Advertisement
Published: April 11th 2022
Me, Harvard Square
Harvard UniversityDear All
Yay! Greetings from London! I am back from an amazing two-week trip around New England, USA. As mentioned in my first blog entry on this trip, the day before I left, I planned during this journey to publish the blog entries of my travels when I got back home. On longer trips I normally publish as I travel - this trip was fairly long, but still a shorter trip, in which I'd be aiming to spend most of my time packing lots of travelling into each day. I thus didn't think I would have time to write and publish as I go, and this certainly turned out to be true. I'd say I was out each day for around 10 to 12 hours, so would indeed have had little time to write in the evenings when I got back to my accommodation. Having said that, I did write notes on my adventures each day, and I will be using these to write up my blog entries now.
It was an absolutely incredible trip, one in which I simply loved each day, and felt that each day was just as good as the other. I can't really say
I had a best day, although I do think Cape Cod was my favourite place, simply as I felt I missed it when I left - that doesn't happen to me much, as I'm usually just excited to see the next place. But the calm life down there, the peaceful landscapes, and being surrounded by coast and sea, all felt really special to me.
So, this is my first proper entry on this amazing trip, and I plan to publish six blog entries in total over the coming weeks. This first one will recount my time in my first port-of-call on the journey, the fantastic and attractive city of Boston. My flight out left Heathrow around 11am, and given that it takes me about 2 hours to get to Heathrow, and that it would be good in these times to check in early, I thought I'd save the stress of the morning by booking a taxi to take me there, rather than use public transport. This was a good call. Although for the last two miles the three-lane M4 was reduced to a mere single lane, with very slow traffic, I still arrived three hours ahead of my flight.
I was glad I did. It took me around an hour to queue, as I needed to check in and drop my bag off. I couldn't check in online, and I also had to show extra documents at the desk, including my proof of vaccination, negative test and a "US Travel Attestation" form. This latter document I had printed and signed, and I had a mini-scare at the check-in desk when they told me I had to do it online. Fortunately I could do it there and then, and it only took about five minutes to do this. An hour to check in is quite a wait these days I'd say, and I overheard another passenger on my plane saying it took her 2.5 hours to check in, and she nearly missed the flight. I think this is the current situation because many people are having to check in in person at the moment, and with all the extra document checks it takes longer.
After this, the flight was fine. There were a few spare seats, so I moved from my three-row aisle seat with three people in it, to a seat right at the back with a spare
seat next to me - perfect! I watched "Ghostbusters" and "Ghostbusters Afterlife" during the 6.5 hour flight, and they were both just great for getting me into the American mood! Immigration went smoothly, and the immigration officer confirmed that with my US tourist visa I'd be able to visit the USA as many times as I'd like for the next eight years - great to hear, and that's what I certainly intend to do! My Boston metro route to my hotel involved taking the "Silver Line" which in fact turned out to be a bendy bus which goes underground rather than a metro train, and then the "Red Line", a proper tube train, to my destination, Harvard Square. This was certainly a swanky part of town to be staying in, and I was fortuitous to be there. I had originally booked a motel-type of accommodation for a good price in a cheaper area not too far away, but they subsequently cancelled on me, and Booking.com booked me into this new place for the same price, even though it was worth £40 a night more! What a good upgrade, and a great start to my adventure! The heavens opened as I
View from my Room
"A Friendly Inn at Harvard", Boston walked through Harvard Square to the place, "A Friendly Inn at Harvard", although I was just so excited to be walking with my backpacks through America again that I hardly even noticed. The accommodation was rather quaint and old-fashioned, and not particularly friendly - I renamed it in my head "An Inn at Harvard", without the "Friendly" bit, although it wasn't even an inn either as it had no coffee-making facilities, no kitchen or microwave, and no breakfast despite many other places having moved past the c-word situation and now providing this. I was very glad not to be paying the full price for the place, it would certainly not have been worth this. Still, it was warm, quiet and comfortable, and I enjoyed my stay there.
