Zinkusnavigation Post 1 - Boston
Sep. 2nd, 2014 10:07 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
danieldwilliamA post cribbed from Facebook about the first stop on our #Zinkusnavigation, Boston.
We are in Boston (the land of the bean and the cod, where the Lowells talk only to Cabots and the Cabots talk only to God. )
Hotel on the harbour side. Lovely. Superb views. So far we've been on a trolley bus tour with Buzz (his take on the Boston Massacre very humane and although a former navy man he thinks maybe the US has too many ships). Al fresco lunch on Boston Common followed by Capt frolicking in the frog pond. Saw the memorials to the 54th Massatuchuts Regiment and the civil war. I've now seen memorials to both sides. Home from the Common via Fanuil Market and pecan icecrean for a swim then dinner.
Today we went on a harbour cruise. Saw the USS Constitution and Boston from the sea. Very pretty. Bostonians seem surprised that townhouses on the harbour sell for millions. I've shopped for property in Edinburgh. I didn't even blink.
After lunch in the Quincey Food hall (Scallop and Bacon) we went to the small but perfect New England Aquarium. Everyone touched rays. The Captain was welly welly brave and I saw an octopus.
Dinner out in a restaurant famous for being rude. More scallops. Lydia Black had the spiciest ever chicken. Milda Zinkus and I had our first #ZinkusNavigation beer. Capt delighted with his novelty mug. Nice.
Home for a swim. Then drinks on the hotel terrace.
Nobody here speaks Flemish.
We took a day trip to the New England Aquarium. A small but perfectly formed aquarium which spirals around a 100 foot deep (or high) tank with a tropical coral reef inside. Large enough for two shovel nose sharks and a huge turtle along with hundreds of fish. Really impressive. Around the side were tanks exhibiting fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and other sea creatures of all types. At the bottom was a large penguin enclosure. Despite several attempts no one fell three stories into this. Next to the penguins were seals and sea lions. Family favourites included the Giant Pacific Octopus, the electric eel, and the touch tank. Best of all was the Ray and Shark touch tank where you could stroke any number of rays as they circled the tank. Round and round and round. The Captain was enchanted by them, even after being badly scared when one ray banged in to his arm and panicked. He was very, very brave, put his hand back in the tank and even showed the little boy next to him how to touch the rays.
That night we went out for dinner. By chance we ended up at Dicks in Quincey Market. The deal is that the waiters are very rude to to you. This includes making a dunces hat from rolls of paper and writing abusive remarks on them. The Captain picks his nose. Lydia Black is a fake blonde but real dumb. My Lovely Wife Milda Zinkus farts beer and I *heart* Justin Bieber.
The food was nice. I had scallops in bacon for the second time that day. Lydia had some of the spiciest chicken wings I've ever experienced and the Captain captured the heart of our professionally grouchy waitress and won a balloon.
Milda and I also had our first USian beer. Sam Adams for her. Harpoon IPA for me.
The next day Lydia and walked a little of the Freedom Trail which links historic buildings in Boston in a walking tour. The museum at the original State House told the story of the build up to the American Revolution. This is the building from which the declaration of independence was first read. I've heard the story of the Boston Massacre three times now. I still like trolley bus tour Buzz's version best. More anon.
After the museum Lyd and I walked up to the current Massatuchuts State House. Built by Bullfinch it sports a magnificent golden dome. All Bullfinch buildings, including the Capitol, have domes but this one is the best.
Across the road from the State House is a memorial to the 54th Massatuchuts Regiment. Lead by Robert Gould Shaw this was the first African American regiment to fight in the Civil War. They served with such bravery and distinction that they paved the way for 200 thousand African Americans to fight for the Union and their own freedom. Shaw died leading his men in battle. Some 150 years later the 54th provided the honour guard for President Obama at his inauguration.
Meanwhile Milda and the Captain had been on an amphibious vehicle tour of the Charles River. I know nothing about this except it was "bely bely inciting" and *went in the sea*. Top entertainment for a small boy.
The Captain rounded off his day by dancing in a fountain.
We expected to fly out to Washington the next day. We had time for a second visit to the aquarium then off to the airport for a lunch time flight. Storms in Washington meant that we were delayed. First on the runway for two hours. Then a further three hours trying to get re booked. We arrived at the Hilton Airport hotel at about 8pm. Everyone deserves huge appreciation for being so good humoured that a 5 hour wasted trip to the airport was almost fun. Milda especially especially deserves great credit for keeping a small boy calm and cheerful.
We had food and a few more beers in the hotel and then enjoyed an unexpected spectacle. Because of the storm Boston Brough forward it's 4th July fireworks to the evening of the 3rd. So we watched them across Boston Habah from the sofa in our hotel room. Even from 3 or 4 miles away they were impressive.
