Boston and Washington Spring 2016 - Boys, Blades and Balls! - Day 7 (Cathedral, Freedom and Pizza!)

[Guest]

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

Trippie Index Here

Day 6 Here


What:


Boston, Washington D.C. and Baltimore


When:


Spring 2016


Who:


Me (April) Had a Decent Night’s Sleep, At Last

DH (R.C.) Had to Find His Own Breakfast

DM (Judybat) Shivering

DS (Pooter) Aged 9, Playing Tour Guide



Day 7 - Cathedral of the Holy Cross, Freedom Trail (Redux), Faneuil Hall, Pizzeria Regina



We got in from the skating on Saturday around midnight. I slept until 7:00 AM. Yay!


It had been a pleasant evening the night before, so I was rather surprised when I looked out the window and saw that it was SNOWING! Really snowing...


I quickly got ready and walked down to the Loews. Wow! That was a cold walk - the wind was just whistling between the tall buildings.


The chaps had been up for a goodly while and were already back from breakfast. Apparently, they had to walk through a “blizzard” (hmm…) to get to the restaurant. Poot snapped these photos on the way:

At this point I was reminded (and none too gently ) that I had told R.C. to leave his gloves, scarf, etc...behind in England.


We walked back to the Westin (this was an even COLDER walk, since I let Poot wear my mittens) to collect DM. Sunday morning, off to Mass.


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The Cathedral of the Holy Cross

For other Catholics:


The Cathedral in Boston offers the Mass in Latin, English and Spanish. We picked Latin (this was in the Lady Chapel). I love the Latin Mass - American masses in English are often a bit “talky” (for me)...


---------------------------------


By the time we left the cathedral, the snow had completely stopped, but it was still cold. We (read: I) had certainly NOT been expecting this weather (it was supposed to be in the 60s!)...


...but luckily, R.C. had left his furry hat in one of the countless pockets of his jacket. Poot had his new Bruins ballcap - over which he pulled his hood, and DM and I had our Roots berets (I was SO GLAD we had our ice rink clothes, they got A LOT of wear over the next few days).

Neither R.C. nor I had gloves - since Poot was wearing mine, and R.C.’s wicked wife made him leave his behind in England.


On the positive side, very few people were out and about...


Because Poot had gotten to spend so little time with his grandmother (he ADORES her), we said that he could pick what we did today - and he wanted to take Grandma back to some of his favourite Freedom Trail spots.


We started off on Boston Common (you can still see the last of the snow, which was now melting, rapidly).

We then walked up to take a peek at the State House (closed as it was Sunday).

If you’ve ever seen the film “Glory” (and if you haven’t you should!) - just across from the State House is the memorial to Robert Gould Shaw (and the 54th).

Glory has one of my all-time favourite tear-up lines…


“If this man should fall, who will lift up the flag and carry on?”


“I will!”

I’m such a watering pot, I teared up TYPING this…


Next Poot wanted to take us to the Granary Burying Ground and show us the “penny graves”. It was fascinating and moving to see the little tributes (of coins and other bits) left by the graves of Samuel Adams and John Hancock (to name two).

It had been well worth the effort to have Poot read a couple of books about Colonial/Revolution-era Boston - he got SO MUCH MORE out of our visit than he would have otherwise.


From the Burying Ground, we headed further along the Freedom Trail. We visited the Old State House (also the site of the Boston Massacre).

We ducked into a big CVS to get a couple of snacks and drinks (it was lovely and warm in there…), and then we were off to the Old South Meeting House (another Freedom Trail Stop - there is a scavenger hunt here for kids).

We then wandered down to Faneuil Hall.

Just like the South Bank (in London), some annoying “entertainers” were set up outside the Hall (they had a ghetto blaster turned up to 11, and very few dance skills).


Where are the “Voices of Liberty” when you need them?


I wish we’d come here first.


At the National Park Desk (I did not know until this point that much of “Historic Boston” is a National Park) Poot got a FANTASTIC Junior Ranger book (free) that he could have worked on and completed for a reward. At other national parks, he’s gotten patches, posters and badges as his reward.


This Junior Ranger book was MUCH NICER than the ones he’d been given in Hawaii (it was a bit like the Wilderness Explorer books at Animal Kingdom). I will try and track it down so I can insert a photo at some point... OK, I haven't found it yet. I will keep trying.


If you are shopping for “historical” souvenirs, the National Park shop in Faneuil Hall offers TAX-FREE shopping. I will post our purchases in my Boston shopping report (that should be the next post in this trippie).


Next I wanted a look at the Paul Revere House. My mother had toured this years ago, and the chaps did it earlier in the week, so I didn’t want to make everyone else wait for me. But I was happy to see the exterior.

You can see R.C. and DM in this photo. R.C. is wearing his “Gorbachev hat” (that’s what Poot calls it). DM is bundled up like she’s touring Siberia!


As we walked away from the Paul Revere House, I could sense a “hangriness” beginning to bubble up among the men of our party - and I was determined to find (the original) Pizzeria Regina on Thatcher Street.

[Guest]

We needed some help from a local, but we found it eventually.

I was expecting to have to wait (I’ve read about LONG queues tailing out the door and around the corner), but the cold weather had scared people off - we were seated right away (in an old wooden booth).

Despite the cold, R.C. was eager to have a beer. There were some local craft beers; he chose one of those (I don’t drink beer so that’s all I can tell you. He said it was good - but obviously not as good as English beer. Sigh.).

I had a Diet Coke. Poot and DM had water (cheap dates!).


We were all very hungry after walking around in the cold for hours. We shared two “medium” pizzas - this was MORE than enough - we had three pieces of pizza left over.

