| If you want historical sites of the American | | | | its combination of New England and Italian |
| Revolution, you need to visit Boston. Of | | | | inflections.After wadling out of Mike's we |
| course there are other reasons to visit, | | | | started on our version of the Freedom Trail. |
| also: the food, the people, and the | | | | I quickly regretted eating the Lobstertail |
| accents.Having experiencing a detour within | | | | when I passed an Italian deli. I just |
| seconds after we picked up our rental car at | | | | couldn't eat any more, so with tears in my |
| Boston's Logan Airport, we didn't want to | | | | eyes we ventured on. We visited Paul Revere's |
| brave the hand directed traffic of the | | | | House, the oldest structure in Boston. It was |
| streets of Boston. Instead, we opted for | | | | built in 1680 and purchased by Paul Revere in |
| Harbor Express, a passenger only ferry out of | | | | 1770. I knocked on the door, but Paul didn't |
| Qunicy, which is just across the harbor. The | | | | answer, so we moved on.Next on the trail was |
| Harbor Express lands you just yards from the | | | | Paul Revere Square and a beautiful statue of |
| Quincy Market and this is a great place to | | | | Paul riding his borrowed horse for the |
| start any adventure in Boston.Quincy Market | | | | midnight ride. Legend has the name of the |
| is one long food court with restaurants above | | | | horse as Brown Beauty. Brown Beauty or not, |
| and below. Fast food options abound. We noted | | | | the staue is magnificent. The statue is found |
| that Vietnamese noodle soup shops were | | | | in tree studded square adjacent to the Old |
| missing, but most other ethnic foods were | | | | North Church, also known as the Christ |
| present. Peg picked a quiche for lunch, while | | | | Church. It was here that Robert Newman hung |
| Al had scallops and lobster bisque (his two | | | | the lanterns signaling the approach of the |
| favorite choices at every seafood | | | | British troops in the War for Independence. |
| establishment we selected). I chose a lobster | | | | Less than twenty feet from Paul there were |
| roll and giant steamed prawns with lemon | | | | tee shirts and sweatshirts for sale to |
| juice and cocktail sauce. The lobster roll | | | | tourists. We declined to buy.We walked past |
| was only okay, but the prawns were succulent | | | | the lines waiting to enter the church and |
| and excellent.We took our food outside and | | | | continued up a small hill to Copp's Hill |
| sat on a stone bench. The weather was | | | | Burying Ground, which is the resting place |
| pleasant and the food was good. We began | | | | for many of the colonial Bostonians. The |
| laying out our plans for the afternoon. | | | | British set up a battery there and used it to |
| Overhearing us was a shopping cart sourvineer | | | | fire on Charlestown. It was interesting to |
| salesman named Guiness. He was pleasant and | | | | see how small the hills were. We walked down |
| funny. We talked for a few minutes. He didn't | | | | towards the water and saw the Bunker Hill |
| try to sell us anything, which was nice. I'm | | | | Memorial across the Charles River standing |
| sure he had enough people buying.We decided | | | | high behind an office building. Copp's Hill |
| that Peg would take a taxi to the Boston Fine | | | | and Bunker Hill were only small elevations . |
| Art Museum and meet us three hours later near | | | | . . and of course the first major battle of |
| the statue of Sam Adams in front of Fanuel | | | | the revolution, Bunker Hill was really fought |
| Hall, which stands in front of Quincy Market. | | | | on Breed's Hill, but history sometimes gets |
| Al and I decided to start off on the Freedom | | | | some things right . . . and sometimes gets |
| Trail. Al is even less inclined to walk than | | | | them wrong.The U.S.S. Constitution, also |
| Peg and I, so this worked out fine. The | | | | known as "Old Ironsides" is located in the |
| Freedom Trail starts just a few feet from | | | | Charlestown Navy Yard less than a quarter |
| where we dined."In 1958, local journalist | | | | mile from Bunker Hill. The ship was launched |
| William Schofield had the idea that Boston's | | | | in Boston on October 21, 1797. Old Ironsides |
| sites could be more accessible to residents | | | | is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in |
| and visitors, and conceived of the Freedom | | | | the world.Each year the ship sails for a |
| Trail. A natural and easily-accomplished | | | | turn-around. Passage is arranged via a |
| idea, the sixteen historic sites between | | | | lottery. You can submit your name on the |
| Boston Common and The Bunker Hill Monument in | | | | office Navy site for Old Ironsides.Al and I |
| Charlestown were connected by a red line, and | | | | continued our walk along the waterfront and |
| The Freedom Trail was born. In addition to | | | | then stopped at a small park. We approached a |
| the historic sites, the beauty of the sights, | | | | bocce ball court and watched a game between |
| sounds, and neighborhoods along the way made | | | | two older men."Bocce had its beginnings in |
| walking The Freedom Trail an instantly | | | | the Italian Alps during the early Christian |
| popular activity. In 1964, the Foundation was | | | | era, when players tossed stones at a target |
| incorporated as a nonprofit organization. | | | | (the object being to land as close as |
| From 1958 to 1992 the entire Foundation was | | | | possible to the target). Roman soldiers, |
| run, organized, and maintained by volunteer | | | | employing balls instead of stones, spread the |
| support-its early success was due solely to | | | | game throughout the Roman Empire, where the |
| the spirit and leadership of the people of | | | | game evolved to boules (France), lawn bowls |
| the City of Boston. Now the Foundation | | | | (England) and bocce (from the vulgar Latin |
| continues to produce real accomplishments in | | | | word for ball, bottia) in Italy."The two men |
| the areas of education, marketing, capital | | | | played out their game and then some fellows |
