My next stop during my 1-week-stay in the US
(yes, I know, I’ll probably never compensate my ecological footprint again…) was
Boston.
After a 4h-bus ride and quite a delay I arrived there by night. Leaving
the bus terminal, I already felt
relaxed. It was much more quiet than NYC, everything seemed to be a bit
slowed down. That was just what I needed after the impression overload in NYC.
I took a taxi to the flat of my cousin and her husband and got a very warm
welcome.
The next day I started exploring Boston – and I
wasn’t disappointed! I started the day with a coffee outside the Quincy Market
at Faneuil Hall, observed the people and enjoyed the sun.
What about a little chess game outside of Quincy Market? |
Faneuil Hall |
Quincy Market |
I walked along the water front and then joined a “Freedom Trail Tour” which took me to all the historical sights in town. Quite impressive, Boston's history!
A street full of Irish pubs in downtown Boston |
I can never get enough of old bookshops! |
When I already got a bit tired but didn’t want to stop exploring, I decided to do a sunset trip on a boat. This was a good decision, because the 90 minutes trip offered fantastic views of Boston’s skyline, the harbor and the surroundings. To see Boston changing it's colors with the sun disappearing slowly on the horizon was amazing - and even the loud class of French teenagers couldn't distract my relaxed and happy feelings! :-)
The next day I took the metro to
Cambridge, where I visited the Harvard campus. What can I say: I had to ask
myself why I didn’t study there! 😊 I liked it at the first sight – the
nice, old brick houses, the people sitting outside drinking coffee and the
different options to make student’s lifes a bit easier (ping pong – tables,
chess fields,…). Harvard is definitely worth a visit!
Harvard Campus |
Back in Boston I decided to visit a museum (not
always my first choice during holidays, but with more than 30 °C in the shade
this was quite a good idea! 😊 ) – I picked the Museum of fine
arts, one of the biggest museums in the USA. I really recommend it to everyone, it is one of the nicest museums I’ve
ever seen – very big, very interesting collections (my favourites: the paintings of Matisse, van Gogh, Renoir, Monet,...) and an awesome garden where
you can sit and eat.
The Garden of the Museum of fine arts - a great place to sit and relax after the huge collection of art! |
Too bad you won't find this piece in Ikea, isn't it? :-) |
Living the good life in Boston Here are my tips for a perfect stay in Boston: |
2. You're not a big fan of museums? Maybe the MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS will make you change your mind! I'm sure you'll fine something you like - the collection is huge! And if not: just enjoy the relaxing atmoshpere in the Garden Café (--> Link)!
3. Go on a FREEDOM TRAIL WALKING TOUR, starting at Boston Common, and learn about Boston's impressive history (--> Link) !
4. START YOUR DAY with a coffee outside of QUINCY MARKET and enjoy the first rays of sunlight! Just perfect!
5. Can a simple university campus be worth a 20-minutes-metro-ride? YES, it can! Visit CAMBRIDGE and the HARVARD CAMPUS & I'm sure you'll also regret not to have studied there!
6. Take a walk along the WHARFS, stop for an ice cream and enjoy the maritime feeling of Boston!
7. Stop at the BOSTON PUBLIC MARKET und find very nice little food stands with local specialities, flowers and souvenirs. You can even find American-made Swiss cookies there (but I admit I didn't dare to taste them! ;-) ) ((--> Link)
8. If you have more time, rent a car and drive to CAPE COD, a wonderful half-island with amazing beaches and lovely houses. Plan at least 2 nights there.
9. Need a place to stay on Cape Cod? Try the STARLIGHT LODGE in Dennis! The Gillespies are wonderful hosts and I slept perfectly in my cozy king-size-bed! (--> Link)