Hop-On-Hop-Off Boston

Sheraton's Princess Sofia
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This morning we decided to breakfast in the hotel. Our table server for the day was a lovely old lady called Sofia (referred to as Princess Sofia by other staff members). We had a nice old chat to her and found out that she had been working at the hotel for 43 years, and she started when she was 43! It was amazing to hear her family story, her father first coming to America and earning enough money to then go back home and get his wife and child, and then never turning back and making America their home. She ended up having 8 brothers and sisters and is now the only surviving one.

Hop-On-Hop-Off Trolley
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Then it was off on the Trolley for our Boston Adventure. Our first stop today was again Fenway Park, where we exited the trolley and wandered about the RedSox Team store, looking at all the amazing souveniers and clothing range avaiable. This town is very supportive of their team and you can't walk down the street without seeing someone wearing some Sox gear.

Breakfast with Royalty

After this it was back on the Trolley for a tour of the Cambridge area and all the university buildings, passed the famous MIT, then on through the Beacon Hill, up past China town and past South Station. This grand old building is a central hub for their railway and "T" subway/trolley system. Nearby was passed the original location of the Boston Tea Party, and was told the story of the chests of tea being dumped into the harbour instead of paying the hefty tax imposed by the King.

RedSox Team Shop
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We passed many styles of building architecture which makes Boston a very nice city to look at. We went by one building that immediately stood out to me - the building used in Boston Legal the TV series. It was then in to the port area of the city where we departed the trolley and wandered into Quincy Market - a shopping area with many touristy carts selling all sorts of wares. We decided to lunch at Cheers, the restaurant based on the Cheers TV series set. Here we had burgers with fries and the quintessinal lunch inclusion, the quarter slice of large pickle - ewww!

Small sample of Boston' Architecture
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Back on the trolley after this and we were taken out across the inner harbor to where the USS Constitution is docked. It was 3pm by now so we didn't have time to go on board for a tour, and got in trouble from the naval guard for standing on one of the big black rope anchor points that was giving us a better photo view of the ship. After this we followed the red paved line of the Freedom Trail up the short walk to Bunker Hill. This monument marks one of the great battles of the revolution lost by the US to the British.

"Boston Legal" building
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Back on the Trolley, it went on a path through downtown, past the Omni Parker Hotel, the makers of the original Boston Cream Pie - not sure if we will get there to try it, with a Cheesecake Factory right next door to our Hotel I don't like the chances!! We passed the finishing like to the Boston Marathon, where stands a quaint set of statues of the Hare and the Turtle in their race.

We rode the Trolley back to our hotel where a quick change was in order for warmer clothes before boarding the last Trolley to take us back to the Trolley Depot at Quincy Market. Here, after a quick bite to eat, we boarded the Ghosts and Gravestones trolley for the night graveyard tour with our tour host - Minerva! She was an operatic "ghost" and put on a great comedic theatric role as host for the evening. This tour took us around and about the city, where Minerva told us ghost stories from Boston's past. We visited two graveyards, first Cops Hill,  then the historic graveyard with the graves of Benjamin Franklin, John Handcock and Paul Revere.

MIT main building
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At the grave of John Handcock, she related the story of him being buried without his famous hand (which signed the declaration of independance). It was later found and instead of his tomb being dug up, first a plaster cast of his hand was made, then the hand buried with its own burial stone nearby the tomb. It was also interesting to here about the grave of Paul Revere, a small headstone marked with an American Flag. A larger monument stands close by, a better dedication to such an important man.

Original location of Boston Tea Party
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Back on the Trolley and on the return trip to the depot, we were given the task of scaring the public walking down the road. On Minerva's count, we were to scream loudly - and when we did, a young lady with her boyfriend walking down the road nearly died of a heart attack! It made us all crack up laughing. At the end of the tour we wandered back over to Quincy market and bought a Gelati. We decided to brave the "T" system to get back home, and got confused with the automatic ticketing booth. Luckily the station attendant came to our rescue and charged up a charlie card for us, which admitted us into the platform area, from which we could travel anywhere in Boston. Off we went on the Blue line  for two stops, before getting off and walking up two flights of stairs to change to the green line. A short wait in a very hot humid tunnel had us boarding the "E" trolley for the 5 stop run to the Prudential centre. It was a hop, skip and a jump then back to our Hotel, home safely for the night.