Boston to Montreal, Saturday, August 31, 2019

The morning broke beautifully clear, sunshine and quiet. Abigail and Mark walked around the block to the McDonald’s facing Boston Commons to secure breakfast and caffeine. We returned, ate and then began the big pack up. While working away, we noticed increasingly a loud and constant noise. We looked out the window to discover two helicopters hovering above the area, evidently over Boston Commons. Abigail, ever the techno-warrior, logged on to discover that there was a parade scheduled, beginning at Boston Commons. The street in front of our hotel was blocked off from traffic. To add insult to injury, it was an anti-Pride parade - Heteros are Upseteros! Really???

We checked out and dragged our bags a block and a half to meet our 12:45 Uber ride to the dock; lovely driver who got us to the pier in 20 minutes. There was heavy security all along the way where the parade was to occur, due to the possibility of anti-hetero activity. One can only hope. We made it easily through ship security, each of us with our allotted one bottle of wine in our carry on luggage. You are allowed more, but are then subject to an $18.00 per bottle corkage charge. Since most prices of the wine they were to be selling on board was $18.00 or more, it seemed foolish to bring additional. Deb was able to distract them with her re-built knee, so they forgot to check her carry-on for her extra bottles of soda. Ha!

We dutifully attended the mandatory life boat drill (attendance is taken) and then strolled the decks, acquainting ourselves with the amenities and areas to play, knit, gamble or look at the stars. We cast off shortly before 5:00 PM, and slowly made our way out of Boston harbor, bidding farewell to this clearly historic American city. We all promised one another that we would be back to really tour the city and not be distracted by visiting relatives, shopping or meetings.

First order of business was to stop at Guest Services to figure out how to access the Wi-Fi package we purchased, how to add the shipboard “navigator” to our cell phones, and other general information that somehow missed our grasp. The line was short (and filled with Baby-boomers.)

We returned to our “staterooms” for a quick refresher and then headed up to the Lido Deck for dinner, foregoing the dining room sit down this first night. As usually, for the novice among us, the food buffet was an eye-opener. We dined and learned how to take advantage of the wine or soda packages we had pre-purchased (not as easy as it seems,) and then headed out for more exploration. Abigail descended to her room for a little knitting, Deb, Deb, Tim and I found a bar to have a night cap in and we all returned for a sleep around 9:30. A tiring but fun first day on the water.

Boston to Montreal, August 30, 2019

Rising this morning to a sunshiny day in Boston. We slept in until after 7:00 AM after our day of travel and walking. After a coffee in the room and a nice shower, we levitated down to the lobby and into the attached Coffee Spot. We ordered a pair of coffees, an egg, cheddar cheese and bacon sandwich, and settled in to discuss our day. As we were finishing up, Deb’s phone rang for the first time in the day, and her workday started with client calls. She finished up and we walked around the corner to look at a book store we had spotted around the corner the night before.

Brattle Book Shop was one of the most unique stores we have ever experienced. It is comprised of two narrow, deep city lots on West Street. One, a building filled with four floors of books, mostly used, but some new. The adjacent lot was free of a building, but crammed with rolling book shelves. All the books on the rolling shelves in the open air book spot were marked down to either $3.00 or $1.00. We walked away with four books to add to our suitcases and our already over flowing book shelves at home.

We hauled our prizes back to the hotel and Deb set up her computer in the room to work for a few hours and I took the current installment of the Maisie Dobbs book series I am reading and went to the lobby to while away a few hours.

We finished up around 1:00 PM and waited for a text message from Abigail who was scheduled to arrive on the same flights today that we used yesterday. She phoned her arrival some 20 minutes early but then spent 45 minutes waiting for her luggage. I fear Logan Airport needs to work on their baggage claim system. Abby arrived at the hotel round 2:30 and we dropped her bags and headed out to find some sustenance. Around the corner, in another direction, we discovered Stoddard’s Fine Food and Ale. This building was built in 1868 and remains one of the few intact buildings to survive the huge Boston fire of 1872, which destroyed some 800 buildings between Boston Commons and the waterfront. Originally a corset factory, it has been restored to a bar and restaurant. An American flag flies on the front of the building, not the current flag but a 37 star flag known as the “Nebraska Flag” as it was the official U.S. flag flown from July 4, 1867 until July 3, 1877.

