My hotel was convenient to the old part of town so Monday morning I headed straight down to the Info Centre at Faneuil Hall. Turned out to be the info centre for Faneuil Hall and the Freedom Trail but not much else. Even struggled to answer questions about catching a train …
But here I was in the cradle of the Revolutionary War (aka to us The American War of Independence). Old meeting halls, lots of oratory and back room planning. No taxation without representation and tea overboard. I missed the early afternoon session for the reenactment, but from afar I saw the ‘tea’ going overboard, and decided against waiting for the next session.
Then there was Paul Revere’s grave, house and statue (that was the order in which I walked the Freedom Trail, following the coloured bricks in the pavement. Then the church from whose steeple he hung the two lanterns to warn those over the river that the British were coming (one lantern for ‘overland’, two for ‘coming by sea’ – or was it the other way around? ) Before he took off on horseback to give verbal warning to the people of Lexington and Concord. He was arrested before he got to Concord but not before some serious men and munitions had gathered to face the oncoming British.
(Having problems with photos will do more of these if I can persuade WordPress to like me!)
I didn’t buy the book and don’t recall any more details but no doubt we can google the rest.
In amongst all that was the old (and new) market place and the sign in Quincy Hall market that Megan had told me about.
photo to come.
So next day there was Harvard. The College was formed in 1636 by a group of colonists and took the name Harvard after the benefactor who left land and money in 1638. A fire in the early 18th century destroyed most buildings and all early records (so the statue of ‘John Harvard’ that stands pride of place in Harvard Yard is not actually his likeness. ) And the oldest remaining building dates from 1736 but even that is pretty impressive.
7000 undergrads: 1750 per year for 4 years and all first year students must live on campus in ‘houses’ within the main central part of the campus. Upper year students’ houses are located a couple of blocks away with commerce and university buildings intermingling. Although now mixed gender, the parallel women’s university, Radcliffe, was only fully disbanded and amalgamated in 1999.
Undergraduate fees (tuition and housing) is $65000 pa though many receive scholarships to discount that. The demand greatly exceeds the places available.
photos to come.
So I was checking out eateries late Tuesday afternoon and passed a big stadium – ah, there had been some signage near the hotel, wondered where it was. Big photos of a well-padded team and gear vendors on the street. “Is there a game tonight?” Yes, you can get tickets at the store on the corner. OK, I don’t understand American football and there is a lot of football on the TV at present. Maybe I should go. So I enquire about tickets and decide the budget can cope. The guy shows me the plan … “this seat is quite good and is close to the ice.” ICE??? It’s a hockey game! The Bruins are the local team: brown and gold. The opposition is the Minnesota Wild in green and red. Hmm, how do I root for green and gold?
it was very loud. And periodic extra loud music and flashing on the screen “noise, noise” to get everyone shouting. Needed it. Very few Wild supporters on a Tuesday night and the Bruins went down 0-5. With the help of Mr Google, I now know a bit more about ice hockey – my neighbours weren’t much help: one from France also at his first game, and on the other side a guy clearly not up to any explanation.
Elidia had said – oh I’d love to go back to Boston, I’d go to the JFK Presidential Library. So that’s what I did yesterday. Spent the time in the museum. Lots of similar issues to the current election but oh what a different approach. Quite fascinating with vision of speeches in the nomination, election, and subsequently in his presidency. And then how things that he started followed through.
travellingkathy 