
We spent the night with Tom and Rosemary, had a nice dinner at the Scituate water front. The next day we watched the New England Patriots football game with them. Ironically, Tom is not a football fan, and Rosemary is. She was delighted to watch football with others who enjoyed the game.
We went back to the boat Sunday evening, and readied for an early departure from Scituate South.
We timed the departure to have the current going in our direction through the Cape Cod Canal, where we got up to 11 knots. We stopped at a quiet little anchorage just out of Wood’s Hole, and left the next morning early to anchor in Salt Pond Bay in Block Island, Rhode Island.
