Saturday 31 August 2013

Boston

Boston day two was a busy one again even though we had arrived back late from the baseball. We started out on the trolley bus with a fantastic tour guide named Crackerjack. What he doesn't know about Boston just isn't worth knowing we decided. 
We had intended hopping off early and grabbing breakfast but he was just too good so we waited until Quincey Market which was a great place to wander through. 
Boston has so much history and we are totally immersed in Paul Revere now and his 16 children produced in 22 years. No, the first one Sarah,  didn't wear out. Poor thing caught smallpox three months after the birth of their eighth child and died. In the custom of the time he mourned extensively and remarried six months later and went on to have eight more children. Apparently he would have been neglecting his children if he had not married again quickly. A busy man who needed to work at a number of jobs including casting bells, a dentist and a number of other occupations to support his growing family. He also championed the cause of American Independence from the British. We really loved hearing Crackerjack explain all the intricacies of the ride leading up to the war and saw where the Declaration of Independence was read from for the first time and where it is reenacted each year on the Fourth of July. 
We visited the cemeteries within the area where so many early members of the Boston founding fathers are buried. In one cemetery there are estimated to be 5000 burials but maybe as many as 7000 as families were buried one on top of each other and the gravestones didn't necessarily say who was in each plot. It was also common for pennies to be put over the eyes of the deceased and not uncommon for grave robbers to come at night and remove them.
The day was the coolest we had had and despite Crackerjack telling us that it would lift it didn't. In fact it went downhill and was raining in the afternoon so we decided on a harbour cruise, where incredibly the heaters were on. Just like home, four seasons in one day.
The cruise was very interesting and we saw Boston from a totally different perspective. We had decided to go back early as we were feeling the need for an early night so found a great Thai restaurant, and then off to bed.

1 comment:

DJs Tagalong Tours said...

G'day Sue and Ian
You are getting around a bit and sounds like you are having a ball. You have confirmed what a few have told us about the meal sizes. Not long and we are off to LA. Also glad to see you bloging again I missed reading the adventures. Stay safe.

D&D