We chose:


The Giambotta

Our finest creation - it’s the pizza that comes with all the traditional toppings on it- a full three pounds! In Italian homes when they’re having a giambotta, they’re going to have Mama’s best combination. Molta Bene! (Anchovies upon request)


Poot loves anchovies; our sweet waitress (Gina) brought him a ramekin FULL of them.


Formaggio Bianco

Your favorite cheeses ... Mozzarella ... Ricotta ... Pecorino Romano ... Parmesan.. Sprinkled with fresh basil and Regina’s garlic sauce


Both pizzas were very, very good.



Despite being so well known, PR still felt like a locals’ place - full of families - but maybe that was because of the weather…


Total bill was less than $35.00. We tipped 20%.


One caveat: It was noisy. I think that makes places feel fun and buzzy, but be aware…


As we walked away from the Pizzeria, I noticed R.C. was limping, badly. He is NOT a complainer; I could see his rheumatoid arthritis was really bothering him (it’s always worse in the cold).


Since we had to be up at 2:30 AM ( seriously, not a typo) to catch our flight to Washington, I wanted R.C. to go back to the hotel and rest. I knew he was having a hard time when he agreed to go.


Poot and I went back to the Westin with DM so that I could pick up my suitcase. Goodbye, Grandma. We’ll see you in November...


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We had PLANNED to go to Fogo de Chao (in the Westin) for dinner tonight.

If you’ve not heard of it, Fogo is one of the gaucho-style Brazilian steakhouse chains. R.C. and I have been to two of them (in Chicago and Minneapolis) - and he LOVES the food.


But...since we didn’t finish our pizza until 4:00 PM - Fogo was a no-go tonight. Bummer.


Poot and I ducked into the Cheesecake Factory (in the Prudential Center) to pick up a piece of to-go cheesecake for in-room snacking. Poot chose “Cookie Dough” flavour ($7.50).

We also popped into Barnes and Noble (in the Prudential Center, too) to get a Spongebob comic for the flight tomorrow.

Back at the Loews, R.C. was fast asleep on top of the duvet. Poot and I got the bags ready and I called down to the desk to order a wake-up call and a taxi (for 3:30 AM!).


Poot devoured most of the cheesecake, but R.C. woke up in time to have some too. I tried it, but there were NUTS in it. Yuk! (I think nuts are like little tumours in one’s food…). For those of you thinking about portion size - the three of us didn’t manage to finish one piece.


Lights out at 9:00 PM. Oh-Dark-Thirty would come all too soon...



P.S. I think I am guilty of something I really struggle with in other people's trippies. I like to SEE the person who is talking - and so far I think there has only been one (really dark) snap of me. So here is the one clear photo of me (with Poot and some friends ) that I have on the computer.

I am the slightly less hairy one...

[Guest]

continued from previous post



Poot has really enjoyed contributing to this trippie - here are his memories of Day 7. He's 9, folks - don't expect Proust.



When we woke up this morning, it was snowstorming outside.

Now, for the past few mornings a fire engine had come by at 6:00, but this morning it came by at five.

It let out an enormous hooonk several times. That was so annoying!

When we went outside, it was freezing! Dad was CROSS with Mother because she had made him leave all his warm clothes (except his ugly hat, that he hid in his pocket ) back in England.


We tried to go to Flour (that was yummy) but it was closed - so I was plastered with snow by the time we got to Au Bon Pain!

I ate a ham and cheese croissant and Dad had one too.

We left and we planned our day out with Mom and Grandma.

After Mass, I quickly told them about how we would be going to the North End.

We got off at Haymarket and swung on the metal swings again.

I rode this donkey:

Then we went to the Paul Revere house again but not before a large chunk of ice fell down my neck! Ow!


Then we went to Faneuil Hall and looked at the museum.

Then we went to Pizzeria Regina.

Mother and I had Formaggio Bianco pizza and Dad and Grandma had a pizza with Italian meats on it.


That evening we went to the bookstore Barnes And Noble.

Mother got me a magazine and a comic.

Then we went to sleep. The End.


Boston Shopping Report Here

Day 8 Here

[jocat]

This day takes me back to our walking tour of Boston, so it's lovely to read all about your time there.

[Mel49]

Another great day despite the snow and I am loving Poot's trip reports and photo's. My DD is also 9 and she would give you a couple of one-liners about a day.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by jocat

This day takes me back to our walking tour of Boston, so it's lovely to read all about your time there.

See more...

Thank you so much for following along. I've yet to meet anybody who didn't like Boston - it's a great city for walking.

Originally Posted by Mel49

Another great day despite the snow and I am loving Poot's trip reports and photo's. My DD is also 9 and she would give you a couple of one-liners about a day.

See more...

It's funny - Poot didn't speak AT ALL until he was 2 and a half. He would squeak, but that was it. And then one day he started - in complete sentences. He REALLY LIKES to talk - maybe making up for lost time?

Thanks for commenting. It helps (a lot) with the motivation!


Boston Shopping Report Next. Working on that now...

[Glee Fan]

Ah, lovely last day, apart from the unexpected snow!

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Glee Fan

Ah, lovely last day, apart from the unexpected snow!

See more...

Thanks!

Poot must have taken fifty pictures of snow. Snow piled up on cars, snow on kerbs, snow on rooftops...I lived for more than twenty years in a cold and snowy climate, but the snow is still a novelty to him.

I don't miss the snow at all. It rains a lot in London, but you never have to shovel it.

[disney owl]

another good day, bet you were glad the snow didn't last

[Guest]

Originally Posted by disney owl

another good day, bet you were glad the snow didn't last

See more...

YES! Mostly because I made poor DH leave all his winter things back in England - and he made sure I remembered that...