A Boston Tea Party

So we ‘Lived Free and didn’t Die’ in New Hampshire so next stop was Maine which meant basing ourselves in Portland, renting a car and exploring. Having the car also meant we could do a couple of days in Boston, Massachusetts. Our first day in Boston was spent wandering the downtown and historic areas. The heat and humidity were intense (it hit 100F+). There is so much history in Boston and the streets reflect it, some amazing old buildings, steeped in historical importance such as The Old State House, built in 1713, the seat of Colonial and State Governments and the site of The Boston Massacre in 1770 where 5 protestors were killed. Six years later in 1776 it was different shots being fired, those celebrating The Declaration of Independence. Though now dwarfed by tower blocks it still dominates the scene. Bostons “Freedom Trail” is a fabulous walk to take in all the history, Tea Party (1773) and all.

The Old Episcopal North Church, built in 1723, is revolutionary symbolic building too. Aside from the building, with its box pews and towering, delicate, third spire (first two fell down in storms), it played it’s part as a beacon to the local militias of the British soldiers heading towards Concord to seize gunpowder in 1775, resulting in the first battle of The Revolutionary War. Paul Revere was the leader, his statue is in the neighbouring square. It wasn’t until 1912 though that they stopped segregation in the church. The ‘Wine Glass’ pulpit is a really great example of one and the ornate design.

Faneuil Hall is a historic building at one of end of The Faneuil Marketplace, it was a trading and meeting place dating back to 1742. As trade grew, Quincy Market was added. Close to the waterfront the buildings must have some stories in their bones of the trade days. Revolutionaries such as Samuel Adams and James Otis regularly gave speeches at Faneuil, encouraging the push for independence, and these speeches were instrumental in The Boston Tea Party uprising. Now the Quincy Market Hall is a bustling eat and drink place which has lost its soul. The Faneuil Hall though, is impressive, even if Faneuil himself earned his fortunes from the slave trade. Both are close to the Wharf area, which reminded us of The Albert Dock in Liverpool, it’s gorgeous old buildings converted to smart apartments and boats the order of the day. The cool sea breeze was welcome!

Boston has its own Little Italy, doesn’t every big city seem to in the USA?! A wonderful place to wander however with more ice cream (a necessity to cool us down we felt) it’s architecture was different. Lots of turquoise, the result of oxidised copper on the buildings and metal balconies which were unique to that area. Copps Hill Burial Ground is close by, many deceased from the Tea Party are there and there’s some fascinating grave markings on some, including bullet impacts.

A day of wandering equals too many photos and the need for an over priced drink but the downtown area of Boston was really great and we enjoyed it, compact but full of interest. Who knew that the Irish were not welcome when they crossed the ocean as a result of the famine? Made to live in makeshift dockside slums, it was their tenacity and hard work that saw them survive and eventually accepted. The newly NBA winners, Boston Celtics were named by the founder and original owner to honour the large Irish population and their heritage, the logo is a Leprechaun. Even the ducks are wearing the shirt.

Our second day in Boston was very different, heading out of downtown and into the greener parts. The Massachusetts State House (Their Capitol Building) building is at the edge of Boston Common in the swanky Beacon Hill neighbourhood. Built in 1798 with lots of additions since, its a stunning place. Opposite is a superb memorial to Colonel Robert Gould Shaw and his men of the 54th, who in 1863 went to fight in ‘The South’ attacking a confederate port in Charleston. Commemorated in 1897, it’s the first civic monument to pay homage to the role of African American soldiers in The Civil War and a great work of art.

Stumbling on stuff going on, having walked across the common we found ourselves watching aa large Hare Krishna procession, such colour and vibrancy. The carriage being pulled looked so incredibly fragile as it moved into the park. We continued through into Boston Public Gardens. They were immaculate and the small lake was packed with ‘swan boats’ that looked as fragile as the carriage, they literally looked like a row of chairs bolted on with nothing to stop anyone taking a dip! It was here where the Boston Celtics Ducks were, a tribute to the children’s author of ‘Make Way for Ducklings’, Robert McCloskey.

The urban area of Newbury Street is the Boston equivalent of New York’s Greenwich Village in our minds. Low key architecture, 4 story ‘brown stone’ in style, it was a buzz of energy on a Saturday. Students everywhere, lots of small independent shops, multi faith places of worship and enough donut sellers to shake a stick of churro at. We loved the designs of their metro station entrances.

The Church of the Covenant was worth its $4 entry fee. Built in 1865-67 its remodelled interior (in 1894-96) is all Tiffany Glass with complex paint schemes on the walls and ceilings and the Eagle lectern The majesty however is the glass mosaics, the huge glass lantern dominating the space and the 42 stained glass windows casting stunning colours and light throughout the interior. It was exquisite and the photos don’t do it justice. Externally, the 236ft graceful spire pointed towards the grey clouds looming.

Continuing up and down the parallel boulevards of the neighbourhood we found the Boston Public Library. Another ‘stop in your tracks’ building when we entered, a small but grand entry atrium of vaulted ceiling spaces and mosaic tiles. We could only marvel at the skills and design, while being bumped into by others who either didn’t notice or didn’t care, sad really. Moving through we realised that they were all going for the Insta photo of ‘Bacchante & Infant Fawn’ cast in 1894 and staged in a gorgeous cloistered courtyard or to ‘take afternoon tea’. We could have been at The Roman Baths in Bath UK, glad we weren’t! After a quick glimpse into the Reading Room, who wouldn’t want to read in there, stunning ‘movie style space’ to be told to shush in!

As we were leaving the library the heavens opened and ended our day in Boston. A quick march back to the car, soaked even with our rain coats on, we stopped for dinner at a great Mexican Diner to dry off. We really enjoyed our couple of days in Boston, it’s like a toned down New York. Anyhow, off for ‘Tea and scones’…. and find out what Maine has to offer.