Food was very good, including fish and chips, clam chowder, another huge hamburger, and some wine and a local beer. All very enjoyable. We then walked a few blocks closer into the Downtown Crossing district to the Old South Meeting House. This building was where the meeting was held in 1773 to rally and discuss the English tax burden, which resulted in the tossing of some English product into the Boston Harbour. Perhaps you recall the story from your childhood studies! This is now a museum, but our reason to visit was because Abigail, the yarn researcher, found that there is the Newbury Yarns store in the basement of the building. They offer their own dyed yarn, and of course we had to stop, look and purchase. Now with our purchases of yarn and book in hand, we trekked back to the Hotel for a rest and clothing change prior to dinner.

We changed and Uber rode to meet Deb and Tim Duggan for dinner at Stephanie’s on Newbury Street. Newbury Street is blocks and blocks of typical brownstones (think New York City) that has becoming an upscale shopping and dining district. Packed with stores and people walking shopping and as the evening wore on, carousing, although tastefully. We had a wonderful dinner of seafood or pasta, or combinations thereof. Two outstanding entrees sampled were a sea scallops on a bed of basmati rice and a lobster pie. Wine, beer and cocktails accompanied.

We finished up and were back in our rooms by 9:30, ready to pack it in and look forward to our cruise departure tomorrow. Good food, good walking and minor sightseeing, a very satisfactory day of vacation.

Boston to Montreal, August 29, 2019

Departing Omaha

We are up super early - 3:30 AM, for our scheduled 4:45 AM pickup from our wonderful friend and neighbor, Zoe Highland. She must have been anxious to get us out of town as she arrived in our driveway at 4:30! A quick drive to good old Eppley Airfield, and we gave our “driver” a hug for a tip. Check-in was easy, one checked bag and one carry-on each.

Even though there was lightning in the sky as we left home, by the time our departure time of 6:10 arrived, it was clear sailing as we headed to St. Louis on our first leg. We arrived in St.Louis ahead of schedule and were on the ground and in the terminal by 7:30. We walked down the E terminal, looking for a restaurant and landed at a bar/pasta house that was serving breakfast. The menu was limited so we ordered biscuits & gravy and an omelette. The place was horribly understaffed - a bartender/hostess and one waitress. Obviously there must have been a cook in the rear.

It soon turned out that they were all out of gravy, so we ended with two omelettes and two cups of coffee. Luckily we had plenty of time as the service was really slow, although our waitress was very kind.

We pushed off from the St. Louis gate at 9:40 and landed at Logan Airport in Boston at 1:03 PM EDT. Only a 2-hour in the air flight, not too bad. After 40 minutes waiting for baggage, we struggled out to meet our limousine and driver Anton Fisher (that really was his name) for the trip from the airport. Anton was a very cheery, intelligent and helpful guy, reminding us of our eldest son in his demeanor, bald head and full beard. We reached our destination - The Godfrey Hotel after a pleasant 30 minute drive through Boston traffic. Arriving in our room, we dropped bags on the floor and bodies into the beds. Around 4:30 we popped up and headed out for a walk, a drink and dinner, in that order.

There are two safe ways to get around Boston, the underground MTA, riding forever, or walking. We chose walking. Our hotel is in the Center of the city and we strolled over to the area known as The Commons, a large park area set up in 1634. We walked around the Frog Pond, where dozens of toddlers were walking in a huge one foot deep pond, attended by parents, grandparents, nannies and a number of life guards. As we walked through the park, in weather that was clear, 80F and with a slight breeze, we gazed on all the people out to enjoy the day. The huge number of gray squirrels being chased by toddlers, and the homeless wandering or dozing on the lawn. Although we are not anti-canine, it was refreshing to be in a large public space that was off limits to dogs. No chasing, no bring, no hassles, and no waste!

After a two mile trek around the park, we headed back to our hotel room in search of a liquor store to stock up on wine for our cruise (we are allowed to bring one bottle per passenger on board) and found an excellent wine shop just a block away. Securing our purchases at our hotel room, we passed a few restaurants that looked promising. We stepped into one or two until we found one with decent looking food and a noise level that allowed conversation.

We took our seat at a table at 49 Social Restaurant and ordered a beer and a dirty martini. We struck up what turned out to be a very enjoyable conversation with the couple at the next table, stretching our short dinner hour into 90 minutes of fun and laughing conversation. This is what traveling is all about, meeting people and seeing places. We enjoyed our Hamburger and Lambburger, and struggled back to the hotel and were in bed by 9:30.

Tomorrow, we welcome Abigail to Boston and hook up with Deb and Tim Duggan, who arrived yesterday. Looks to be a good trip coming up.