Non-Fiction Five Challenge: Book 5

Andros, Howard S. Buildings and Landmarks of Old Boston: A Guide to the Colonial, Provincial, Federal, and Greek Revival Periods, 1630-1850. Hanover: University Press of New England, 2001.

This is my final book in the non-fiction five challenge. You will find a complete list of my books read on my April 26 post announcing my participation.

4.5 stars. This is a nice introduction to some of the historic buildings and sites around Boston. A person walking around Boston will see many more architecturally interesting buildings from these periods and beyond about which he wishes to know more facts, but this guide does a pretty good job of covering the major ones and even offers maps showing their locations. There are several items in the bibliography that I would like to read as well!

Wordless Wednesday: Boston Public Garden

Wordless Wednesday

Boston Diary - June 14

Departure Day! My plane didn't depart until almost 4:30 p.m., but I knew that I'd need to allow time to get to the T and to transfer to the silver line (bus) to get to the airport. I spent the morning in the hotel until it was time to leave. I didn't want to run around Boston because there was a big parade in town. I just didn't think I wanted to be in the crowds with what was left of my luggage.

I ate a chicken caesar wrap when I got to the airport. My plane was leaving from a small gate that was in "terminal E" but was separated from most of the other gates. All that was close was Hudson News and one food place. Rather than going up two floors to the other gates and food court, I decided the wrap would be okay. I had a book with me, and I just sat down, ate, and read until time to board the plane. I finished the one book in the airport and started another when I got on the plane. That plane was really large (one of those with 6 seats across) but there were so few of us that the crew told us we could move to empty seats. Many of us ended up having a row all to ourselves!

We actually got to Detroit ten or fifteen minutes early. I decided to eat at A & W since we don't have those in East Tennessee. I continued to read. I will say that I'm surprised that I had no gate changes all day. The track and field team from Western Carolina University was on the plane returning to Asheville. They had been to a meet in Iowa and told us all about the flooding they'd seen while driving around and while on the plane. I finished the second book before I landed in Asheville. We arrived 20 minutes early. There was no one to open the door from the breezeway into the airport. We had to open it ourselves, and we all wondered if we'd set off an alarm. We saw no airport or airline employees in the terminal except for the TSA folks at the security checkpoint. That's really strange! I got home (to my house) at 12:40 a.m.

Boston Diary - June 13, Part 2

The waterfront with Bunker Hill Monument (on Breeds Hill, of course) in the background.
This bird was posing for me!
"Old Ironsides," the U.S.S. Constitution. I did go aboard today.

I walked back across the bridge to Hanover Street. I decided to try a different Italian restaurant, but I picked the wrong one. I chose the Florentine Cafe because it was charming with the window boxes of flowers. Inside the Italians were all watching the soccer game on ESPN. Somehow the sports atmosphere ruined the charm of the flowers.
I wanted something with a marinara sauce. Since the only thing on the menu I saw with this type of sauce was spaghetti and meatballs, that's what I ordered. This is after I cut up the meatballs. I wish that I'd gone back to Giacomo's. I'd rate Giacomo's 5/5 and I'd rate the Florentine 3/5 on taste. Not to despair though. Mike's Pastry was nearby so I had my final cannoli of this trip. I wonder if they'd like to put in a branch in East Tennessee? I'm really going to miss Mike's!
The produce looked good!
I also went to King's Chapel Burial Ground.

Gov. Winthrop is one of its most famous burials!
Overview of cemetery.
My last stop (because my feet were too tired to go on much longer) was the Brattle Book Shop, a renowned antiquarian book dealer. I browsed the local history and genealogy sections, but I didn't purchase anything because I don't have room in the luggage for more books! (I'd already found some nice books on the burying grounds in the book section of a gift shop early. Those were the only ones I could make fit!)
Since my feet were "dropping," I decided it was time to take the T back to Quincy and call the hotel for the shuttle. I came back and was saddened to hear of Tim Russert's death. Someone in the NBC news family will have big shoes to fill.

Boston Diary - June 13, Part 1

Today I decided to start the day with a ride on the T to the North End so that I could visit sites on the Freedom Trail. I was greeted by Samuel Adams at Faneuil Hall before I headed to Dunkin Donuts for coffee and a Boston creme donut.
Quincy Market has gotten in the Celtics fever that is everywhere in the city.
I didn't know that Christopher Columbus came this far north, but he was standing in Christopher Columbus Park along the waterfront.
I thought that the "Kahlua" delivery truck would never leave so that I could get a good shot of Paul Revere's home. (I saw him riding his horse nearby.)
More of the street where Paul lived.

One of the neat things outside the Old North Church was the memorial to soldiers who have lost their lives in the war on terror. The dog tags were impressive!
St. Francis of Assisi was looking over an adjacent garden.
The spire of the Old North Church. "One if by land, two if by sea . . ."
I was getting hot, and the gelato across the street was too tempting. This was the watermelon variety. I detected the taste of grapefruit in it.
I remember Copp's Hill Burying Ground from my last trip to Boston. It's one of my favorite Boston cemeteries.

Interesting markers.

Plaque for Increase and Cotton Mather, well-known preachers.
Their tomb.
Another interesting tombstone.
An interesting monment!

Boston Diary - June 12, Part 2

Here was our ship for the cruise. We joked all day because it was a "three hour cruise." We're just glad the ship wasn't named the S.S. Minnow!

Boston Harbor Light.
Sailboat. There's a plane approaching Logan in the background!
Sunset!
Sunset - with a plane and sailboat!
A lovely masted sailboat in the sunset.

From the other side! You can see Logan Airport behind the sailboat.
Sailing.
The city.
The U.S.S. Constitution and the Bunker Hill Monument.
City by moonlight.
Boston. You can see the steeple of the Old North Church.
Bridge at sunset. (I didn't take time to crop the edge of our ship.)
Boston.

Boston Diary - June 12, Part 1

Sorry to be late in getting yesterday's ventures posted, but I was tired by the time I got back to the room to post anything.

Thursday was the final day of the conference itself. The day began with devotions. Then we had our final keynote address. The speaker was Tim Spalding of LibraryThing. Here is Tim with the LibraryThing groupies (as we introduced ourselves).



There was a business meeting later in the morning, a luncheon/awards ceremony at lunch, and two presentation sessions in the afternoon (including one that I made). The liberal arts section leadership team met briefly after the last presentation, but pretty soon, we were all boarding buses to head to the Quincy Harbor for a cruise with hor d'ourvres and desserts. This is the clock tower in the harbor area.
Here are the librarians waiting in the breezier part of the harbor area until time to board the ship.

This is the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in the harbor area with some more of us waiting in the shade!

Time to board. Here we are standing in line!

Aboard the ship!
Tonya and Jennifer share dessert!
Woodie.
Upper East Tennessee public librarians!