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Published: April 5th 2006
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The Littlest Bar -- Last Days
This 38 capacity pub near the Omni Parker House in Boston is fun; but defunct. The owner, a Kilarney man, lost his lease. Look for a re-opening in a new little spot. Boston (including Williamstown and North Adams), MA
March 24-26, 2006
Girl Trip - tTwo Sisters - by car - guys golfing at Innisbrook near Tampa
Friday
Williamstown - Loved the Francine & Sterling Clark Museum - Many John Singer Sergeants - nicely organized FREE in the winter months. Had lunch in the lobby - would go back!
Williamstown - didn’t stay long at the Williams College Museum - the 2nd floor galleries had special exhibits - to do with pain and suffering - that is hard to consider art.
North Adams - The MASS MOCA Museum is a wonderful use of former industrial space - however, the “installations” were hard to relate to. We can usually find something redeeming about contemporary art, but this time, we just didn’t get it - there was an exhibit of amusement park rides (as art), and a very unusual exhibit of installations by a seemingly angry person. One - supposedly the model of a self sustained jail - featured live critters often seen as dangerous - tarantulas, scorpions, brown spiders, snakes - living in what seemed to be a 4-H project gone bad. Would go back providing the exhibit was well recommended.
Boston - Stayed at the Omni Parker House - great downtown location - Valet parking ($16/day). Car available with 20 minutes notice. Easy walk to Filene’s basement (where we found bargains) - NOTE Filene’s is closing, but NOT the basement - the “T” station is in Filene’s basement - Hotel is an easy walk to Faneuil Hall & Quincy Market (which we skipped this trip) - we walked to Union Oyster House, North End Little Italy, etc. Would stay here again.
Union Oyster House - Great fresh seafood - we shared an appetizer of clams and oysters prepared variously - and a bouillabaisse with lobster - sat at the bar with a draft awaiting our table (this was Friday night) - Bostonians are friendly and engaging. Would recommend.
Filene’s Basement - figured out the formula - checking the date when the item was sent to the basement and getting a corresponding discount. Silk gauchos for $4. Would go back
Cambridge - Took the “T” from Filene’s basement to Harvard Square - loved the Harvard Campus - LOVED the Fogg Museum (free for over 60 and free for all until 12 noon on Saturday - masters through recent contemporary artists - Picasso, etc. - so nicely organized - we saw a “Christo” plan for a “Wall” to be installed near Sonoma, Ca. - not sure if it ever went up. NOTE: the sisters had gone to see Christo and Jean Claude's silk saffron "Gates" installation in Central Park, NY a few years ago - we also met them at a fund raiser in Manhatten - so it was fun to see the drawings. We found great thrift shops in Cambridge. One of the sisters found a wonderful apron with a four gore’s - nice spots for lunch - we split a Cuban sandwich and had a cup of soup at Grafton St., a friendly neighborhood spot on Mass. Ave. We found it great to walk around in the Cambridge neighborhoods. Would go back.
“T” stop at Filene’s for more shopping - Did go back.
The Littlest Bar - Capacity 38 people - got seats at the bar of this pub that makes you think you are on the Dingle Peninsula in Ireland - Bostonians are friendly, engaging, and nice to mature women like the sisters! Sipped black & tans in this basement hovel crammed with sports art - including a vintage photo of a triple dead heat at Aqueduct. We had been to Aqueduct Race Course in New York the week before to see one of our own come in fourth. The Littlest Bar is closing at the end of March, 2006 due to losing a lease. Can’t go back to the same site, but the owner says he will reopen at another site. Will go back.
North Boston - Little Italy - Cabbed to a restaurant found in Rachel Ray’s $40 / day. Stood in a line at Giacomo’s - 355 Hanover St. - got called in before those ahead of us because we were only a party of two - very small, unpretentious, lively, crowded - loved the atmosphere - shared a bottle of Chianti - went for the Capresse salade - Mozz, basil, tomatoes, balsamic, etc. -ordered crab ravioli and butternut squash ravioli - wonderful meal - no checks, no credit cards, no dessert! Our waiter tried to be a toughie - slammed down the menus, etc., but was really very nice. Walked to Graffiti for coffee, pistachio gelato, and lemoncella - walked back to the Omni Parker - felt very safe - always people around. Went back the next day.
Sunday while waiting for the car, we walked around the old church yard and grave yard next to Kings Chapel. The graves date from 1630s. The site is the corner of Tremont and School Streets, The art work on the headstones - death angels, skeletons, etc. - is fascinating as are the names. There is an odd structure on a corner that is really a vent shaft from the subway.
Sunday in North End - parked in a parking lot east of Hanover St. $13 flat fee - 1-10 hours. Found an Italian import store where we bought the butternut squash ravioli that we had enjoyed the night before - the recipe is in Rachel Ray’s $40 and under book. Went to Mass at St. Leonard’s - Mass in Italian - nice way to get the ear used to the language - have a trip to Tuscany in the works for fall 2006 - and to pick out a few words now and then. We think that North End parishioners of St. Leonards invented sponsorships. There are plaques all over the place.
After Mass we had breakfast sandwiches on really good rolls at a deli on Hanover St. Mine was marscapone cheese, smoked salmon, capers, and a fried egg. We walked to Paul Revere’s statue, St. Stephen’s Church (where Rose Kennedy was baptized and funeralized), and Old North Church. Found great little shops and bakeries in the area west of Hanover St. Great neighborhood for walking. Would recommend.
Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum - on the way out of town near the Fenway - (use the Fine Arts Museum stop) on the “T.” This was our fifth museum in three days so we were a bit jaded - LOVED the courtyard - always fresh plantings under a conservatory roof. The art heaves high on the religious and the house museum is said to never be changed per “Belle’s” will. So lighting is tough - signage is almost non-existent, but still the place has its own charm and the setting is delightful. Interesting that Mrs. Gardner had a print of the John Singer Sergeant work, Fumee d'ambre gris, which we had loved at our starting point - the Clark Museum - I wonder if the Stuart Gardners and the Clarks ever got together! Would recommend Isabella Stuart Gardener Museum - if just for the courtyard. $11.
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