After a surprisingly good sleep considering the jet-lag, I had an amazing first day of my American adventures, exploring the fantastic city of Boston. Officially Boston has a population of around 700,000, but its whole urban area including all of its surrounding towns and districts has a whopping 8.5 million inhabitants, making it the sixth largest settlement in the US. My first destination for the day was on my doorstep, and I
enjoyed a lovely walk around the Harvard campus, with sunny weather and calm Sunday streets. Harvard University is in fact America's oldest, being founded in 1636 (a mere 16 years after the Pilgrims' Landing!), and is arguably the country's top educational establishment. It is one of the eight institutions which comprise the country's Ivy League, and also turned out to be one of three that I visited on this trip alone.
After breathing in the educational atmosphere, I took the Red Line back into town again, and began my real walk for the day, following what is called the "Freedom Trail" through the streets of Boston. Due to part of a metro line being closed, I followed the 2.5 mile trail in a funny way, starting in the middle, walking to the end, and then walking back to the beginning to end up in the middle again, so I probably walked about 5 miles in total! It is a famous walk which passes by a number of locations important to the history of the United States, particularly at its foundations and around the American Revolution, or US War of Independence as it seems to be called in America, of
Memorial Hall
Harvard University the late 1700s. I first took in the Old City Hall, Old State House and Boston Massacre site. This latter point was the place in which disgruntled colonials angry at the recent imposition of the Stamp Act of 1765 which was seen to direct more money from the US colonies into British hands, voiced their resentments at a group of British soldiers in 1770. The soldiers felt overwhelmed and threatened, and eventually opened fire into the crowd, killing five people out of around 350 who were gathered there. This event, along with the later Boston Tea Party, more on that below, is viewed by many to be one of the catalysts for the Revolution. I quickly learned that my time in Boston and around would teach me much about this very important time in recent history.
From the Boston Massacre site, I walked past the Faneuil Hall, through the Italian North End of Boston and onto the Old North Church, in an area famous for being the home of legendary revolutionary hero Paul Revere. I had intended to visit Revere's house in this part of town, but must have missed it by a long shot, and ended up continuing
Harvard Square
Harvard University on my way with the aim of hopefully re-visiting it on my return to Boston at the end of my trip. The Old North Church, however, is famous for being the place where Revere lit two lanterns in the church tower, to indicate to the local people that British reinforcements were arriving to maintain military order during this revolutionary period. "One if by land, two by sea" was the signal, and since two were lit, the British were arriving by sea. This is when Paul Revere began his famous ride through the colonial villages to Concord, 20 miles to the west, on his stead Brown Beauty, to warn that the English Redcoats were coming, more on that below.
From Revere's stomping grounds, I walked over the Charles River to the district of Charlestown, stopping by at the USS Constitution ship, nicknamed "Old Ironsides" due to its great strength and indestructibility, particularly famous for its victories in the 1812 war against Britain. The ship is free to visit, and I enjoyed walking around it, and meeting and talking with the actual serving navy officers who look after it, even dressed in the typical navy uniforms of 1812. From here, I
headed up a nearby hill to see the Bunker Hill Monument at the end of the Freedom Trail, standing on the site of the 1775 battle marking the turning point of the revolution for the colonials. The Monument is 67 metres tall, and a climb of 294 steps can take you to the top. I was a little relieved to be honest to learn that the Monument was closed during my time of visit, and thus spared my aching legs further discontent!
