But our biological clocks - a.k.a. stomachs - reminded us that we needed fuel, so we headed on a quest to find a "greasy spoon'.
We started walking toward the restaurant, in downtown Boston. The architecture is amazing and the streets look very clean and quite.
Our first stop was at the Boston Public Gardens, a park in the middle of the city that reminds us of Central Park in New York City. But this is not just a park. Like many other sites in Boston, this place has a history behind it. You can read about it here.
FROM WIKIPEDIA:The Public Garden was established in 1837 when philanthropist Horace Gray petitioned for the use of land as the first public botanical garden in the United States. Grey helped marshal political resistance to a number of Boston City Council attempts to sell the land in question, finally settling the issue of devoting it to the Public Garden in 1856. The Act establishing use of the land was submitted to the voters on 26 April, 1856 where it passed with only 99 dissents.
In October 1859 Alderman Crane submitted the detailed plan for the Garden to the Committee on the Common and Public Squares and received approval. Construction began quickly on the property, with the lake being finished that year and the wrought iron fence surrounding the perimeter erected in 1862. Today the north side of the lake has a small island, but it originally was a peninsula, connected to the land. The site became so popular with lovers that the John Galvin, the city forester, decided to sever the connection with the land.
The twenty-four acre (97,000 m²) landscape, which was once a salt marsh, was designed by George F. Meacham. The paths and flower beds were laid out by the city engineer, James Slade and the forester, John Galvin. The plan for the garden included a number of fountains and statues. The first statue erected was that of Edward Everett by William Wetmore Story in November 1867 on the north part of the Garden near Beacon Street. The bronze statue of George Washington by Thomas Ball which dominates the west side of the park was dedicated on 3 July 1869. The signature suspension bridge over the middle of the lake was erected in 1867.
The Public Garden is managed jointly between the Mayor's Office, The Parks Department of the City of Boston, and the non-profit Friends of the Public Garden.
Downtown Boston is not really a place for these kind of cheap breakfast restaurants, but with the concierge lady's help we managed to find the best: the Paramount, a place that has been around since 1937 and serves breakfast and small lunch items, like salads and sandwiches. The cost? It was pretty affordable. A Breakfast for two costs $20. Not bad.
Mike had the traditional bacon and eggs and I had a tuna melt with sweet potatoes. YUMMY!!!!!!
This is the famous bar Cheers, that inspired the TV series. It doesn't mean anything to me, because I didn't grow up watching it, but many Boston visitors come to this corner and do exactly what Mike did: register in their cameras a shot that reminds them of their childhood.
This must be the maple leaf's cousin!
Fall is hanging on here in Boston!!!!
The old and the new meet all the time in this cool city.
A pedestrian street downtown. A bit busier, but still very orderly.
A Polish monument symbolizing the struggle of that people first under the Nazi forces and then under the Soviets.
The famous Charles Bridge in the background.
An art display in the entrance of the Institute for the Contemporary Art.
Charming old bridge.
In the middle of the afternoon a stop to enjoy a Guinness. After all, we are in Boston, the New England.
After the beer, this is how we feel.
This is for Jaqueline, our little unicorn.
BOSTON'S COOL BUILDINGS
METRIC'S CONCERT
METRIC'S CONCERTI am glad I have tattoos and I was wearing funk yellow tights, otherwise I would feel like an onion in a fruit salad. I am talking about the Metric concert, a Canadian band that Mike started to listen to about six months ago and I enjoy in the car - via Ipod - sometimes.
The House of Blues was almost full and for a little while I thought I was the oldest person in the venue. But as I was commenting this to Mike, this guy in front of us heard us and said, "I am from 1974". Great! I am not the old grandma anymore here.
All this age non-sense disappeared when not so young musicians and singer Emily Haines started playing their music on stage.
Metric is a very cool Indie Rock band that I would be all over it if I had heard them 15 years ago. Still, I enjoyed the concert very much this Friday, especially because of their performance on stage. Beautiful! The girl has so much confidence.
The kids there knew most every song and loved them all!
I have to say that Boston youth also impressed us. We didn't see - or smell - any drugs and by the end of the night, they spared us from the normal drunk scenes that you get in a place full of kids under 25. Maybe those kids were more mature than us.
Anyway, here are a couple of YOU TUBE videos of Metric, for those interested in hear what the cool kids are listening these days!!!! Enjoy!!!!
FELIZ ANIVERSARIO, MIKEZINHO!!!
ReplyDeleteMUITOS BEIJOS,
GABI 2 & CIA