Boston in a Flash

October 20-21, 2012
Boston, Massachusetts
Newport, Rhode Island

Today is the day my knowledge of Boston paid off big.  I only had a few hours in this city.  So here is my attempt to make the most of it.

Remember how I was just here two weeks earlier, and how I talked about how the Purple Shamrock had closed.  Well, yeah, it's still closed.

Kind of like checking if someone is still dead.

Anyway, it was on the way to where I was going, so no time lost there.

I went straight to New England Conservatory, where I got my Masters degree, and met up with my friend Michelle Doolittle, who is currently going for her Masters there.  She and I had Christmas caroled together for a few years.  I was really glad she was able to step away from school for a little while and see me.  It's fun how we were friends first, and now that she's going to my old school we'll soon both be alumni.

I know...all my friends are pretty.  Get used to it.

Said goodbye to Michelle, and ran over to Spikes for an obligatory hot dog.

 Then it was only a 10 minute walk to Fenway Park.  Had to get a picture of this place on the way to it though.

Sweet Caroline, Ba ba bah!

And then out of no where, Matt Wight shows up!  My old roommate.  Okay, actually I texted him our trajectory and speed, and he found us.  And just in time to because three minute later we were on sacred baseball ground.

The Green Monster

Oops.

After our pilgrimage was over, we jumped on the subway and headed up to the theater district.  Marcy and Vince wanted to go watch a movie.  We happened to catch the capitol building in a really good moment.

 So, I dropped them off at the movie theater, and Matt and I started walking towards my ship.  I was a dingbat and totally forgot that I had brought him a bottle of Graham's Tawny Port wine aged 10 years all the way back from Portugal, and I left it on the ship!  So stupid.

On the way we saw this monstrosity.

Who the heck is this guy?

 Okay, so we made it back to the ship, I delivered the Port, and we still have about three hours left before sail away.  So we start walking back into town when-- oh hello Harpoon Brewery!  Had no idea you were right there!

What a pleasant surprise!

Inside the Harpoon Brewery.

 And wouldn't you know, all the tours were sold out.  How is that even possible?!  No matter, I still got some raspberry flavored beer.

And we ended up walking for another fifteen minutes and stopping in a bar by Hanover Street.

Special on Margaritas tonight?  I'll have two of them.

Best Roommate Evar!

And that was it.  Not bad for a few hours right?  If I had one more hour, I would have crossed the street over into the North End for some cannoli, but you have to draw the line somewhere when you have a ship that will sail away and leave you behind!

As I sit writing this blog from a small cafe in Malaga, Spain, I'm painfully aware of the five hours I have left until my ship sails tonight.  One of the things I like most about my vacation from ship work is how I can finally let the clock in my brain have a rest.

The very next day: IPM in Newport (IPM = lame)

I don't have much to offer on Newport, Rhode Island because the one time we anchored there, I had In-Port-Manning.  But thanks to my 18x zoom, I have a few things I can share.

Our ship's tender heading to the dock.

Panorama

There's a bridge.

And a fort.

It's this next picture that mostly sums up Newport, Rhode Island.  Boats and mansions.  There are many movie tours available in this city.  What I mean is that many movies that require the use of mansions have been filmed here.  So water people come for the boats, and movie people come for the mansions.  I imagine that since I have an interest in both of those things, this would have been a nice place to visit.  Oh well.  Better luck next time.

Mansions and Boats.