Boston Day 1

We are visiting Boston for a few days on the way to stay with friends in New Hampshire. We arrived last night and we are staying at Ames Hotel. Strangely the taxi driver couldn't find it and we now learn that the restaurant has closed, but it means we have to get out and about for breakfast and dinner, which is a good thing. The room is lovely, quite small, but we won't be spending a lot of time in it, so that's fine.
Today we began with breakfast at the famous Parker House, now the Omni hotel. It dates from 1855 and has a colourful history especially involving JFK. The Breakfast was great and seems popular as it was quite busy, but not over-crowded. As it was on the Freedom Trail, we felt we had already started our dyas 'entertainment'.
When we were ready, we set off for the Public Gardens and Boston Common to the start of the Freedom Trail. Here we saw the 33,000 or so flags painstakingly planted into the ground representing every brave Massachusetts service member who gave his or her life defending the country since the Civil War. What an amazing and moving sight. We walked on eventually and made our way across to the famous sculpture 'Make Way for the Ducklings' by Nancy Schön, representing Robert McCloskey’s popular children book, written in 1941. It was mobbed by families all wanting photos of their children with the cute ducklings.


We were side tracked up Charles St.in the wonderful shopping and dining area of Beacon Hill, before we started following the first part of the Freedom Trail. Although the State House (new) was closed, we could return to visit it another day, and we strolled on looking at cemeteries, buildings and memorials all associated with the time of the Civil War; and we should not have been surprised by the glee of the Americans also visiting these places as they read of their ancestors' victories, who were, afterall, British themselves for the most part. The last place we saw was Paul Revere House. It is downtown Boston's oldest building and was built of wood around 1680. Paul Revere and his family moved in in 1770.
After this, we began making our way back to the hotel, but wanted to go via City Hall, a building designed by architect I M Pei. Well, it was an eye-opener, and perhaps even an eye sore. I'm sorry to say that we were not greatly taken with this building after liking quite a lot of this man's work.
So, we had to find a place to eat, and found a great place just around the corner from the hotel, which seems to have changed its name several times recently. However, Hillstone, as it is now called, is a great place and we sat at a table overlooking the bar area for a delicious dinner and some wonderful information from our waiter. Lots of ideas about what we should go and see.





Omni Parker House
Boston Common
The Paul Revere House
Boston City Hall
Hillstone