Friday July 28th - Home!

July 27th - Thursday morning we took a taxi to the airport, arrived in good time (the fare was only $14.05, but arriving in Boston it was $31.50!). I had a "bad" coffee (made with oat milk and syrup - not what I asked for!); we were so early which makes for a long day - plus our flight was delayed 40 minutes due to the flight crew/pilots arriving late the night before. The flight was fine, we picked up Ginger at Carolyn's, took out both dogs for a pee. We ordered two Mojo BBQ salads for lunch, walked Ginger and then began unpacking, laundry and me getting back to work! 

Dinner was an angel hair pasta with fresh cherry tomatoes, garlic and parmesan cheese.

Friday: AA had her PT with Lisa. Changes include that she can ditch the crutch! Walking is improving and we plan to walk until we work up to the 15,000+ steps (equate to 18 holes of golf). Ford made his homemade pizza for dinner. The Clay Today had a "retro" photo of AA's hole in one nine years ago.

Saturday 29th: Ford made his pinto beans in the crockpot.

We decided to go to the RAM market, still searching for small Christmas gifts; bought some tomatoes and cucumbers. Then our favorite Moon River for lunch - the salads are still perfect! 

I came home and made a batch of Cliffreda's cookies - so good! Freezing most to have for AA's school morning breakfasts.

Salads at Moon River Pizza:

Pinto beans with onions and potatoes:

I took cheese, pickles and olives for our happy hour at River House; only Kathy came as Maureen is still recovering from her fall on Tuesday the 18th so has not been out much.

Sunday: Slept in and skipped church. AA and I went to visit Carolyn so AA could walk in the shallow end of the pool, exercise her legs. Alex was there helping Carolyn, then left. We chatted, brought her some homemade cookies, then headed home. We continued watching Grantchester Season 1, finished and the Season 2, Episode 1. We are enjoying.

Monday/Tuesday, Boston

Monday: We went to bed about 1:00 a.m. so was glad to sleep in until 6 - 7ish a.m. I went to the cafe for a coffee, bought a muffin, yogurt and banana for our light breakfast. We walked the Paul Revere Mall, lots of plaques, fountain, statue, lots to take in.

We headed out to see where the tea party was held on the harbor, we took the MTBA and walked to the spot. There is a museum that charges $34 per person to enter, go on a replica ship and throw fake boxes of tea into the water - we declined! I did take a tea bag and sprinkled the contents in the harbor (AA wouldn't do it!). So much for a very lame re-enactment!

We walked part of the Harbor Walk then headed to the South Station to go to Chinatown for lunch. We tried a new place, the Q - very good - it had a variety of hot pot on the menu (cooking your food in a boiling broth - we did not do), sushi and traditional Chinese dishes and vegetables.

From there we decided to go back to our room, as Ford's back was giving out on him. After a short rest, AA and I went out on the Freedom Trail to do some more exploring. We spent more time in Paul Revere Park, reading the plaques, went to the Copp Hill Cemetery.

Mike's Pastries - ALWAYS crowded (we bought some back in March too based on Aunti Jean's recommendation - Ford got to try them):

After putting ice on AA's knee, we went to an early dinner at Tonys and Elaine's (AA had a Spanish lesson at 7 p.m. with Laureen). We enjoyed a meatball appetizer - how do they make such huge meatballs that are compact but not dense, so moist and spongy to eat, delicious! Ford ate the Pasta ala Vodka; Leaa makes it homemade, so he decided to try at a restaurant, very good and noted that the pasta/rigatoni was very ala dent, quite firm.

I had the appetizer caprese salad for my dinner, so yummy, heirloom tomatoes and fresh buffalo mozzarella cheese with balsamic dressing. AA had the same she ate back in March, Baked Gnocchi. The house bread was delicious, fresh, fluffy with olive oil. Considering the early hour on a Monday, the restaurant filled up quickly.

AA had her Spanish conversational lesson and we finished the evening relaxing with our Mike's Pastry cannoli's!! Sweet dreams!