I then walked back into town again, to pick up the walk at its beginning this time, via a few places along the way. Firstly, the Old South Meeting house, an interesting cross between a protestant church and a public meeting house, seeming to reflect in my mind the particularly American form of politics which completely involves the people, with openness and public discourse in places such as these, allowing for greater democratic participation in decision-making - something I think that the rest of the world, including the UK, is sorely lacking. A short walk from here took me to my highlight for the day, a visit to the amazing and very fun Boston Tea Party Ships
and Museum. This place marks the rough place where the Boston Tea Party of 1773 took place, again around the time of growing discontent with colonial rule from Britain, and in conjunction with the afore-mentioned Boston Massacre, leading to the revolution shortly afterwards. The source of the anger was again unfair taxation favouring the British government over the colonial settlements, and on the night of 16th December, protesters disguised as Mohawk Indians threw an entire shipment of 342 chests of tea into Boston Harbour, taking three hours in total to do so. The protest yielded the famous quote "no taxation without representation", as the hardy fellows cited the English Magna Carta of 1215, and arguably led to the developments of modern democracy today as we know it. The museum visit was incredible, not only in educating me on an event I previously knew little about, but also in its fun of having local actors dressed in period costumes act out various scenes from the drama. There was also a chance for the visitor to throw a chest of tea overboard, albeit a buoyant one on a rope so that it can be pulled back again for the next visitor! I
Johnston Gate
Harvard University really enjoyed my time there.
After, I headed up to Boston's South Station to book my onward bus ticket to Cape Cod after my time in Boston. The girl selling the ticket became one of many people who commented on my English accent. This is very much one of my favourite things in the USA, becoming a minor celebrity overnight simply because of speaking with an English accent - people seem to love it there, and I love it when people say that they love it! She tried to copy everything I said, and I had to correct her on her pronunciation of "Tuesday", which she eventually said with a perfect English twang. There was also a girl in a supermarket later that day who was in stitches for around 10 minutes after I asked her colleague if they had a "toilet" (Americans say "bathroom" and "restroom"), which he didn't understand - it was simply the way he repeated "toilet?" in an English accent back at me, which got her going.
After purchasing my ticket and a few laughs later, I headed through Boston's Chinatown and Boston Park, and onto the Cheers Bar! Wahoo! It was around 5pm
by this time, and definitely time for an adult beverage. Although Cheers is set in Boston, and this place certainly has the name and the logo, the bar inside is quite different to the TV set, though you still go down stairs to get into it. A lady who took my photo outside of the bar subsequently dropped my camera, and it seemed broken for a good fifteen minutes. Fortunately I got it to work again, which made the beer I had at the bar even more enjoyable - I was certainly in a mood to celebrate, it is an expensive camera...! I also bought a Cheers beer mug as a souvenir, and got into a good conversation with a nice Chicago family on the table next to me. We seemed to share the same opinions on government responses to the c-word situation, and it was a heartening conversation to have - they told me how their two children, aged around 7 and 5, spent nearly two years in school with face masks on all the time, including during gym (PE) classes!
I then picked up the Freedom Trail once more, this time at its start, and with a
merry spring in my step from the beer, completed it by ending up in the middle where I started earlier that day. I then headed back to the Inn for some lovely, and very well-deserved I think, downtime at the end of an amazing day - ten hours of exploring Boston, even with jet-lag!
The next day was also just wonderful, and as mentioned, pretty much every single day was. The weather had gotten very cold overnight though, and with a bit of snow it was down to -2 C when I headed out, with a frightful and constant north-western 20 mph wind blowing the whole day, and bringing the wind chill down to around -27 C by my calculations - it was freeeeeezing!!
I first headed to a train station over a mile to the north of Harvard, called Porter, where I could take the commuter train on the Fitchburg Line 30 minutes westwards to the delightful little town of Concord, also of huge importance during the American Revolution, as well as being a 19th century haven for US literature and philosophy - there was so much to see in such a small town!
I started
my day in Concord with breakfast at a delightful joint called "Helen's Diner", with the intention of eating out at US diners at every opportunity during this trip as I just love them! I had my eggs "sunny side up" as I always have them in America, simply because I don't know how else to reply when asked "how would you like your eggs?"! After a short walk through town greeting many-a friendly local, and passing by graceful New England spires and white-boarded buildings, many dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries, I arrived at one of my destinations for the day - the absolutely beautiful Orchard House. This was the home of Louisa May Alcott, author of "Little Women", and also where her novel was based, being a semi-biographical account of her own life as Jo in the story, with her three sisters and parents living at the same Orchard House. I had just seen the 1994 film of the book, with Winona Ryder, which used the same house as a filming location, and it was just beautiful to visit. Unfortunately photography was not allowed inside, so I couldn't take a photo of the very desk Alcott sat
at to write the novel, but it was a really beautiful building to be shown around during my guided tour there. As well as Alcott, the town was also home to a number of famous philosophers and authors including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne, all of whom knew each other, and regularly met and exchanged ideas. Emerson is the founder of the very interesting religious/philosophical movement called "transcendentalism", which I know very little about but would certainly like to know more - I believe it is based on finding God in nature and all around you, something which is very close and personal to my own heart and experiences. Sadly, Emerson's house was closed, being the off-season, so I shall try to find out more about him and his ideas another time.
