Che Viaggio!: 1984 Boston, MA (4/27/1984)

Friday, April 27, 1984

Stopped at Kent’s to pick up a cookbook and the article Jan & Kirby sent about chocolate molds for Kathy. We headed to Boston on another beautiful day The cranberry bogs are now full of dark bushes. Followed I-93 and despite construction, we arrived fairly quickly via the express lanes. Parked in the garage at the aquarium by 9:15 and walked over to Quincy Market. We perused the stalls and bought a half dozen assortment of brownies, but could only manage one and a half each. We went to Faneuil Hall to start following the red line of the Freedom Trail, following the painted footprints. Went past Haymarket, the open farmer’ market, and over the crosswalk with bronze objects laid in the concrete.

Haymarket

Bronze impressions

We walked through the Italian North End neighborhood to Paul Revere’s House.

Paul Revere's House

We paid $1.50 each to see the oldest house in Boston. Some info about Paul Revere was posted on the walls of the courtyard, and there was a bell cast by him. Inside the small house, we got a chronological history of Paul Revere, and saw a few furnishings and objects from his time. A small but well-laid out museum on two floors.

Paul Revere House herb garden (6./21/1985)

We continued to the square with an equestrian statue of Revere, and saw a man pulling an absolutely ugly, but apparently priceless dog, velvety brown with big skinfolds all over (Chinese Shar-Pei).

Statue of Paul Revere and the Old North Church

We went into the Old North Church, the oldest church in Boston, where the steeple was replaced after the hurricane in 1954, but the original window was saved. This was where the lanterns were lit that led to Paul Revere’s ride. There were wooden medieval figures on the posts of the balcony which was taken from a ship. We entered the museum gift shop to see interesting items, like one of the so-called vinegar Bibles, where a typo turned ‘vineyard’ into ‘vinegar.’ Also replicas of the lanterns used to signal Paul Revere.

We continued up to Copp’s Hill Burial Ground,

Copp's Burial Ground

Tombstone of the man who hung the
signal lanterns in the old North Church

Elaborate tombstone

then returned to Faneuil Hall, the “cradle of victory” given to the city by Peter Faneuil. The first story is still a market, and the second story was a meeting hall, scene of revolutionary gatherings. We noted the grasshopper weathervane on top.

Grasshopper weathervane

We wandered through Quincy Market, and both the North and South Markets restored to look like a 19th century market place. Not inside!

Crossing in Quincy Market (12/17/1983)

Inside Faneuil Hall (12/17/1983)

Quincy Market, Faneuil Hall, North Market (12/17/1983)

Inside Quincy Market (12/17/1983)

We bought a long loaf of Italian bread and a couple cheeses to have for lunch as we sat by the waterfront near the aquarium. After some people watching, we entered the New England Aquarium even though the Big Tank was still closed. We got a coupon for two for the price of one ticket for a return visit when the Tank opens. We paid $5 each and had our hands stamped with blue fish. We passed the whale exhibit to look in the central shallow pool with sharks and turtles, and other large fish roaming around. We couldn’t believe they were in such shallow water, but later learned these were the inhabitants of the Big Tank, and usually penguins are in the shallow pool. The aquarium was well-organized with displays of a large variety of fishes in an educational manner. There was also an Edge of the Sea display where you could reach in and handle tidal pool inhabitants of starfish, crabs, sea anemones, etc. We worked our way up and around, and then spiraled down in time for the “animal interview” with a penguin. Then it was time for the dolphin and sea lion show at the “Discovery” ship at anchor on the wharf. We went in to get seats, and soon an excellent show started, including a movie on dolphins. Afterwards we went behind the aquarium to look across the water at Logan Airport. We saw an area of cloudy water, well demarcated from the clearer water (?). We got in the car and Kathy paid the $8 parking fee. We drove back to RI, and went to Kent’s place to prepare dinner of pork chops stuffed with rice, with peas, and fed Kent, Kyle and Erich.

Saturday, April 28, 1984

Kathy and I left at 9:00, stopping in Pawtucket to see and hear the unusual pedestrian mall.