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Old 7 Jul 16, 10:27 AM  
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Boston and Washington Spring 2016 - Boys, Blades and Balls! - Day 3 (Skating and Harvard)

This is my first trippie (please be gentle)...

Trippie Index Here

Day 2 Here


What:



Boston, Washington D.C. and Baltimore


When:


Spring 2016


Who:


Me (April) Flagging by Mid-Afternoon

DH (R.C.) Needing a Sit-Down

DM (Judybat) A Good Recipient

DS (Pooter) Aged 9, Marveling at a Dead Cow


Day 3 - World Figure Skating Championships and Harvard



Stupid o’clock, must be time to get up. I woke at 4:00 AM, and took some work into the bathroom, where I could have the light on. I worked (sitting on a bathmat on the floor) until 6:00, then had a shower. Even the hair dryer didn’t wake DM, so I left her a note saying I’d be back after I checked on the lads.


I walked down to the Loews, made a cup of tea for R.C. at the machine in the lobby and then went up to the chaps’ room. They were both up and the Weather Channel was on (DS is OBSESSED with the Weather Channel).



R.C. had already been down to get tea, but he happily drank another cup. We then went off in search of breakfast.


On the way to the Loews yesterday, I had noticed an Au Bon Pain on Boylston Street. Au Bon Pain is a chain (the horror!) that started in Boston and does French-y bits and salad.




I had intended to hunt up some family-owned places, but a few weeks before we left for Boston, Pooter had to have surgery to remove a tumour from his back (he’s fine now, but it was difficult to concentrate on restaurants after hearing the words “Great Ormond Street” and “children’s oncologist”).


So...we walked to Au Bon Pain (5 minutes from the Loews, you pass a Dunkin’ Donuts on the way) - it opens at 6:00 AM, and we went in around 7:00. R.C. and I had ham and cheese croissants and shared a giant orange juice. DS isn’t a big fan of croissants; he had a chicken caesar wrap (at 7:00 AM). He said it was delicious.

The croissants were



Pooter's wrap:




Pooter isn’t a fussy eater AT ALL, and on holiday I tend to let him eat whatever takes his fancy (within reason, obviously). My mother always gave us “food furlough” when we were away from home, and I can remember how much fun it was to eat things that we never would have been allowed in our “regular” lives - like Cocoa Puffs!


I knew my mother would be awake by now, and I took Poot over to the Westin to see her. He was a happy chappy, even more so when she gave him an autographed baseball that she had gotten for him at (Twins) Spring Training.



After a little while, I had to take Poot back to R.C., so that DM could finish getting ready and we could head off.


The concierge in the Westin very kindly printed off the skating order for me so that we knew who was skating when. We didn’t want to miss our favourites.


If you are wondering why we didn’t take my mother to breakfast...well, she is a very particular and ladylike individual - who spends at least two hours on her morning routine (DS and I call this “Grandma’s beautification ritual” - she does not find this funny ).

So I knew it would be better to get the men fed and off for the day, rather than wait for DM. She got herself a Starbucks and some kind of pastry (there is a Starbucks concession in the Westin) while the rest of us were at Au Bon Pain.

Westin Starbucks:




I bought DM her weekly travel pass at Copley Station (she doesn’t use public transport very often, so was insufficiently pleased at how cheap travel is in Boston). Nineteen dollars! For the whole week! And it includes your journeys to and from the airport!


Nineteen dollars barely covers ONE DAY’s travel for me - Oh, please extend the Oyster Zone out to Potters Bar…


The Green Line took us straight to North Station, and Boston Garden is right across the street from North Station. Boston Garden is now shilling for some bank, but it’ll always be Boston Garden to me.


Edited at 09:46 AM.
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Old 7 Jul 16, 10:55 AM  
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Will call is down in the basement of the Garden, and it was very easy to collect the tickets. I was told I would need my passport and the credit card I used to pay for them. In the end, I just needed my passport.