A mile's walk eastwards took me to one end of the Minute Man National Historic Park, marking the 16-mile route the English redcoats took in 1775 heading back to Boston after their skirmish at the Old North Bridge in Concord, more on that below. "Minute Man" is the name given to a civilian colonist who fought as a self-trained militia against colonial rule
Old City Hall
Freedom Trail during the American Revolution, Concord proved to be another place where I learned much more about this hugely significant event in history. The visitor can walk or cycle this original 16-mile route from start to finish, whereas I merely walked the first mile there, and then back again, as I'd already planned lots of other walking that day. I walked along a path called Battle Road, where the English Redcoats where flanked on numerous occasions by local minute men on their march back to Boston. I noticed around the area that there were a number of gravestone markers with British flags, honouring the English Redcoat casualties of the early American Revolution here, and admired the recognition of the local people of the sanctity of all lives during war. The walk was enjoyable, though it was blisteringly cold with the icy wind. After turning back I had lunch back in Concord at its Colonial Inn built in 1716, and then headed a further half-a-mile to the north-west of town, through the Old Manse House and Grounds, and towards a place called the Old North Bridge. This place was very interesting, and marked the site of the first battle of the US
War of Independence in 1775.
It was this bridge that Paul Revere, whose house I had missed earlier back in Boston, had ridden towards on his very famous ride on Brown Beauty to warn that the English Redcoats were coming. Along his journey he had given his warning cry to all the colonial villages he had passed, so that by the time the English did get there, a fair and sizeable amount of minute men had assembled ready to fight. The two sides first met here at the Old North Bridge, where the first shots were fired and the first battle took place, leading Emerson to later famously call it "the shot heard around the world". Indeed, one shot led to the birth of America, which in so so many ways has shaped the modern world in which we live today - this was certainly an important shot!
At the bridge I first got talking to a nice American-French couple who had lived in Concord for 25 years, and then had a very interesting conversation with a local Concordian resident who I learned was the former headteacher, since retired, of the very famous and prestigious Boston College High
School - a fascinating conversation indeed.
After a very warming and soothing hot chocolate at a Dunkin' Donuts near Concord's station, I took the commuter train back to Boston again, and after walking back to my accommodation through another part of Harvard University, I enjoyed the heating at full blast for the rest of the evening and night. After ten hours in the freezing, windy conditions, I had actually started shivering on my way home, which I thought was not good. It was lovely to be warming my cockles again once more at the Inn, and fortunately, although there were further cold days, there were no more as cold as this one.
What an amazing start to my two-week trip around America. I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of my time in Boston, met some wonderful people, and learned so much about the foundings of this great nation called America.
Thank you for reading, and I shall write up about the next part of my journey in Cape Cod in my next one.
All the best for now.
Alex
Advertisement
Tot: 0.067s; Tpl: 0.02s; cc: 19; qc: 34; dbt: 0.0338s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.2mb
D MJ Binkley
Dave and Merry Jo Binkley
Cheers! The joys of New England
What a fantastic blog. I really enjoyed it… maybe because I’ve been to many of the places you described and it brought back joy as I read. I was tired by the end of reading as you did so much. LOL. New England has a great vibe and is rich in history- both American and British. It looks like you left no stone unturned. It is great to hear you are navigating our limited public transportation without difficulty. America is such a car culture, sadly. MJ.