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Ben Saunders
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Sun, 04 Nov 2007
So I finally got around to posting photos from the trip Rory and I took to Boston. I had a couple of days between the job change and decided to take advantage of them. Rory, like me, had never been to Boston, and was up for the adventure.
Boston is unique among American cities (or at least the ones I've been to so far) in that it is a very European city. It's more than that, really: it could have been plucked from somewhere in 18th century Britain or Ireland and deposited on American shores, ready to grow like a transplanted flower or bush. Rory and I both were struck by how much various parts of the city, both historical and modern, resemble parts of London. Of course, this is due to Boston's nearly 400-year history: it was settled by English, traded mostly with England before and after the American Revolution, and despite modern skyscrapers encroaching on centuries-old buildings, still tries to maintain some of it's Old World character. Successive waves of Irish settlers have left their mark as well, as Irish pubs are around every corner and are filled with foreign-born Irish and their descendants. Where Chicago seems to be a city with American character, Boston strikes me as a holdover from our colonial-era past.
Nowhere is Boston's link to the past more evident than on the Freedom Trail, a red line marked on Boston sidewalks that connects some 15 of the city's most historic places dating back to the Revolutionary era. The estimates of 2.5 miles for this stroll through US history cannot be accurate, as it took us most of an afternoon to meander the streets to the other end. The distance given must be some sort of joke Bostonians use to keep tourists on the path and out of their way. Still, we managed to see some very interesting historical places (Old North Church, the Bunker Hill Memorial) coupled with some very beautiful ones (Boston Common, Boston Harbor).
Travelers should note: don't rely completely on guidebooks, as even this year's Lonely Planet guide was woefully out-of-date. Also, take Bostonian directions with a grain of salt, as we asked 5 people for directions and got 5 different answers. Still, I really liked exploring this city, and would definitely like to go back someday.writebacks...
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