We made our way up to security. All ticket holders had received multiple emails in the weeks leading up to the Championships about the security protocols and what would/would not be allowed in the building. Small handbags and cameras were OK, but no food or drink of any sort would be allowed. Originally, unopened water bottles were to be permitted, but that changed.


In a first for me, people were required to pass through metal detectors with their hands over their heads (the “Stick ‘em up!” position, if you know what I mean).




Hmm...I’m debating whether or not to put in what I think about this sort of security, but I think I will leave it for now. Lucky you.


FWIW, the security guys all seemed friendly enough (if not especially thorough) - I’m sure it made a change for them to be searching mostly middle-aged women.


The morning session featured the Short Dance. We missed the first two couples, but that was OK. Still more than twenty to go!


This year’s required dance pattern was the Ravensburg(er) Waltz. I always enjoy Waltz years, they bring us such beautiful dance.




I’m sure most of you aren’t big skating fans, so I will try and keep this brief (Spoiler Alert: I Fail).


Our seats were in the second row of the balcony, at “Center Ice”. Our all-event tickets cost $300 each. For seats in the lower tier, the price had either been $750 or $800 each (I can’t remember which). I went round and round about buying the more expensive seats...and I’m still not sure, now! In the end, the difference in cost paid for our hotel room.


We were seated next to a very friendly lady. She was Donna, from Indiana, and her husband had given her the ticket for Christmas. He was back home in Indiana (Ah, I can hear Jim Nabors now…) looking after their daughter - we later found out that said daughter is a Special Olympian. LOL...there’s a great deal of down time at Skating Championships. Over the four days we had many hours in which to get to know one another.


On our other side there appeared to be an empty seat (more on this later…).


I LOVE the Dance, so I was disappointed to see so many empty seats. As we were later to discover, MANY MANY seats had been sold to Japanese fans, and they were here to see Yuzuru Hanyu and Mao Asada (singles skaters). Their seats were empty for the whole of the dance competition. As such, the atmosphere - especially for the Short Dance - was rather lacking. You can see all the empty seats behind us...you can also see Donna reading her stats sheet.



Do you dig our outfits? Go big or go home!

I can't remember if I mentioned in this thread...my mother is Norwegian, my late father was Irish. I grew up (mostly) in America. My husband is English - I've lived in England for thirteen years, but we live for a part of every year (it varies as to how long for) in France. Who do we cheer for?

1. Ireland/Norway
2. America
3. England
4. France



No Irish or Norwegian couples in the Dance this year, so it had to be Team USA (but my fingers were crossed for Coomes & Buckland).

Edited at 08:57 AM.
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Old 7 Jul 16, 12:26 PM  
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English Interest:


Nick Buckland and Penny Coomes skated for Britain. Not many Union flags in evidence, sadly. Their costumes were lovely and very traditional (I liked them), but he had a bit of a wardrobe malfunction, and his collar or dickey (?) sproinged up towards the end of the skate.




I know that Coomes and Buckland have upped the difficulty in their dances - I do enjoy their style - they received a PB for this dance, if I remember rightly, were they eighth after the Short?


My Favourite Short Dance:


Unexpectedly, my favourite dance of the day was the Beatles routine of (Canada’s) Gilles and Poirier.




It was just a joy to watch. The costumes were FAB, too. They scored much higher than expected and were VERY happy. It was great to see.




The Americans:



America fielded two medal-contending teams - Chock and Bates, and the brother and sister team of Maia and Alex Shibutani. I especially enjoy brother and sister pairs - they are forced by the nature of their relationship to skate something “different”.

I think the routines of the Duchesnays and the Kerrs (as examples) have been some of the most memorable and enjoyable in ice dance.

The Shibutanis skated to Coppelia. I am embarrassed to say that the routine of Chock and Bates made so little impression on me that I can’t remember it...

Chock and Bates:



The Shibutanis:




The French:

Papadakis and Cizeron went for France. They were very well received, but their style isn’t as appealing to me as it is to the judges (but what do I know?). Papadakis took a HORRIBLE fall in practice last year and suffered a severe concussion, so it was good to see her looking so well.




