Boston/Lexington/Concord

We're enjoying our trip to New England. This whole area is steeped with/in history. The place where we've been staying is called Back Bay as it was the Back Bay of the Charles River. Before it was homes and businesses it was water! That's right. The walk-up we're renting is built upon land that was "added" to Boston by landfill. The place we're in, Copley House, probably dates from the mid to late 19th century, so it's "new" relative to Boston standards. And when I say walk-up that's what we had to do with our luggage. Yep, no elevators here. Luckily we weren't all the way to the top floor, just the third floor. The place has character I'll say that for it. I just wouldn't have gone for PINK paint on the interior walls. Fortunately, the room we're in is painted a light yellow. We have a little kitchenette a couch, a table and three chairs and a nice TV. The floor's wood, the area rug has seen better days as have the bedside lamps, but since we're not into having "luxury" we're fine. It's been comfortable and we check out tomorrow.

We spent Monday getting to Boston. Tuesday we spent taking the Freedom Trail. This trail covers some of the significant sites of Boston-in particular those that featured prominently in the War of American Aggression (that's what my friend Ellen calls it.) We walked and walked and walked. We listened and walked and walked some more.

Some of my favorites included the Behind the Scenes tour of the Old North Church-you know the one if by land, two if by sea place. The Behind the Scenes tour was worth the 8 bucks each. We got to go where you don't usually get to go-down in the crypt below the church and up in the Bell Ringing Room as well as the upper balcony where the organ and "cheap seats" are. I thoroughly enjoyed it-Michael did too.

I loved the old cemeteries we visited as part of the Freedom trail. With some tombstones dating into the 1600's. Unfortunately for Michael I LOVE reading the inscriptions on them. It's interesting what some people either have written or their family has written for them. Some of the inscriptions are very involved-not so much epitaphs but almost eulogies/obituaries. Others are very simple. The symbolism of the artwork is also fascinating as it reflects religious beliefs of the time.

I could go on and on about Boston. We did get a good taste of it, but I'd welcome the opportunity to visit it again. Today we drove out to Lexington and Concord.

Lexington and Concord are all about the Minute Men. I thought I had a pretty good idea about pre-Revolutionary activities especially those surrounding "the short heard round the world." I feel like a sponge as I've absorbed (or tried to absorb) so much more information. After being in both of these places and touring some of the historic homes involved, think every child should be required to actually GO to these places of importance and truly get a feel for what went on; the lives and livelihoods sacrificed, the differing opinions, I will not be the same.

While we were out near Concord we went to Walden Pond-the site of Henry David Thoreau's two year odyssey of simplicity. I was surprised to find people swimming there and wish we had brought our swimsuits with us (they were back at our place). We did walk down to the pond and I'll admit to collecting one small rock to remind me of the message of this place which I take to be to simplify your life and pare it down to the things that mean the most and are worth the most to you.

A lesson well worth remembering. Tomorrow it's time to head to Cape Cod.

NS