With a few hours to while away I decided to do a quick trip around Boston and it's neighbour, Cambridge (whither Harvard). I first came here when I was five-years-old, and this whole place remains magical to me (could it be because on that trip we left my two-year-old sister Emily behind with Aunty Liz?). That experience is probably the directly traceable reason that Hannah and I live in the good old US of A today.
I jumped off the T at Boston Common and wandered in the sunshine. There's a lot of talk around here about freedom, a declaration of something-or-other, all served up with a slice of anti-British sentiment and a dollop of independence (and it's ugly bedfellow, democracy). But this is America, so firstly everyone's really lovely and secondly they're making money off the historical facts. Several 17th Century soldiers and peasants were plying their trade (although I did spot one with a slightly anachronistic Burger King bag. Hey, maybe monarchism isn't completely dead around here...)
I pulled my carry-on bag around the common and down to the ducklings in the public garden next to it. The frog pond, memorably frozen over in the winter for skating, was not only unfrozen but also drained. I did a small section of the Freedom Trail (freedom from what?) then caught the train to Harvard.
We don't really like Harvard, as they didn't even give Hannah an interview. That said, it meant we ended up with our amazing life in California so it all works out in the end. Cambridge is a nice little univeristy town by the Charles River, full of cafes and book shops. The Harvard campus is far more organised than Berkeley (surprise!) with a red brick motif throughout, nestled around Harvard Yard and it's famous statue of founder John. I've already been to the 'Coop' and found Harvard Class of 2010 t-shirts. Any takers?
Common people.
Where's the frog? Where's the pond?
A sunny morning on Boston common.
Ducklings dressed for Easter.
Harvard Uni. Not so bad.
