Harvard

Today's photos 

We didn't have much planned for today apart from a trip to Harvard, it's only about a 20-minute ride on a couple of subway trains so set off about 10:15. Harvard is the posh part of Cambridge so most places are overpriced, but they do have a natural history museum there that's only $12 and this also gets you into the Peabody museum next door. It was a bit of a walk to get there, but it was a nice sunny day unless I put my sunglasses on then it went in. We spent 2 hours in there, then took a stroll back through Harvard Yard then dropped into a pub called Cambridge 1. 

The beer was good, but at $9 a pint you only have one in here. We then had to walk around the shops and had some ice cream at Ben and Jerry's. I'm glad we came to this food court as they had free WiFi and by now it was about 4:45 so we were getting hungry as well as thirsty, so a quick check on Google maps and we found a pub called Grendel's Den and is in the basement of a building not too far away.

It turns out that after 5pm all food was half price so we had a couple of drinks, then ordered a couple of turkey burgers, Jane forgot that chips here are crisps so ended up with them and not fries. Ha. At least we got the $9 dollar discount on the food so one turkey burger was free. It was only a short walk back to the subway so was back on the train by about 5:30.

Harvard is a strange place for public transport as even the buses are underground next to the subway, considering that these are diesel buses you can imagine how loud that can get. I even found my Dunkies mug today for $10 which will keep my beer cold.

Back Bay

Today's photos
We set off this morning at 10 again and headed down to Target superstore via the Green Line, I could spend all day in here, they have everything you could ever want, then on to Fenway Park and the Red Sox baseball team store. Most things are overpriced here, but it's good to look at the stuff and I got a massive carrier bag for a pen!

We had planned on going in the pub across from the ballpark, but napkins on the tables tend to put me off, far too upmarket for us, we are only used to places that have the seats screwed to the floor and you don't sit near the window in case a drive-by shooting happens.

Now it was around midday and only a short walk from here is Popeye's Chicken which, when done right is awesome and at $14 it was a good feed. Then back onto the Green Line one stop to Boston Public Library and the Prudential shopping mall which has a Microsoft store and I do like my tech so I was like a kid in a candy shop looking at all the cool stuff that's way out of my price range. We had planned on going up the Skywalk tower, but at $20 each and what was now a cloudy day and starting to rain so decided it probably wasn't the day for it today, but it's not far to come back to but at only 57 floors up it's a bit on the pricey side.

After swift scoot round there we walked down to the Charles River and that's when it rained. It was forecast, but there's no point in taking a coat when it's so warm and humid so plodded on along the taking shelter when it got heavy at times.

The plan now when we ended up back at the common was to get the subway one stop but it was much better just walk through the common than down a street to The Tam Bar as there is no elevator at the Bolyston stop.

I like The Tam, it's not a poncey pub, it's what you expect a US bar to be so had a

couple in there and admired the way people had spent time colouring in the beer mats, they then put on the wall. Some had spent a lot of time on these using glue and glitter, I wonder if they took them home and did it there or in the pub?

It's only a short walk from there to Jimmy John's for a couple of subs then back to the hotel. Today was a lot of walking, but it had been a good day.

East Cambridge

Today's photos

Neither of us woke up this morning until 9:45 so it was a late start for us.

First on the agenda was brunch at Bruegger's that we passed yesterday, unfortunately, this turned out to harder to get back to as all Green line trains weren't running due to a faulty overhead wire so we had to walk to the Orange line then got off at the wrong stop. We finally got to where we needed to be but by now it was 12 o'clock. 

When brunch was over with the trains were running again so it was back to the Orange line, then change to the Green to Science Park. It's always a bit of a nightmare changing trains underground, a bit like being in a rabbit warren. 

Eventually, we got back on the Green line and headed out to the Cambridge side shopping mall, I wanted to look at Best Buy at the tech, sad I know. From there it was a short walk to Toscanini's ice cream parlour, by now the temperature was 27c at 3pm, then it was a walk of about a mile to the Kendel Center Roof Top Garden which is an urban green space on the top floor a multistory car park where they grow flowers and vegetables. It's an ideal place to sit a soak up the sun for a while, even if it was a bit of a slog to get here. 

It was time now to head around the corner to catch the Red line back into the city which means time for a pub and something to eat. So the transit frustration continues with a broken train causing delays and even though we didn't have long to wait it was a squeeze to get on, thankfully we were only going 2 stops or about 3 miles. 

We were getting hungry now, instead of changing trains we come out of the station and went to the Beantown Pub got Mac and cheese, thinking about it, we should have just got one between us but you live and learn I suppose. 

We finally got back to the hotel about 6pm so it wasn't too long a day. I think we have both recovered now from lack of sleep travelling here. There's isn't many photos from today as we were just chilling out.

