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Thursday, August 25'th

Goodbye to hectic New York. Leaving with an Amtrak-train from Penn Station at 10 am. The trip to Boston is scheduled for 4 hours, but takes almost 6 because of a derailment on the tracks. It's a very nice trip though with great views.

I get of the train at Back Bay station Boston. From here, there's a short walk to Boston Park Plaza Hotel. This place is also booked via Priceline, and it's a bargain. Very nice with lot's of marble and other nice things that I don't have in my own apartment. Also plenty of restaurants that I can't afford to visit, a huge tv on the room, a coffeemaker, and last but not least - all towels are folded in mysterious ways and a little sticker on the toiletpaper makes sure noone has used it.

Well, I'm not here to admire my hotel, so off I go into the most historic city in America. I walk through the park on the other side of the hotel and into downtown Boston. The pace is much slower here, than in New York. More relaxed. Dinner and a walk around downtown before going back to my hotel, my tv and my coffeemaker.

In Boston they've have a trail called The Freedom Trail. You can follow the trail by following a red line through the city.

I don't know much about american history and the american independence, but most of the things you pass have something to do with that. First part is in downtown with plenty of shops etc around - and a few of those great american bookstores that I like so much.

From downtown the trail goes to North  End. This is the italian part of Boston. Most people talk like they have just taken part in a Godfather film.

The trail makes a nice walk. Much nicer than all the tours that runs in this town. Some of them is on a special kind of sailing van known at the Duck Tour. If you are on this tour you have to shout "quack quack" now and then to the people you are passing. Thank God for walking........

From the warship I walk back to Boston Park Plaza. Enough walking for this day.

Walk no. 1 is for Back Bay, which according to my guide book is a nice area with elegant streets lined with trees and gaslight-lamps. Except that the gaslight-lamps looks pretty electric, it's a pretty good description. It's close to Charles River where I start my walk before taking in the area of Back Bay.

In Back Bay I walk up Commenwealt Avenue with a nice little park between the left lane and the right lane. Houses here look very nice and very expensive. At the end I turn around and walk down Newbury Street. That's a street with plenty of fancy small shops, restaurant and cafe's. It's brunch time, so most of the restaurants seems quite busy. By the way - I have never seen as many restaurants as in this city. Do the people who live here do anything else than eating?

Plenty of historic and litterature people used to live here. Plenty of signs for different celebrities. I haven't heard of any of them, but that's probably my mistake. Well of course - except for the bar that inspired the tv-series of "Cheers" - We all know about that.

On the way back to the hotel I pass through Public Gardan. A great place for relaxing.

I take the T - the local subway - to Cambridge and Harvard University.

According to my guidebook there would be music at Harvard Square. Tracy Chapman and Bonnie Raitt started their careers here. Today there's a single sing- and songwriter. He won't be famous. Instead a take a walk around the campus and the area.

From Harvard I take the T back to city center. The green line in the Boston T is supposed to be one of the first subway's in the world. Actually it's just a simple tram, that they've put into a hole in the ground.

I wake up late and get's a late breakfast at my local cafe. They make the beast white-bread that I have tried for years. Then I check-out and goes to the movies. Jim Jarmusch' new movie Broken Flowers is nice.

The rest of the day I just walk around doing nothing special. A burger-lunch at Quincy Market and some people-watching and coffee at a local cafe.

Then on to Boston Common and Public Gardens for more people-watching.

It's pretty hot and humid today, and when it starts to rain at 5 pm I head for my hotel to pick up my gear. It's heavy - I have bought too many things. Especially books.