Beautiful Boston...

On Friday, there's was hardly anyone at work, so those of us who were left decided we'd shut up shop a wee bit early so we could get on with our weekends. So Abi and I left work and got on a bus at Port Authority, headed for Boston!

It's about a 4.5 hour bus journey from New York to Boston, so we took some films to watch, but the first part of the drive was entertaining enough just looking out the window, seeing bits of Manhattan and Harlem we'd not seen before.

We eventually made it to Boston, on time and arrived at South Station. Before heading to Boston we had been told that there was a Wagamama's there. New York (for some bizarre reason) doesn't have any Wagamama's, and I think Boston might be the only place to have them in America, so we jumped in a cab and headed straight for some chicken katsu curry to end the 2 year drought!

The Wagamama's was by Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market, which looked lovely at night all lit up and without many people around - our cab ride to Faneuil Hall took us past some lovely looking buildings, we couldn't wait for it to be light the next day so we could go for a wander.

We managed to get a great deal on a hotel in the Theatre District, which was in walking distance from the Boston Common, so in the morning (after sleeping in the biggest comfiest bed ever!) we went for a walk around the Common. Annoyingly, it wasn't until we'd nearly finished walking round that a I realised I didn't have a battery in my camera! So I don't have any photos of the Common, but it was lovely.

After running back to the hotel to get the battery, we made our way to Faneuil Hall, going passed the State House with it's impressive golden dome...

Then we arrived at the lovely Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall area, which was absolutely buzzing with people - so different to the night before.

 

 There was so much going on, lots of different shops, loads of places to eat, lots of different street entertainers, it was (as Mops and Pops said) just like Covent Garden. We had a good mooch around through Quincy Market, which is like a food hall inside, with all sorts of different stuff from noodles or pizza to ice cream or lobster.

The sun was trying to come out battle with the clouds and for a lot of the time we were at the market it was beautiful and sunny, with blue skies which made the autumn leaves look lovely...

Unfortunately the hall itself was closed for refurbishment, so we couldn't go in, so we did the next best thing, had lunch! We wanted a lobster roll, so we went to McCormick & Schmick's on the corner of the market place and had ourselves a mighty mighty fine lobster roll...

It was deeeeeeeeeeeeelicious!

We had another walk around the market place, just in time to see an entertaining display from the King's Guards...

 It was a bit of a long process of checking the guns, showing the other guard the gun, switching guns with the other guard, then checking the gun again, then check the bayonette, then attaching the bayonette, aiming the guns, walking forward with the guns, walking back with the guns, getting the keys out of their pocket, checking the keys, handing the keys over, checking the keys again and then shouting 'God save the King!'


All to the very heavy bang of a drum.

After this dramatic display, we made our way to get back on the Freedom Trail and follow the red brick road round Boston...