Springtime in Boston
George at the entrance of the park
Spring has emerged as my favorite season in New England. It’s brief, but after enduring a long and often harsh winter comprised mostly of grey sky and dirty snow, this colorful season is a welcomed reprieve!
Bare trees transform into beautiful bouquets that I wish would last longer then a few brief weeks. In the Back Bay we have the privilege of enjoying two blossoms. First the Magnolias, Apple Blossoms, Dogwoods etc. bloom on the north side of the street then they bloom on the south side about a week later. Tulips- red, pink, yellow, white and orange are everywhere! This is particularly true in the Boston Garden.
On this particular Friday afternoon, I’m sitting in the Boston Garden with nowhere to be. I’m grateful that I have the time to sit and enjoy the peaceful yet entertaining surroundings while perched on the wall of the bridge. The pond is dark green almost brown and filled with ducks, swans and Canadian geese. The swan boats are out. Kids are everywhere laughing and chasing birds and each other. There are a few artists painting pictures. Tourists stop on the bridge to take photos; some stop to watch a woman who is spontaneously composing a ballet dance to the music a man is playing on his accordion.
As I listen to the french song he is playing, I can picture myself in Paris along the Seine on the Ile Saint Louis and just across from Notre Dome Cathedral. When I was there in March, eating Berthillon ice cream, a man was playing the accordion in the rain. Oh, the charm of Paris and Boston!
On this day, the park is filled with a mix of foreign students on a scavenger hunt, leisurely strollers, power walkers, dog walkers, and commuters on their way home from work or to happy hour. It seems as if everyone who stops on the bridge has a camera.
It’s a warm sunny day with a clear blue sky only divided only by a sky scraper flying in the center of it.
I occasionally sit in the park, but I mostly walk through it or around it. On this day, I am thoroughly amused by all that I observe. I saw a professionally dressed man, late fifties/early sixties pretending to tap dance as a man breathed into his saxaphone (U2 fans know this phrase). At first I thought he was drunk, but then I realized that he was just enjoying the music. You had to see him.
I’ve lived in Boston long enough to recognize the park musicians, but this was the first time in many years that I lingered long enough to appreciate them.
I’m glad I did.
Volvo Ocean Race: Boston
Ericsson 4 entering boston harbor
Sunday was a beautiful day, and after dim sum in China town, I walked to Fan Pier to check out the festivities associated with the Volvo Ocean Race.
Dubbed as the “Everest of sailing,” this around the world race launched last fall in Alicante, Spain. In total, the seven teams will sail over 37,000 nautical miles. Destinations include Cape Town, Kochi, Singapore, Qingdao, around Cape Horn to Rio de Janeiro, Boston, Galway, Goteborg and Stockholm.
The boats arrived in Boston late Sunday afternoon. The first to arrive was Ericsson 4. The teams had been sailing for weeks since departing from South America, so it was cool to be among the crowd welcoming them to shore. It’s very cool that Boston, the only stop in North America, made the short list of destinations. I recommend a visit to the Fan Pier. Sponsors of the teams have invested millions of dollars into the race. Puma City, for example, it a shop/bar designed out of cargo crates. Located across from the ICA, there is a fabulous view of Boston and the harbor from the top deck.
Other exhibits include video of the race, information about the design of the boats, etc. Check it out! It’s a perfect location for enjoying a warm day!
Amy
Ericsson Team: 1st to arrive in Boston
Washington DC Circles
I have family and friends in DC, so I visit quite often. Over the years, I’ve learned to maneuver many circles in DC including Dupont and Logan, but I’m still learning about its social circles. I find people in the District to be very friendly and skilled at the art of conversation. No surprise due to the transient nature of the District and the highly educated pool of workers it attracts.
Locals have mastered the art of sizing people up with a few brief questions. They quickly determine where you stand socially & politically. If you work on the Hill and have access to appropriations or anyone deemed to be influential, you are in good standing. As a Bostonian who works in the technology industry, I suspect I am placed into a neutral category or in the same as the mutual friend making the introduction since we are also often judged by the company we keep.
Regardless of location, I suspect that many conversations at cocktail parties or networking events begin with the same questions:
“What do you do?/Where do you work?”
“How did you meet/how do you know so-and-so?”
“Where are you from?” How long have you lived in X ?”
I suppose we do this to establish common ground. While the questions may be the same, the value of the answers differ regionally. Do you agree?
