Monday, December 18, 2006

Boston Pre-Christmas

This year I have made a dedicated effort to take Julia to first NYC and this past week Boston. Living in the country has lots of advantages but I think it is so important to see the other sides of life. Luckily, our good friend Cathy Payson (yes, the knitwear designer) lives in South Boston so we have a great place to stay. We took the bus into town from her apartment and walked our little feet off.

Here are some snaps of our quick trip beginning with a beaming Julia outside one of the many historic buildings on Beacon Hill.


Cathy and Julia in the lobby of the beautiful Copley Plaza Hotel (part of the Fairmont Hotel chain). This place is so lovely and the doormen, receptionists, and concierge made us feel so welcome. There is even a "hotel dog" named Katie who lives in the lobby.


One of the sparkling chandeliers

Room rates exceeded our budget. Maybe in our next life.

We headed down Boylston Street, Newbury Street, and Commonwealth Ave. stopping at every hotel lobby along the way. Julia has a thing for hotels because of the Eloise books by Kay Thompson.

Yarn motifs and things made of yarn had invaded Newbury Street too. Cute!


We walked across the Public Garden to visit the "Make Way for Ducklings" ducklings. They were smartly dressed for the holidays and we met lots of new friends with their parents and grandparents all loving the ducklings and their Mama.


Off to Charles Street and Beacon Hill to look at doorknobs, eat some lunch and enjoy what makes Boston Boston. I love all the hidden gardens off the back alleys that were originally built along cowpaths (yes, as in moo).

Took this photo of a "sunflower house" for the farmer. I know nothing about it other than it was beautiful and just off Charles Street across from "Hill House." Loved the colors, the layers and of course the sunflowers.


When we got home I remarked to The Farmer that Boston was so tame. The lights in the Park weren't on during the day and the decorations were subtle. He reminded me that no, Boston isn't NY - it's a "cloth coat" city. He's right.

I just love how it feels so old and quaint. The people are friendly and there's of mix of nationalities. The bus is cheap and clean (the busdrivers let Julia ride for free - thanks guys!) The shopkeepers are friendly and polite. There's lots of great food. When my sister Nancy was just out of college she lived on Boylston Street above the Pour House and we used to visit a lot. I have great memories of exploring the city with my sisters and friends and it was great fun to share it with my daughter.

This photo of Trinity Church on Copley kind of says it all. That's the Hancock Tower beside the church. It is wonderful how the sense of history is melded with the newer building styles. If you have never visited, please try. There are several great museums and lots and lots of great things to do.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

If you ever want to visit Montana, let me know. I'll spruce up the guest room for you and Julia. :-)

maryse said...

when i first moved to boston, i lived for a couple of months with friends on beacon hill. i loved it there. over the next 17 years i lived in various other neighborhoods, all great in their own way. and the pour house....i've had some good times at the pour house.
looks like julia had a great time.

Anonymous said...

The sunflower house reminds me of the houses in the small towns in Europe. And I prefer Boston to New York any day.

somebunnysloveDOTcom said...

I miss working in Boston! Even commuting by train was itself fun and walking around the city during lunch was so great. Glad you had a blast!
=:8

Anonymous said...

Thanks for the tour. It looks like a beautiful city....

Anonymous said...

Oh, to live on the east coast where you can just trot of to any of a number of major cities for the weekend! This is still a difficult concept for me to grasp, such the west coast gal that I am.
You know, I don't think I've EVER seen any pictures of Boston...EVER. Thank you for sharing your adventures! It looks like such a great time you had together.

bob4skin@gmail.com said...

Boston isn't as big as Yew Nork (New York) but it's much more
livable than the Big Apple.
On your next visit, you need to visit the Children's Museum or the Museum of Science.

Jodi said...

It looks like a lovely trip! I just love the ducklings. What a sweet idea.

Anonymous said...

i love the yarn snowman display

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