Boston and Washington Spring 2016 - Boys, Blades and Balls! - Day 6 (Library, Skating, Charlestown)

[Guest]

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

Trippie Index Here

Day 5 Here


What:


Boston, Washington D.C. and Baltimore


When:


Spring 2016


Who:


Me (April) Falling Down the Stairs

DH (R.C.) Looking on, Embarrassed

DM (Judybat) The Boss

DS (Pooter) Aged 9, Bibliophile



Day 6 - World Figure Skating Championships, Boston Public Library, USS Constitution (Museum), Bunker Hill



Up at 4:30 AM. I was utterly exhausted. The skating schedule of the last couple of days had made it impossible for me to have a nap.


I stayed in bed trying to keep my eyes closed until I could see light at the edge of the curtains. I heard DM turn over in her bed. She wanted to take time over her hair and then go get a Starbucks in her own time, so...


I got ready and went down to meet the lads. I picked up R.C.’s tea, and then we were off to…


Finagle a Bagel on Boylston..


I insisted on this bakery, purely because of the name. It was too cute to pass up.

If you have kids, FAB has a nifty machine that “fires” bagels from one end of the bakery to the other. I will try and insert a photo of it.

OK, so we all know that the world’s best bagels are made in:


1.Montreal
2.New York

How did the bagels at Finagle compare?


Hmm...they did have salt bagels (my absolute favourite, I haven’t been able to find these at the Jewish bakeries near me). My salt bagel was salty, and certainly better than a supermarket bagel, but it wasn’t a patch on a bagel from a good Jewish bakery.

R.C. and Poot had plain bagels with lox and cream cheese (they said these were only OK).


Breakfast over, we then headed back to Copley Square, which is home to the massive Boston Public Library.

There are some very interesting and beautiful John Singer Sargent murals on display…

...but we were here for another reason…

Our visit to Boston happened to coincide with one of the Library’s (massive) bi-monthly book sales. If you are a bibliophile, the sales are usually held the first Saturday of every EVEN-numbered month (so February, April, etc…).


Poot was over the moon, and hoping to pick up lots of American children’s books (there are SO MANY MORE children’s books available in America, especially non-fiction titles).


He was a happy bunny, as we came out of the sale with a big brown grocery bag full of books (hardcovers $2, paperbacks $1). We brought very few clothes with us to America (we flew hand luggage only, because of the boomerang), so that we could use one of the cases for books (United does not weigh hand luggage).

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


Now...the book sale room had been crowded and hot, and I had had very little sleep over the last few days (I had also not been eating regularly, or normally)...


...when I came out of the room and paused at the top of the (marble) library stairs, I started to feel faint. I knew that I was going to black out…


...and I did. Carrying the bag of books, down the stairs I tumbled.

I think blacking out helped me, because I was limp when I fell down the stairs. I could feel that I had cut my knee up pretty badly, and all the books went skittering across the floor - but other than that I was more embarrassed than injured.


Poor R.C., he never knows what to do in those kinds of situations. He just sort of stood there saying, “What happened?” (and other useful things…)...


Poot and some kind strangers picked up all our books. Adrenaline-fueled embarrassment got me out the door and into the fresh air.

We stood for a while outside the library. I could feel blood running from my knee, but other than that I felt a lot better once I was outside and breathing in the cool morning air. I sent the men off for the day, and I walked across the street to the Westin to clean up my knee.

[Guest]

DM was in our room, curling her hair and drinking coffee.


Now I don’t care how old you are, when something is wrong with you...your mother knows it. She gave me “the look”.


I reassured DM that I was OK and went to clean up my knee (which was a real mess, and already black and blue - but thankfully my only injury).


DM made the executive decision that I would go back to bed with ice on my knee and a cool cloth on my forehead. She then sat reading her book by the window until she determined that I was rested enough to go out.


Even as a child, my mother’s family nickname was “The Queen”. Nobody argues with The Queen.

Once I was allowed up from my sickbed, we headed off to the skating. Today were the Pairs’ and Ladies’ Free Skates; the Garden was finally sold out.


Because of my feebleness, we arrived a bit late, but there were still massive queues just to get inside the building. After fifteen minutes or so in a VERY crowded line, we passed through the metal detectors and into the venue.


Bored boy still absent (yay!), we sat down for the pairs. I was still in a bit of a state, so my memories of this afternoon aren’t too great, sorry. I do think it a real shame that one of the disciplines should have to have their Free Skates in the afternoon - it seems so anticlimactic.



The Medallists:



The Gold Medal went to the Canadians.

They skated pretty well perfectly (to an Adele song, I had to look that one up).

Silver went to the Chinese (skating to Samson and Delilah, I knew that one)

Bronze went to Germany (and the Ukrainian and Frenchman representing her, lol)

Again, there was no time to head back to the hotel. The Queen decided that we would go down to the “basement” shared by TD Garden and North Station - where I would sit down, eat something and drink at least a pint of water. I dutifully did so.


There were a few little fast food-type places, and some “proper” food stands/kiosks as well. We shared a piece of bacon pizza (yum) and some salad. DM had an ice cream from Emack and Bolio’s (I think they have a concession at the Hard Rock Hotel at UNI…).

The crowds tonight (for the Ladies' Free Skate) were spilling down into the basement and out across the street. It was really crowded, and security was not able to keep up with the mob.


For the first time, we saw people trying to queue jump. The man waiting behind us was particularly good at spotting miscreants.


He was loud and MASSIVE, so when he called out, “Hey! The line starts back there!”, the jumpers headed off with their tails between their legs.


We waited at least 30 minutes to get through the metal detectors, and then tried to get to our seats.