Tuesday: I grabbed my usual coffee in the morning, worked on my laptop in the main lobby/cafe until about 8:00 a.m. Light breakfast in the room (yogurt/bagel). See separate post on our Tuesday Tour.

Wednesday, July 26th: Took DownEaster to Portland. Separate post on our family lunch at DiMillo's.

Thursday - Early morning, flew home to Jacksonville!

Portland Maine - Lunch with Family

We rode the Downeaster to Portland, where my Mom picked us up and drove to D'Millo's restaurant.

The Eastern Promenade was beautiful, sunny, a brisk, breeze. Nice to see my home city. We went back to the train station loaded with snacks from Mom, Terri and Melissa.

Train ride:

It was a busy, noisy lunch, didn't talk much to Mike and Jim, but we all had a good visit (of course, my Mom paid, it was supposed to be my treat). In group photo: Back is cousin Jim, Nephew Andrew, Mom, Ford, Cousin Hilary, and me. Next: Chloe, Aunti Jean, AA, Terri and front is Melissa and Cousin Mike.

Always miss Melissa and Terri:

Back on the train:

Boston Tour - Tuesday 25th

Tour time! I booked it to save alot of walking and public transportation to Concord and Lexington - where AA had not yet been in all our Boston travels.

We were ready and in our tour guide's car at 10:00 a.m. Martin McEntee drove us around the city (we declined starting with his usual Old North Church as we have seen it several times), first to Dorchester Heights: told story about Henry Knox - hauled guns from Fort Ticonderoga. 

Here are my cryptic notes during the tour: Night of Boston Massacre. No shelter, storm. British left March 17th. Lost bunker hill, ran out of ammunition. Revolutionary War first year in Boston, then moved to NYC and south.
The meaning of being caught red handed. Boston Massacre - manslaughter would get hand branded, same as a thief would have a T branded on his hand. The Old State House is where the Boston Massacre occurred; a circle marks the spot.
Viewed the Kings Chapel and cemetery. Beacon Hill - used to have Beacon on top of hill. Took hill down to build houses. From old money, drug money, opium, shipping China goods back to England, then to Boston. Thomas Crown Affair Movie: drove house 85 Mt Vernon St.; Cobblestone roads original to Beacon Hill.
House at 10 Louisburg Square lived Louisa Alcott. Acorn street most photographed; Hulu Boston strangler movie. Common Garden beacon hill, oldest, drove along Commonwealth Ave. We drove by Henry Longfellow's home in Cambridge, drove past BU, then went to Harvard campus, saw the dormitory that housed "high security" students, the statue that everyone rubs. Also, only walk through gates twice, freshman then leaving at graduation, and they ask freshman about interests so can be matched with a suitable roommate.

Lunch at Summer Shack was delicious, Ford had the "Connecticut" style lobster roll, AA and I had the salmon poke bowl; I split a cup of clam chowder with Ford; Martin had a cup of clam chowder and some Asian dumplings.

Drove by the John Adams Courthouse (Beacon Hill) is now the Massachusetts Supreme Court. Pulled in at the Munroe Tavern 1735. Sam Adams hid there once he knew the British had a warrant for his arrest for treason (establishing a militia not sanctioned by the King).
We stopped by the Lexington Green Battlefield, started sprinkling rain. 
Concord: Stopped at the Louisa May Alcott Orchard Home where she wrote Little Women. 

Concord Battleground, bridge, halftime show. Minute Man Monument.

Drove past public access to Walden Pond. Long drive back to our hotel due to traffic and rain. The tour overall was not what we thought, the guide did not chat much, long spells with no stories, historical facts, not much interesting. We did cover a lot of "ground" but tour was surface level, a bit "flat".

For dinner, we took our guide's recommendation and we did enjoy the food at Bricco's, but wow, was it crowded and noisy! The light was so dim, we could not read the menu. Glad we tried something new, as he made the reservation for us and know it was influence that got us in!

We walked back to our hotel which was nice, enjoyed the best weather in Boston!