| improvements and income-generating | | | | who had been playing cards nearby put their |
| projects."One of the sites that Al wanted us | | | | table and chairs away in a locker and joined |
| to visit was the New England Holocaust | | | | the first two players. It was obvious that |
| Memorial. The memorial is located right near | | | | everyone new each other. They were all |
| the Freedom Trail. It was beautiful and | | | | between 65 and 85 . . . maybe older. The park |
| emotionally breathtaking."The New England | | | | had three separate bocce ball courts. Each |
| Holocaust Memorial was built to foster memory | | | | one is played in a pit surrounded by granite |
| of and reflection on one of the great | | | | blocks. The floor of the court was stone |
| tragedies of our time, the Holocaust (Shoah). | | | | dust.The group of players laughed and chose |
| The effort was begun by a group of survivors | | | | up sides by playing odds and evens with their |
| of Nazi concentration camps who have found | | | | fingers. It was so sweet. They were more than |
| new homes and new lives in the Boston area. | | | | just friends, they were community. This quiet |
| Dedicated in October, 1995, over 3000 | | | | scene that lasted for maybe ten minutes is |
| individuals and organizations from across the | | | | one of my favorite memories of Boston. We |
| community joined in sponsoring the project. | | | | said our goodbyes and headed back downtown. I |
| The Freedom Trail location, in downtown | | | | enjoyed the walk and frequently stopped and |
| Boston, is near Faneuil Hall and many other | | | | read the menus of Italian restaurants taped |
| treasures of America's history. The site | | | | to their windows.We arrived back at Faneuil |
| offers a unique opportunity for reflection on | | | | Hall and Sam Adams before Peg arrived from |
| the meaning of freedom and oppression and on | | | | the museum. It was a great day for girl and |
| the importance of a society's respect for | | | | people watching. There was a wide variety of |
| human rights . . . Six million numbers are | | | | ethnic backgrounds represented. Most of them |
| etched in glass in an orderly pattern, | | | | looked like Bostonians. The tourists came in |
| suggesting the infamous tattooed numbers and | | | | a wide variety, also. Just before Peg caught |
| ghostly ledgers of the Nazi bureaucracy. | | | | up with us a group of black young men set up |
| Evocative and rich in metaphor, the six | | | | a microphone and speaker system and began |
| towers recall the six main death camps, the | | | | calling people over, "Come and see black men |
| six million Jews who died, or a menorah of | | | | dance." And, that's what they did. Well, |
| memorial candles. "Before we could start on | | | | actually, it took them quite a long time to |
| the Freedom Trail, Al had one more stop to | | | | start. Not wanting to perform before a sparse |
| make. He was anxious that I should try the La | | | | gathering, they kept hyping themselves and |
| Sfogliatella (Lobstertail) from Mike's | | | | the crowd. I said to Al, "Their preamble is |
| Pastry.A photograph of President Kennedy with | | | | too long for their constitution." I lost |
| originators Mike and Annette hangs on a wall | | | | interest about the same time Peg arrived and |
| behind the counter, while a portrait of Frank | | | | the three of us walked off to dinner.We |
| Sinatra looks down from another. The | | | | decided to have a quick dinner at the Cheers. |
| Lobstertail was a little too sweet for me, | | | | We each ordered drinks in a Cheers mug plus |
| but Al loved it as did everyone else I saw | | | | one drink in a Cheers glass. The food was |
| stuffing them in their mouths."The history of | | | | decent. Again, we sat outside and enjoyed the |
| this extraordinary and popular item dates | | | | views of people walking by.By the time we |
| back to a 16th century convent on the Amalfi | | | | finished our meal it was almost sailing time |
| Coast near Naples. This original ancestor of | | | | for Harbor Express. We gathered up our |
| the lobstertail was called La Santarosa | | | | shopping bags and coats and started off for |
| (named after the convent, now a popular | | | | the wharf.We hadn't gone more than a hundred |
| motel, where the owner of Fiat Italy is said | | | | feet before we spoted Red Auerbach, the great |
| to frequent), and its filling was a creamy | | | | coach of the Boston Celtics. I had to sit |
| white, which oozed out of the sides, and was | | | | down and talk to him. He listened well |
| typically served up hot. In Naples coffee | | | | enough, but never really spoke his mind, |
| shops, this is still something to die for. | | | | which I thought was a little unusual for him. |
| The white fresh cream filling of the | | | | When Red refused to give me his cigar, we |
| Santarosa was replaced as well with a yellow | | | | left in a huff and barely made it onboard our |
| custard filling, thick, chewy and delicious. | | | | catamaran in time to sail back to Quincy.We |
| The modern day versions of both of these that | | | | really enjoyed our short stay in Boston, but |
| Mike's Pastry carries are both the white | | | | it was just that. It was too short. Next time |
| cream and yellow cream filled. The best of | | | | we will arrange a stay of several days, so we |
| both worlds, and a cake version is available | | | | can see more sites and talk to more |
| as well."Personally, I got the biggest kick | | | | people.Don Doman is a published author, video |
| out of Maria (probably not her real name). I | | | | producer, and corporate trainer. He owns the |
| think she was the boss of everyone . . . at | | | | business training site Ideas and Training ( |
| least she certainly acted like it. When any | | | | which he says is the home of the no-hassle |
| production company begins a new TV show or | | | | "free preview" for business training videos. |
| feature film based in Boston, they should | | | | Don and his wife Peg also travel in the |
| have her tutor the actors on correct | | | | Pacific Northwest writing of their fun and |
| pronunciation for the Northend of Boston with | | | | adventures. |