Old Town & Boston Common area

Today's photo album

We set off from the hotel about 10am, we didn't have much planned for today, it always takes us a bit of time to get over the flight from the day before. The Green Line subway station is only a 5-minute walk and even though it's only a couple of stops it's better than walking. 

We had planned breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, which from now on will be called Dunkies, unfortunately, it was closed for a refit but like rats, you're never that far from Dunkies. One of my favourites is the sausage, egg, and ham and at $3.80 you can't complain, wash that down with a coffee and that's me set up for the next few hours.

Next we had a walk around one of the oldest bits of town, by now it was starting to get warm and that makes you thirsty so dropped into the Beantown pub, given the area that's in I thought it would be more expensive than it was but $10 for a couple drinks isn't bad around here. 

After 40 minutes in there, we crossed the road to the Old burying ground then down onto the common which contains a few famous people from history.

We headed through the common taking in some of the sites and round into Beacon Hill to have look at the old buildings finally coming out back at the common by the Cheers Bar that was on TV. They actually only ever used the shot from the outside and all rest was filmed elsewhere, so it doesn't look anything like it did on television inside but we didn't bother going in as its down a flight of steep steps and no good for Jane.

We then headed back across the common and we were almost back where we started so decided to drop the wheely back in the hotel then got on the subway again, unfortunately, we should have got off the stop before but this gave the chance to have an ice cream in MacDonald's.

Now it was time for beer, I'd spotted The Tam by pure chance on Google Maps and I  do like a good dive bar. At $6 for a pint, it's not overpriced for the area you are in so we stayed for a couple of drinks.

By now it was 6 o'clock so headed round to Jimmy John's sandwich shop for a couple of subs. It's only a short walk from here back to the hotel so I dropped to put the subs back into our fridge at the hotel, then caught the number 9 bus for a 15 minute ride to South Boston & Urban Foodie supermarket which is conveniently located next a liquor store and it would be rude not to stock up on booze. This place isn't the best part of town, but the bus ride could have been a lot worse I suppose. 

We were back at the hotel by about 7:30 which was later than planned.

Maps are interactive apart from transit stops, which are not compatible with embedded Google maps.

We arrived

Today's photos
We beat our record as well today from getting from the aircraft door to waiting for public transport, today we achieved it in 30 minutes, having a wheelchair with you can have its advantages at times.

There is a shuttle bus from the arrivals to Airport Subway Station and it's only a 5 minute ride or so, then into the station to get a Charlie Ticket which is basically your single or return ticket depending on how much you put on it, you can also add week passes to these but they are so flimsy there probably not going to last a week but you have to have these for the ferries. The other one that they do just to confuse you is called a Charlie Card which is a plastic card for single, return and weekly passes, but is only sold at a limited amount of subway stations, you can see how this could get confusing, it also gives you slightly cheaper rides per trip.

We got the Blue Line 4 stops, then changed to Green line which resembles the old streetcars. This wasn't a pleasant experience as they were all packed even after letting a couple go passed so ended squeezed in there for 3 stops. Arlington station is just around the corner from the hotel, but check-in wasn't until 3pm and it was only 1pm at the moment, so had a stroll down the road and got a burger.

We walked back to the hotel for 3 and checked in that's when they said you don't get free WiFi in the room only in the lobby, which is a bit of a pain in the arse, but that seems to be the way in posh hotels, they did upgrade the room for us so we have lots of space and a walk-in shower.

By now, it was 4pm and time to go out for a wander around and get some drink to put on the fridge. It's a really warm afternoon and we're both knackered so wasn't out long, we got the Charlie Cards from the subway across the road from the hotel, at $21.25 for 7 days unlimited on all bus, subway zone 1A commuter trains, then caught the train one stop to Copley Square to get some bits from CVS and the liquor store before heading back pasted where the Boston Marathon finish line is and is kept in place all year round. We also pasted were both bombs exploded just over 5 years ago, they still haven't put in a memorial and the only thing that marks the spot is 2 bits of the sidewalk that curve out into the road, apparently, this is where they will eventually be placed.

We were back at the hotel by 7 but we have been on the go now for nearly 20 hours so until tomorrow, laters.

Maps are interactive apart from transit stops, which are not compatible with embedded Google maps.

Flight

The flight took off at 10am and by 10:30 we were at 34,000 feet and travelling at 517 miles an hour. Now it was time for the refreshment trolley to make it's the first trip along the plane so I availed myself of the free beer that was on offer as it would be awfully rude not to. There is supposed to be free WIFI on here, but I couldn't seem to get it to work even though I can connect to it. It was the same at the airport so I don't know if I was doing something wrong or the phone just doesn't like it, but I had no problem last time, I'm sure I can live without the web for a while anyway although I do have other devices I can try.

