Boston

Soooo...... not going to Antarctica. Sniffle, whimper. Cruise was cancelled. Sea ice... blah blah blah. Whatever. Going next year instead (fingers firmly crossed).

Instead: Boston, Quebec, Cuba, Easter Island, New Zealand.

First stop: Boston.

Finally, a chance to revisit my youth and the Summer of '97!

 

Mammy and Daddy Forde crossing the bridge from Cambridge to Boston.

Flew to Boston with Mammy and Daddy Forde (and Karl Forde). As soon as we got on the T (underground) I was transported back in time – it smells like (probably) only the Boston T smells!!! And off to Harvard Square – where the T station smells (as it always did) of Dunkin Donuts.

Harvard Square in the Winter.

A bit colder than I remember (when Harvard Sq. was the hottest place on earth after Death Valley) and quieter, with everyone sheltering indoors, but mostly still recognisable (apart from the big, generic-looking, fast food “Tasty Burger” where the Tasty used to be).

Harvard Yard (Hahvah Yahd).

Took a stroll down to Spark Street (home for me and Martina back in '97) – someone's done a very nice renovation job.

 All looks very different without leaves on the trees and with ice in the river. And on our first night, how lucky, trivia (Karl was ecstatic) in John Harvard's Brewhouse. We finished a creditable (given the average IQ in this suburb and our inability to answer questions pertaining to US sport) second last. We went to John Harvard's Brewhouse on five out of our six nights in Cambridge...it's a nice spot.

Couldn't agree more. And the Imperial Stout was excellent.

Introduced Karl to the Out of Town News where our relationship, unknown to Karl, began (thanks Paul and Martina!). Aaw.

Then the Nor'easter hit – the first storm of 2014. T'was cold, wicked cold. Got down to minus 4 fahrenheit (that's minus a million Celcius). Loads of snow just added to the wonderful New England Christmas atmosphere – trees, decorations and lights everywhere.

Telephones and trees on Boston Common

On the frozen lake in the Public Gardens.

Back Bay.

 

Ice sculptures popped up everywhere.

North End under snow but still serving great Italian.

Boston Common.

Went to the Sam Adams Brewery in a blizzard but it was well worth it. Ate roasted barley, smelled hops, drank beer. Doesn't get any better.

Where it all happens...

Generally ate lots of fabulous burgers, drank lots of great beer and wondered at how amazingly pleasant and friendly Bostonians are. Happy to go back, anytime.

Got to catch up with Dom and Jaime (in....wait for it....John Harvard's Brewhouse) who bravely drove in from Connecticut. Miraculously, none of us have aged a day

Dom and Karl get it on, just like back in the day.

 

The Fordes do a Boston pubcrawl/slide.