NB: I have left the skating photos “as I saw them” so you get a sense of our view from the second tier. Much (much) better photos are available on the ‘net.


Food:


As I mentioned, no outside food or drink was allowed inside the rink. I was hoping this meant that more and/or cheaper offerings would be available as a result. Nope. On this day, the only food choice offered on the second tier was...hot dog or bratwurst.




We shared a hot dog. It tasted exactly like you’d expect a skating rink hot dog to taste.


After the short dance there was a gap of a few hours until the opening ceremony/men’s short program. Everyone was ALWAYS required to leave the building between the morning and evening sessions. The Boston Police Department made sure. Seriously, they didn’t mess around.




I wanted to see the opening ceremony, but I also wanted to be compos mentis for the men’s short program (the men are my favourite ) later tonight.

I’d only had four hours of sleep the night before (Curse you, jet lag!) and I knew I’d be better off for having a bit of sleep now.

So we went back to the hotel. DM stopped off at the CVS for more snacks, I tried to go straight to sleep. I did (eventually) sleep for 45 minutes or so and felt a bit more the thing.

Edited at 09:49 AM.
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Old 7 Jul 16, 12:42 PM  
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We enjoyed a gourmet picnic of drugstore cheese and crackers, and then headed back to the skating (I *might* have slipped a packet of M&Ms in my wallet for us to snack on later).

On the journey back to North Station, DM got talking with some other fans on the train (I was standing, but I could see her pointing at me and smiling).

As we got off the train, one of the ladies with whom DM had been speaking came up to me and said that my mother had told her that I had given her this trip as a Mother’s Day present and that I was a generous daughter.

(The complete stranger) then shared that she couldn’t get her adult daughter to contribute to the grocery bill. My DM is adorable - she will talk to ANYONE; it does sometimes lead to awkward moments.


She means well…ah, I’m sure DS will say the same about me one day.


The rink was noticeably busier this evening. Many Japanese fans were in evidence, getting ready to support their man Hanyu. He certainly inspires great devotion.



We missed the opening ceremony and first two skaters, but I was glad to have had the sleep.

Opening Ceremony (I was sorry to have missed this):




On the way up to our seats we bumped into Paul Wylie (he was very nice). I will always remember watching him skate to Carmina Burana. He had such passion!


English Interest:


Philip Harris went for Britain. I think he ended up 21st after the Short - and he did qualify for the Free.



It would be great to see some more skaters emerging from Britain - it seems to be a vicious circle. Success breeds more interest in the sport (look at cycling), while lack of success breeds disinterest.


The Top 3:



Finishing first tonight was the aforementioned Yuzuru Hanyu. He is a gifted skater, though I find his on-ice manner somewhat off-putting. I know I am in the minority here! Don’t yell at me - I just prefer something different.




Second (a distant second) place in the Short went to Javier Fernandez. I really like Fernandez - and it was great to see him skate to a piece of Spanish music (Malaguena - sorry, my keyboard doesn’t do tildes). There is something special about watching a skater perform to a piece of music that represents his heritage...




Third was the Canadian, Patrick Chan. I sound so mean here, but he has never really floated my boat. I do like a bit more emotion, and he has worked so hard on that, but it still feels forced to me...




It was great to see the young Latvian (Vasilievs?) skate so well.



I was excited to see that he is coached by 1994 Olympic Champion Alexei Urmanov. And Urmanov’s hair is as grey as mine...where does the time go?



The favourite performance for neutrals in the crowd had to be that of Ivan Righini. Poor fellow, he tripped over a toy that was thrown on the ice for the previous skater - and then came out and smashed it!




The Americans (sadly) just didn’t have the technical content to score highly, such a shame. Jason Brown (my favourite American skater) wasn’t selected to compete.


An Aside (or Two):


This was my first experience of hearing vocal music for skating IN PERSON. I’m not sure if I don’t like it, or if I’m just not used to it, or both. More research needed, methinks!


