The Best Spot in Boston

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We are staying for a couple of nights at a dock in the Constitution Marina in Charlestown. Which means that we are about twenty minutes walk from the Quincy Market area and a perhaps thirty-five minutes from Boston Common.

We are pleasantly surprised to find that dock-space here actually costs us a little less than our recent stay in Provincetown. And this place is superb. Three dock guys greet us and expertly position our “little” sailboat among the much larger boats fore and aft. There is a small swimming pool and the showers here are the best kind ... individual little “bathing suites” with floor-to-ceiling Italian tiles ... :-). This may have something to do with the fact that a surprising number of people actually live aboard in this marina, even through the New England winter! You too can stay here, if you like, even if you do not own a boat. They offer “B&B at the dock” in three little permanently-docked houseboats for about the same price as a Boston hotel room.

On Wednesday evening, we cross the bridge to the North End, which is Boston’s “Little Italy”. We have made a short list of recommended restaurants and we manage to find a couple of them. But they both have actual lines of people waiting outside for the next available table. And so do almost half of the other restaurants. It is true that we arrive there at 7pm but even so, we are surprised to find this number of people on the street on a Wednesday evening. We eventually find a restaurant with space to eat at the bar and are served an adequate meal.

The temperature continues to be about 90, so on Thursday, we go to the movies to see Woody Allen’s “Blue Jasmine”. Very good. Cate Blanchett deserves an Oscar and will probably get one. Woody Allen deserves and Oscar but probably won’t ... :-)

Afterwards, we walk back via Quincy Market and stop for a meal at McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant. The glass-enclosed bar is a pleasant space and the food is good. We especially liked the “crab tower” appetizer, the crabmeat being served on a pile of chopped mangoes and avacados, with an interesting lemon dressing.

This is where we have been for the “next” few days ...
Friday, Aug 23 - Scituate Harbor MA
Saturday, Aug 24 - Plymouth Harbor MA
Sunday & Monday, Aug 25 & 26 - Marion MA
Tuesday & Wednesday, Aug 27 & 28 - Quisset MA

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