After leaving Chicago, I flew a couple hours over to Boston, Massachusetts. As most people know, “Beantown” is one of the oldest cities in the United States, and thus, rich in history.
Weather was brisk in May with some rainy moments, though that did not put a damper in exploring the city. The Museum of Fine Arts was comparable in size to Chicago’s Art Institute; I spent a good three hours in each, though I’m sure that I could have spent much longer admiring the collections. Both museums boast impressive selections of artwork ranging from 4th century BCE jewelry to modern American art. Perhaps one of the most amusing works I saw was Picasso’s Portrait of a Woman, 1910, as it brought back the memory of a rather explicit interpretation from one of my Western Art professors. I’m refraining from repeating the analysis, but those who took the class should recall that particular lecture.
Along the Freedom Trail are locations of great significance to early American history. I only had time to visit/pass by about half of the structures, including Boston Common, Faneuil Hall, King’s Chapel, Old State Hall, and Bunker Hill Monument. While walking through Granary Burying Ground, where the likes of Paul Revere and Samuel Adams are buried, I learned that some of the tombstones do not necessarily correlate with the buried person below. Some markers were moved to better organize the cemetery, which means that without digging up the remains, it is difficult to know exactly where a certain person may be buried. However, John Hancock’s memorial is salient and phallic, and as large as his signature, so it’s easy to spot in these grounds.
Of course, a trip to New England without having some clam chowder would be remiss. This particular version had generous amounts of dill, which I had not previously had in a chowder. It was delicious and comforting for a windy day. Oh, and Mike’s Pastry’s cannolis are absolute must tries.
Shout outs to my very good high school friend, Julie, for hosting me, and my distant cousin, Vincent, for hanging out with me on such short notice!