London calling
but not so long this time.
London was the first European city I ever visited. I was there with my sister for a week during spring break in 1992. It was my very first stamp in my very first passport! (Note: I had previously traveled to Mexico & Canada, but you didn’t need a passport at the time.) We took walking tours and visited all of the major tourist sights including the Tower of London, Buckingham Palace, Picadilly, Trafalgar Square, St. Paul’s Cathedral etc. We also took day trips to nearby cities including Shakesphere’s hometown. I felt like I had experienced all that London had to offer.
I returned to London again with college friends in 1994 to launch our seven week backpacking tour of Europe. I actually can’t recall what I saw on that visit, but I suspect it was much of the same as the 1992 trip since it was the first visit for my friends. With two visits under my belt, I checked it of the long list of places to visit.
I always assumed I would return to London, but I never expected that it would take 15 years! In March, I finally returned to visit several of my friends that have moved there in the past year. I love London! I had fond memories of it, but it seemed to be a completely different city to me. Perhaps we both matured along the way.
The food used to be crap. Now they have “gastro pubs” that serve wine and a variety of ethic food beyond traditional fish and chips.
Security has changed quite a bit too. In the 90’s there weren’t any trash bins on the streets, but they have reappeared along with cameras. EVERYWHERE. I’m sure that is the case in most cities today, but it is very obvious there.
The city is clean, lively and completely fascinating. It’s both historic and trendy. Sophisticated. It’s a vast city, but it feels like a small town. It’s not as urban as NYC. It’s more like Brooklyn. Actually, It feels like Boston, but that could be because all of the street names are the same. 🙂
One of my friends lives in Chelsea which is prime location in walking distance to shops, restaurants etc. It’s apparently a very wealthy area. I noted many Porches, Ferraris and Maseratis parked on the streets!
On this trip, I spent very little time at the traditional tourist stops. I explored neighborhoods and food markets, saw a movie in a local theater, strolled through parks and museums, participated in quiz night at a local pub, attended the Oxford versus Cambridge crew race.
I felt like a local.
I may need to rethink my love affair with Paris.
Cruising at 39,000 Feet
I recently flew Air France from JKF to CGD Paris. The experience was quite pleasant as far as flying goes these days. The bi-lingual flight attendants were cheerful, and the coach accommodations were reasonable (decent leg room, clean, spacious overhead bins). I was thrilled to be on my way to Paris, so, I admit, few things could have altered that euphoria. I did note features that enhanced the experience:
1) Personal TV screens. All planes should have this feature. It’s one of the reasons I prefer Jet Blue for domestic flights. Watching whatever you choose during a 6+ hour flight is great distraction from the monotony.
2) Printed diner menus. This used to be standard on international flights, but it seems to be 50/50 these days. I like that Air France provided menus. I almost forgot I was in coach. Almost. 🙂
3) Champaign. French Champaign. Then wine with dinner if I so chose. Classy.
4) Reading Materials. They had a nice selection of magazine and newspapers. Another good distraction if you don’t want to watch movies/TV for the entire flight.
My return flight was from London Heathrow to JFK on Delta. I expectated the same level of service. Afterall, both legs were purchased through Delta.com.
Nope. Completing different experience.
No personal TV screens. I had to strain my eyes to watch the pre-selected movies on a screen about 5 rows away from me.
No menus or Champaign. Wine was offered with dinner, but otherwise for purchase in coach.
No magazines (other than the duty free etc.). Although, thankfully they did offer a selection of newspapers. I suspect that’s because Europeans read newspapers frequently and expect news to be available.
The difference between the two international flights was striking. I had wrongly assumed that international flights were “old school” and still provided ammenities that enhanced the travel experience. Small details, yes. However, details make a difference as far as brand and customer service go. Air France did it right.
Ah, vacation was indeed over. I was jet lagged and exhausted. After a two hour lay over in a dingy JFK terminal, I boarded a small commuter plane and quickly realized the flight from London was a luxury in comparison. I didn’t care. I took a nap and was home before I knew it.
About
I have 15 years of experience advising senior executives on communications and marketing strategies to build brand, market share and to drive sales leads.
Travel is my passion. I have explored more than 100 cities in 16 countries on 3 continents. I am interested in people and places both far and near. From time to time, I update my blog to share my travel experiences.
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People, Places: Raison d'être 