The next day we left for Washington.
We are in Boston (the land of the bean and the cod, where the Lowells talk only to Cabots and the Cabots talk only to God. )
Hotel on the harbour side. Lovely. Superb views. So far we've been on a trolley bus tour with Buzz (his take on the Boston Massacre very humane and although a former navy man he thinks maybe the US has too many ships). Al fresco lunch on Boston Common followed by Capt frolicking in the frog pond. Saw the memorials to the 54th Massatuchuts Regiment and the civil war. I've now seen memorials to both sides. Home from the Common via Fanuil Market and pecan icecrean for a swim then dinner.
Today we went on a harbour cruise. Saw the USS Constitution and Boston from the sea. Very pretty. Bostonians seem surprised that townhouses on the harbour sell for millions. I've shopped for property in Edinburgh. I didn't even blink.
After lunch in the Quincey Food hall (Scallop and Bacon) we went to the small but perfect New England Aquarium. Everyone touched rays. The Captain was welly welly brave and I saw an octopus.
Dinner out in a restaurant famous for being rude. More scallops. Lydia Black had the spiciest ever chicken. Milda Zinkus and I had our first #ZinkusNavigation beer. Capt delighted with his novelty mug. Nice.
Home for a swim. Then drinks on the hotel terrace.
Nobody here speaks Flemish.
We took a day trip to the New England Aquarium. A small but perfectly formed aquarium which spirals around a 100 foot deep (or high) tank with a tropical coral reef inside. Large enough for two shovel nose sharks and a huge turtle along with hundreds of fish. Really impressive. Around the side were tanks exhibiting fish, crustaceans, cephalopods and other sea creatures of all types. At the bottom was a large penguin enclosure. Despite several attempts no one fell three stories into this. Next to the penguins were seals and sea lions. Family favourites included the Giant Pacific Octopus, the electric eel, and the touch tank. Best of all was the Ray and Shark touch tank where you could stroke any number of rays as they circled the tank. Round and round and round. The Captain was enchanted by them, even after being badly scared when one ray banged in to his arm and panicked. He was very, very brave, put his hand back in the tank and even showed the little boy next to him how to touch the rays.
That night we went out for dinner. By chance we ended up at Dicks in Quincey Market. The deal is that the waiters are very rude to to you. This includes making a dunces hat from rolls of paper and writing abusive remarks on them. The Captain picks his nose. Lydia Black is a fake blonde but real dumb. My Lovely Wife Milda Zinkus farts beer and I *heart* Justin Bieber.
The food was nice. I had scallops in bacon for the second time that day. Lydia had some of the spiciest chicken wings I've ever experienced and the Captain captured the heart of our professionally grouchy waitress and won a balloon.
Milda and I also had our first USian beer. Sam Adams for her. Harpoon IPA for me.
The next day Lydia and walked a little of the Freedom Trail which links historic buildings in Boston in a walking tour. The museum at the original State House told the story of the build up to the American Revolution. This is the building from which the declaration of independence was first read. I've heard the story of the Boston Massacre three times now. I still like trolley bus tour Buzz's version best. More anon.
After the museum Lyd and I walked up to the current Massatuchuts State House. Built by Bullfinch it sports a magnificent golden dome. All Bullfinch buildings, including the Capitol, have domes but this one is the best.
Across the road from the State House is a memorial to the 54th Massatuchuts Regiment. Lead by Robert Gould Shaw this was the first African American regiment to fight in the Civil War. They served with such bravery and distinction that they paved the way for 200 thousand African Americans to fight for the Union and their own freedom. Shaw died leading his men in battle. Some 150 years later the 54th provided the honour guard for President Obama at his inauguration.
Meanwhile Milda and the Captain had been on an amphibious vehicle tour of the Charles River. I know nothing about this except it was "bely bely inciting" and *went in the sea*. Top entertainment for a small boy.
The Captain rounded off his day by dancing in a fountain.
We expected to fly out to Washington the next day. We had time for a second visit to the aquarium then off to the airport for a lunch time flight. Storms in Washington meant that we were delayed. First on the runway for two hours. Then a further three hours trying to get re booked. We arrived at the Hilton Airport hotel at about 8pm. Everyone deserves huge appreciation for being so good humoured that a 5 hour wasted trip to the airport was almost fun. Milda especially especially deserves great credit for keeping a small boy calm and cheerful.
We had food and a few more beers in the hotel and then enjoyed an unexpected spectacle. Because of the storm Boston Brough forward it's 4th July fireworks to the evening of the 3rd. So we watched them across Boston Habah from the sofa in our hotel room. Even from 3 or 4 miles away they were impressive.
The next day we left for Washington.