Oh, no! Bored boy was there! Where was I going to sit? (if you remember, my assigned seat was more than half-occupied by the very large woman who had the seat next to me)


We couldn’t find an usher (I think they had all been called to help with the crowds). Time was ticking on, I needed to sit down before the competition started.


I really dislike confrontation, but I was forced by circumstance to say to the woman, “I can’t sit anywhere else tonight. The place is full. I need my seat.”


She tried to draw her legs closer together, but really couldn’t do much else. Now I’m sure she must have been embarrassed, and I didn’t want to make that worse, but I still couldn’t get in the seat.


So I said (I was now REALLY embarrassed myself ), “Please. I want to sit in the seat I purchased.”


There was now a great deal of whispering between the woman and her two (equally large) companions. Eventually, jackets were removed and enough shifting occurred so that I could wedge myself into my seat.


It was not comfortable; the entire right side of my body was squished into the flesh of a total stranger. I tried to pretend she was my sister…


Oh well, it was just for one night.


I stood up and stretched during the warm-ups and resurfacings.


My back was sore by the end of the evening, but that might have been because I had fallen down a marble staircase that morning…


On to the skating!

[Guest]

There was a real buzz in the crowd tonight. I know the Ladies’ Free Program is the favourite of many…


Would America medal? It had been a long time…


The Americans:


I felt terribly for poor Gracie Gold, who was obviously under enormous pressure.

She took a fall early in her program, and from that point she was just...broken. It was awful to see, poor thing…


Ashley Wagner had what was probably the skate of her life - I think she’s been skating this program (Moulin Rouge) for two years now, and she really “inhabits” it, if you know what I mean.

I was DELIGHTED that she took the silver medal.

The Russians:


Gold went to Evgenia Medvedeva - and she deserved it. She skated with such breezy innocence - and the jumps! So many with an arm (or both arms) aloft - a la Brian Boitano. Her music was the soundtrack from W.E. (I’ve not seen that one, is it good?)

She was also sweet (and surprised) in her interview. I think many of the Russian skaters lose the appearance of innocence so young, so fingers crossed for her.

Bronze went to another Russian (Anna Pogorilaya) - she skated to Scheherazade. I’m sure she is a lovely lass, but she always looks SO unhappy.

It was really a night, though, where many of the skaters in the last two groups could have medalled (and all deservedly). I love it when that happens!


For my part, I was so pleased to see Ashley Wagner get a medal. She seems to really connect with the crowd. People stuck around after the medals and (Russian) anthem just to take pictures of her skating around with her medal.

We ladies were off to bed...

but meanwhile…


Poot and R.C. had a bit of a lazy day today after the book sale. It rained pretty heavily during the late morning and early afternoon, so they holed up for a while with their new books, before heading for Charlestown, the USS Constitution and points north.


Poot’s words and pictures follow. He’s 9 (so keep that in mind).



Today we ate at Finagle a Bagel.


I had a salmon and cheese bagel. Dad had the same.


After that,we went to the Boston Public Library book sale. I found many books, one of which was a “Scientists in the Field” book! There was also a biography of Amelia Earhart and a book about deforestation!


By then it was raining so we waited a few hours to go out.


Once it had stopped raining, we rode straight to North Station.


It was a good 30 minute walk to the USS Constitution, in Charlestown (Charlestown is across the Charles River from Boston itself). You can follow the Freedom Trail bricks all the way there. They look like this:

The Constitution served in the War of 1812. It is called “Old Ironsides”, because so many enemy cannonballs hit it, but couldn’t sink it.

Once there, we discovered The Constitution was being refurbished.

We went straight into the Constitution Museum, in which there was a very interesting exhibit about oak trees (the ship itself was built from oak).

There were so many interesting exhibits. One was about cannons.

My head in a cannon.



Then we went to the Bunker Hill monument (Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!).

It was very interesting, but we were too late to climb it.

That night, we ate in the hotel restaurant - called The Precinct.

Menu:

We first had the cheese tray. It was ENORMOUS!

So we shared the boeuf bourguignon, which was succulent.


We were too full for dessert.


Then we went to sleep.


The End.



Day 7 Here

[jocat]

Ouch to the fall down the stairs! Glad you didn't hurt yourself too badly.

[Guest]

Originally Posted by jocat

Ouch to the fall down the stairs! Glad you didn't hurt yourself too badly.

See more...

Don't they say God looks after children and fools?

Thanks for reading and posting.

[Glee Fan]

Oh my, you poor thing, sounds like you took a really nasty fall. Good job your mum was there to make you rest!

How irritating again about the seating

[Guest]

Originally Posted by Glee Fan

Oh my, you poor thing, sounds like you took a really nasty fall. Good job your mum was there to make you rest!

How irritating again about the seating

See more...

I was VERY embarrassed, that's for certain...

I tried to book our plane tickets for one day earlier (because I know how I am with sleep and jet lag) so that I could have a day to acclimate before the skating began - but it added £1,500 to the flights.

[disney owl]

Hope you were ok after your fall?

[Guest]

Originally Posted by disney owl

Hope you were ok after your fall?

See more...

I sported QUITE the bruise for the next couple of weeks, but mostly that fall just hurt my pride.

I'm finding this quite fun - responding to comments "live". Thanks!

[Gill H]

Poor you falling down the stairs. I'm dyspraxic (I think, never actually been diagnosed, but can't catch a ball or do anything involving balance!) I tend to judge foreign places by how friendly people are when I fall over - which tends to happen at some point. I've never fallen over in a Disney park yet though, obviously the pixie dust stabilises my gravity or something.

The book sale sounds fun, but what a shame about the refurb. Still, it looks like there was plenty to keep the chaps happy. And thank goodness you managed to sit down to watch the skating.

Mmmm ... cheese tray...