Mike's Pastry

And other fun Staycation destinations in Boston!  We might not have traveled anywhere exotic over April break but we had a fun-filled, jam-packed 27 hours in Beantown.  We did a few of the touristy things like strolling around Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall and riding the Swan Boats. The most memorable though will be our Duck Boat tour! It was entertaining and a little informative and we had fun quacking at pedestrians, police officers, and other duck boats. But the highlight was at the tail end--literally!! The ladder on the back end of poor Penelope Pru (the name of our duck boat) got jammed and we couldn't get off! After some time spent pushing, pulling, and clanging the staff rolled out a wheelchair lift and hand cranked the Notte's to safety. We were greeted by the photographer who presented our photos to us compliments of the duck due to our troubles. No sooner did he hand them to us when Pru's ladder came down. Wonder if the other riders were compensated as nicely?

We also got off the beaten path--something we always enjoy. We stopped by the Mapparium in the Mary Eddy Library (https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mapparium).  It is a 30 foot amazing stained glass globe. It was designed to be an emblem for the international focus of the Christian Science Publishing Society. It was completed in 1935 and has not been updated so the countries reflect that time. Being that large, the viewer could notice details and distances that might be noticed on a desktop globe, but not necessarily processed. For instance, Chile's coast is really raggedy the further south you go. The northern part of Russia is REALLY north and Cape Horn is pretty far south and not that far from Antarctica! The Mapparium also has some surprising acoustics. If you have a secret to tell, don't whisper it here.  The spherical walls reflect back sound forming a whispering gallery. You could stand at one end and whisper sweet nothings to your loved one at the other end and they (as well as the many strangers standing nearby) would hear it loud and clear!  While in the area, we also visited 6 Clearway St. From the outside window and front door entry it looks like any other convenience store. But walk to that Snapple vending machine in the back and the doors part allowing you to enter the hidden shoe store, Bodega. There is no other entrance! We didn't buy a single thing or stay very long for that matter. But it felt satisfying to be "in the know."

We also were adventurous with our meals. We took a T trip to Cambridge to find the highly regarded Ethiopian restaurant, Asmara. We sat at a mesob, a woven table in which a platter of food is placed. All the items were stew-like and are eaten with injera which is a flat sour dough bread. The opinions were mixed about the serving style and the spiciness of the food, but all in all it was great exposure to something new. We also had Dim Sum in Chinatown. That was another great experience. There was some unease at the beginning since none of our servers spoke English and we had to point and nod. However, the good food and willingness of our servers to please soon put everyone at ease.

Boston is such a great city! How fortunate we are to be able to zip right in. Some of us are already planning our next excursions!