Boston in Photos

I slept with three blankets and and my beanie last night, so I was snug until it was time to get out of bed.  Peter had gotten up before me and turned on the little space heater, so it wasn't too bad.  Outside it is 38 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is not a lot warmer in here, so this blog post will be mostly photos.

We have had a great time in Boston.  On Saturday, Peter and I walked along the Freedom Trail, stopping at all the historic sights along the way.  There was an a capella competition in front of Faneuil Hall, and we enjoyed that also.  After we completed the trail, we stopped for a hot beverage and bakery items at Caffe Nero near Boston Common.  We were then in the pedestrian shopping area, and we needed to shop!  At T.J. Maxx's and Marshall's, we bought gloves, a beanie and warm boots for Peter and mittens, a beanie and two pair of wool socks for me.  While we managed without these accessories that day, we really needed them yesterday and this morning.

Copp's Hill Burying Ground; the British used this patriot's market for target practice in 1775

Old North Church; "One if by land, two if by sea"

St. Stephen's Church

Paul Revere's house

Oyster shucking in the Haymarket in Boston

New England Holocaust Memorial

Faneuil Hall

Portrait of Peter Faneuil

Old State House

Old South Meeting House

Old City Hall and statue of Benjamin Franklin, who was born and went to school nearby

King's Chapel, the first Anglican church in New England

Park Street Church by Boston Commons

Boston Commons and the Massachusetts State House

Rose Kennedy Gardens and the Customs House Tower

Zakim Bridge over the Charles

Our friend Lori Shoemaker flew in from Washington on Saturday, and we met her and two of her old housemates from her Harvard Law School days for dinner at a Moroccan restaurant, Tangierino, in Charlestown, only a few blocks from Constitution Marina.  The food, service and atmosphere were fantastic, and we enjoyed great conversation and the belly dancing performance.

Sherri and Lori bundled up by Mantra on Sunday morning

Afterwards, we returned to our chilly boat with Lori.  We piled on every blanket and duvet we could find and used the little space heater, but it still seemed frigid.  We survived another night and woke up to rain, so we stayed on board until almost 10 a.m.  Then we had breakfast at a nearby cafe and got a Lyft to approximately Mile 2 of the Head of the Charles Regatta, the largest 2-day regatta in the world, with 11,000 athletes rowing in over 1,900 boats in 61 events.  Lori's son Michael, a junior at Woodrow Wilson High School in D.C., had secured a place on the men's eight, so the three of us were excited to watch the other races but most especially to watch the Youth Men's Eights, which had 85 entries.

Woodrow Wilson's boat rowing to the starting line, with Michael third from right

The course is 3 miles (4800 meters) upstream from Boston University's DeWolfe Boathouse near the Charles River Basin to the finish just after the Eliot Bridge before Northeastern University's Henderson Boathouse. We walked up the Cambridge side of the river to the Eliot Bridge, where we waited on the bank to watch Michael's boat row downstream to the starting line.  Then we went up on the bridge to watch the eights emerge from under the arches toward the finish.  Most of the boats went smoothly and gracefully upstream, but there were a couple of passing incidents near the finish in which oars of opposing boats interlocked.  The course is renowned for being difficult to navigate without incident or penalty.

Woodrow Wilson pulling for the finish line

Michael and Lori after the regatta

After finding Michael after the race, Peter and I separated from Lori, who was spending her remaining couple of hours in Boston visiting a law school friend.  We wandered over to Harvard Square and had a late lunch at the Russell House Tavern before strolling around part of the campus.  We heard part of an organ recital at the lovely (and warm) Memorial Church.

Memorial Church, Harvard

Then it was back to the boat, where I sat shivering and organizing photos while Peter puttered around, as always.  I was too cold to move, but we bundled up anyway and went out in the literally freezing temperature to have dinner at the Warren Tavern, only a few blocks away.  It was constructed in 1790 and was a favorite of Paul Revere and was also visited by George Washington when he was in town.  The exposed dark wooden beams and wide-planked floors seem to be original, and the atmosphere was cozy.  The food was really good.  (This was the third night in a row we had enjoyed a wonderful meal; on Friday, we had great food at Blackmoor Kitchen by Charlestown's City Square.)  We stayed in the warmth as long as we could, ordering dessert even though we were full. 

We are leaving Boston this morning, finally starting south.  We are a bit delayed because Friday afternoon, when Peter cut the engine after we had docked here in Charlestown, he forgot to turn off the engine room blower, so it ran until it totally drained the engine room battery.  (I am so glad it wasn't me who made this error!  I make too many as it is.)  He has tightened the belts and we are ready to try starting the engine again.  Our fingers are crossed!

I really have to put my mittens back on now.