Also, SO MANY BEARDS on the skaters! Donna and I decided to keep a beard count to amuse ourselves.


The Green Line took us back to the Westin.


And so to bed.


"Men's Day" continues in next post

Edited at 09:48 AM.
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Old 7 Jul 16, 01:17 PM  
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continued from previous post


Meanwhile...


While we watched skating, R.C. and Pooter went to Harvard. When Poot saw this trippie the other day he asked if he could tell his version. So here it is, in his own words and pictures (remember he’s 9, folks). I have inserted the menu details/photos from the restaurants. R.C. wouldn’t let Poot take photos of food.

Additional Characters:

Two nice cashiers



Mother came into our room to give us some snacks. She then took us to Au Bon Pain. [Honestly they’re everywhere in Boston]


After returning to our hotel, Dad and I looked at the train map for several minutes.


Then, we went to the Harvard Museum of Natural History!




On getting to Harvard, we walked to the museum within fifteen minutes


The price was Eighteen Dollars for two people! It was worth it, though. The meteorites were amazing! One was called decapitated cow! [ha!ha!]



Meteorite Selfie:




We also saw the giant purple amethyst.




After leaving the Harvard Museum ,we headed straight for the Harvard Bookstore.



Once I was looking at the used books, I found a book called Island on Fire (about the eruption of a volcano in Iceland). I bought it. After that, we went to the Russell House Tavern.



It was so expensive.


I had the swordfish salad.




Slow-Poached Swordfish Salad - Arugula, Marinated Olives, Citrus, Spiced Almonds, Saffron-Honey Creme Fraiche


Dad had shellfish. He said that he expected me to have some, but I am allergic to shellfish. He forgets things like that.




Four Way Platter - 4 Clams, 4 Oysters, 4 Half Lobster Tails, 4 Shrimp



We both had naps that afternoon.


After that, we went to Lucca Back Bay.




It was very expensive as well.

First they brought bread and olive butter. It was excellent.



I had a special of Truffle Fettucine.

Dad had Rigatoni and wine.



Rigatoni with Traditional Veal, Beef and Pork Ragu, Grana Padano, Mascarpone, Parmigiano, Basil

We then went to sleep. End

Poot was surprised by the prices at restaurants, as you can tell.

I don't think either the Russell House Tavern or Lucca were outrageously spendy. For example, R.C.'s Rigatoni at Lucca was $26. The shellfish platter at the Tavern was expensive, but oysters and lobster usually are.

DH had definitely blown his Day 3 budget (as Poot was eager to tell me the next morning...) He regretted the shellfish platter (not worth the price, said he - and wished he'd had the swordfish as well), but recommends Lucca.

Thanks to those of you who have taken the time to reply to previous days. It means a lot.


Day 4 Here

Edited at 11:31 AM.
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Old 7 Jul 16, 09:25 PM  
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Have enjoyed reading your trip report so far and sound like you are all having a great time. It must have been lovely for you to spend quality time with your Mum while the boys were out on their adventures and look forward to reading more
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Old 7 Jul 16, 10:16 PM  
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Glad youre all having a great time whether with the skating or at Harvard area. Thanks for your report.
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Old 10 Jul 16, 12:28 PM  
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Originally Posted by Mel49 View Post
Have enjoyed reading your trip report so far and sound like you are all having a great time. It must have been lovely for you to spend quality time with your Mum while the boys were out on their adventures and look forward to reading more
It was really nice. My husband works like a coolie, so it was great for DS to spend so much time with him, just men.


Originally Posted by tocpe321 View Post
Glad youre all having a great time whether with the skating or at Harvard area. Thanks for your report.
Thanks for commenting.
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Old 14 Aug 16, 07:05 PM  
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Love reading this , how good is it that your son notices prices on food ! My 3 wouldn't have a clue haha.
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Old 16 Aug 16, 12:55 PM  
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Ahh, how fab!

Haven't a clue about ice skating but can tell your love of it through your writing.

Loving Pooter's take on things - they had some gorgeous looking food!
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