There are several beautiful graveyards in Boston, dating back hundreds of years. The Puritans were fond of using quite macabre decoration on their gravestones, since they ostensibly didn't fear death - it was a joyous time to meet your maker, so to speak. Because of this, these historic graves feature imagery including scull and crossbones, flying skulls and skeletons dancing with the angel of death.
Flying skull:
Skeleton dancing with death:
Skull and cross bones:
We walked past the Parker House Hotel. This is where delicious Boston Cream Pie and Parker House Rolls were first invented! I really adore Boston Cream Pie - when I get back to Australia, I will post a recipe and photos for you. Here is the famous Parker House Hotel:
The Massachusetts State House is a spectacular building, with plenty of fascinating history and quirks. It was designed by the same architect at the famous Capitol Building in Washington, DC. The massive dome is covered in 23k gold leaf:
Isn't this merry-go-round cute? Sitting in the middle of the Boston Common (dating from 1634, the Common is the oldest public park in the United States) this merry-go-round features all sorts of fun and unusual characters, including a frog and this cat with a bird in its mouth:
Behind me, you can see some of the Boston Common. In my hand is a fabulous authentic lemonade - the vendor presses the lemons by hand with a metal lever press when you order one.
I cannot tell you how pretty the Beacon Hill area of Boston is. Words - and photos - cannot do it justice. Apparently one of the townhouse-style mansions recently sold for over $22 million. The doors are beautiful natural wood or painted in lovely shades of red or blue, the windows feature window-boxes overflowing with pansies and hydrangeas, and the streets are lined with blossom trees. The paths are cobbled and the houses are hundreds of years old.
A building material called 'Pudding stone' is popular in some very old buildings - mostly churches - around Boston. Pudding stone is made by mixing a slurry of rocks and stones together, much like a Ye Olde version of Caesarstone! Pudding stone is only found in the Boston area. I am fond of it because it reminds me of my cat, Pudding, who I miss. And because I like pudding.
Our room at the Lenox Hotel is just lovely. Nice and large, plenty of room for Tabitha to explore, and with more than 180 degrees out over Boston. I am so thrilled with the Lenox, and thoroughly recommend it. The concierge and desk staff are all lovely, and there is a bellboy who is over 85 years old, and has worked here for over 60 years. He always has a kind word for Tabitha.
We also have a nice open fire in our room:
Here is our view from one of the sides. You can see the yellow finish line for the Boston Marathon:
We went out to a local seafood restaurant last night for some New England lobster. Mine was big and delicious. They are different from our Australian Rock Lobsters (Crayfish) because they have a little less tailmeat, but they have nice big meaty claws, which ours lack at home:
For fun, I wore the provided 'lobster bib'. Here is a photo of Tabitha and I both enjoying our lobster, both in our bibs! They sell a half lobster, a small one, for $10 for children:
The bakery near our hotel displays the calorie count next to the price for each of its items. Wow, let me tell you, this completely ruins things for me! I was about to get a chewy-looking butter pecan sweet roll, until I saw that this small roll contained over 800 calories. I'm not into diet food, but that sort of blew my mind...
Because there is so much great, but fattening, food here in America - and I have every intention of enjoying all the burgers, hot dogs, pizza, lobster and pie on offer - I am making an effort to ensure Tabitha and I eat plenty of fruit and vegetables as well. Luckily, the lobby here always has enormous bowls of fresh fruit to take, and bananas here are excellent, sweet, creamy and cheap - 97c a pound, compared to $14 or something a kg back home at the moment.
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