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Published: August 26th 2006
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Boston skyline
The Boston city skyline is very picturesque. With very little sleep from the overnight greyhound journey we arrived in Boston at around 9am.We boarded the metro train and headed towards out hostel. ‘Just a short tube journey from the city centre’ it touted. Yes and a 30-minute bus journey to the tube station which it failed to mention. We checked in and showered before we headed back into the city.
Unlike where we were staying, which was very industrial and run down, the centre of Boston was very beautiful, situated on the coast; this heavily Irish influenced city had much to offer and was overflowing with history, much to Ben’s disappointment.
We started off by visiting the two famous Universities, Harvard and MIT. Harvard, the oldest university in America was alive with students and was a formidable place. The historic red brick buildings, which housed the students and the academic buildings, were laid out in squares all interlinked with narrow passageways, a suitable venue for America’s brightest brains. A little further down the road was MIT the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a university dedicated to science and engineering, although not as impressive as Harvard a couple of buildings were of interest architecturally.
From there we
MIT
One of the more interesting buildings at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. walked back into the city, spending some time to soak in the beautiful surroundings. After some people watching we headed to the Cheers Bar, the bar front that was used in the TV series ‘Cheers’, then headed back to the hostel.
Back at the hostel we quickly got speaking to some of the other guests and we all agreed to head out to a local restaurant and bar. There was myself, Ben, an Irish lad, a French girl and another Brit. Together we ate, drank and discussed Americans and our experiences in America. By the end of the evening we were all united as one against all things American.
The next day I reluctantly dragged Ben around the Freedom trail, a 2.5-mile walk that weaves through the city taking in 16 historic landmarks all associated with the American Revolution. The trail started at Boston common, the site where angry colonials rallied against the British. Along the trail, which is marked by a solid red line on the pavement, we saw the gravestone of John Hancock, the first signer of the Declaration of Independence, and also the old Boston State House, the site of the Boston Massacre, where British
Cheers Bar
The building front used for the popular TV show 'Cheers' - Where everybody knows your name. soldiers opened fire on a mob in 1770 killing five. The walk then heads through the Italian district, passing some wonderful Italian cafes and bakeries, the aroma of which was mouth-watering.
Crossing the Charlestown Bridge the trial continued to the Navy Yard and the USS Constitution, an old oak built ship used during the second Independence war. We decided to stop and take a tour around the old ship. The tour guide was very informative and as you would expect the content was very anti-British. In fact the audience and the guide took great pride in the fact that the USS Constitution once managed to destroy one British ship. Back on the trail and it concluded at Bunker Hill monument, a granite obelisk that acts as a commemorative landmark to the first large-scale battle of the first Independence war here at Bunker Hill.
That evening we decided to head back to Quincy market, a location we passed through during the freedom trail. The market was a lively and fun place; it was filled with live street acts, bars, restaurants and small fast-food stalls serving every type of food imaginable. After having a few drinks and soaking in yet more
Old State House
The Old State House is the site where the Boston Massacre occured in 1770. of this wonderful city, we took the two tubes and bus connection back to the hostel for the night.
During our first night in Boston, the Irish lad had told us of how he had gone whale watching for the day, this was something Ben really wanted to do and, reluctantly, I agreed to go with him. I was not left disappointed.
We boarded the catamaran and headed out to sea at some rate of knots for an hour and a half before we eventually reached the whales. We saw three types of Whale, all of which were feeding. Surrounding the whales were vast numbers of dolphins that followed the boat and which regularly jumped out of the water. It was fascinating to see. A great number of photos later and we started our journey back to shore. The reality of seeing non-captive whales in their natural environment only then started to kick in.
After the whale watching I dragged Ben off to the JFK memorial library and museum. The library was a beautifully constructed building and offered wonderfully peaceful views of the waterfront. Inside, the museum tracked the history and life of JFK, along with his achievements
John Hancock
The grave of John Hancock, the leader of the Continental Congress at the time of the signing of the declaration. He was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. and some famous speeches that he had made.
For our last evening in Boston we went to the cinema to relax before heading back to the hostel. The next day we had some spare time before our flight so relished the opportunity for a much-needed lie in. We did our washing grabbed some food then headed to the airport where we caught our flight to the Sunshine State of Florida and to the City of Miami for the next stage of the journey.
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