11:00

I smell lunch, time for a swift beer before they serve lunch, normally this is the worst part of any of the flights we have been on but today we were in for a surprise. Jane had the chicken risotto and I had the pasta and both were actually really good, even the chocolate moose wasn't frozen solid, and the knives and forks are good quality. Nothing like eating lunch at 36,000 feet doing 530 miles an hour. We still have about 5 hours to go, but a full belly makes it better.

12:00
After much trying I've finally got the Internet to work and although it takes a long time for things to happen, it's working and Facebook, as well as Messenger, doesn't require you to buy any airtime.
Just when things were getting boring someone opened the overhead compartment and the hinge broke so it's hanging down in the aisle now, there are 6 people involved in trying to fix it after they managed to get all the stuff out that was in there. What they need is an engineer on the plane or somebody with a load of the things that you put the weekly tickets, bus tickets in at work they can stick anything to anything. Still, it was interesting to watch while I was eating my ice cream.

14:40
Starting drag now, but there is only a couple of hours to go, no chance of getting any sleep on here but tried to have a nap anyway. Hopefully, they will come round with some beer and snacks again soon, by the time that is over with we should be almost ready to land. I suppose it could be worse, if you are heading to San Francisco then we would still have 7 hours to go.

15:40
They finally came round with the snacks which were cheese and turkey croissant and that was nice as well, either the food has gotten better or maybe it's just Delta, we will find out on the way back as that flight is with Virgin Atlantic. There are only 260 miles to go now so it's a mad rush for them to collect everything up, I can't help thinking why they don't come round a bit sooner so you don't have to shovel it down your neck like a seagull at Blackpool. Hopefully, they remembered to put the wheelchair on the plane when left because it's normally a 5-mile hike to customs. The landing went ok and the overhead bin that broke stayed in place, but another bit of the interior came off when we hit the runway, it's OK if bits fall off inside but not outside of the plane.
Hopefully, it won't be too much hassle getting on the shuttle bus to the subway station then 2 trains into the city. That's for the next post though.

Time to go

OMG, it's early, hopefully, I haven't booked 2 weeks holiday in Boston Lincolnshire.

This holiday was put together at the last minute or what I call the last minute, with only 8 weeks to plan everything that's about 40 weeks less than normal. We had been planning on going to Philadelphia, but events seemed to conspire against us at the last moment, most of this was due them filming the movie Creed in the city I think which pushed the price up of hotels to around £2,500, a price we are not prepared to pay when you also add in the silly amount they wanted for flights. We had planned on coming in 2019 so thought what the heck lets do it now.

I've spent some time on the website for our previous vacations and now, hopefully the clocks, weather widgets and links all work.

The taxi picked us up at 4:10am this morning for the hour or so ride to Heathrow. When I said an hour or so it turned out to be 65 minutes because if you drive like a lunatic you get here quicker, I think he didn't want to be doing this today, it's not like he's doing it for free.

7am beer o'clock

Our flight didn't leave until 9:40 but its a 3 hour check-in prior to leaving and I hate being on the last minute at the airport because we seem to always  go from a different terminal each time and you never know how long the walk will be, last time we went it was a 20 minute walk to get to the departure gate, that's why we take the wheely for Lady J.
We checked the bags in by 5:30 then headed off through the security check which went remarkably easy, normally it's a bit of a bun fight, perhaps it's just the time of day, but I didn't even go through the scanner, I must have an honest looking face.

It was time for a bacon roll at 6:30 which was yummy, for some unbeknown reason I can't seem to connect to the WiFi in the terminal, it worked last year, but today it's having none which makes writing this on my phone more difficult, oh well I'm sure I can manage which just a phone. 

I think we have been in terminal 3 before and it sucks, there are no windows that look out over the runway so you can't watch the planes taking off which is about the only interesting thing to do. I've often wondered if all these shops, they have in here ever made any money because you never see anybody buying anything from, most people are just killing time. 

It's 7 o'clock now, but feels much later, so I think I'm going to head into the pub for a beer or two as they don't put up the gate number until about 8:20.
Second beer over with now and the gate number has come up at 8:20 so let's hope this isn't a 3-mile hike across the airport. I have walked 6 miles in airports in one day on a previous trip.

08:53 and we are sitting on the plane after Lady J was picked for an extra groping prior to boarding which is something I've not seen before. Looks like this is a full flight as the one yesterday was cancelled for some reason. So my next post will be when we arrive in 7 to 8 hours. 

Countdown

Time reaming to our first visit to Beantown. When the counter reaches zero, it will then show elapsed time.