October 13, 2011

You are currently browsing the daily archive for October 13, 2011.

Note:  If you already read the Boston walk-a-thon post (10-12-11), I am happy to announce that my camera is now dried out and I successfully downloaded the few pics I had from the crappy camera – so I added those to the post – take a peek (though they are not great).

Dad was right, as usual, by the time we got on the road to Salem the rain was subsiding and when we arrived it was a mere mist.  We never had to use the umbrellas that I had packed.  So, all in all, the weather was still cooperating and the gloominess actually added to the ambiance of Salem with its graveyards and dark history.  Though a little more commercial than we expected, it still was a very informative and enjoyable day.  We walked the full circuit of sights – stopping to view the movie at the Visitor’s Center and spending extra time in the old burial grounds, the memorial to the Witch Trial Victims and the House of the Seven Gables.  We discovered that the first person hanged for alleged witchcraft in the region was Bridgett Bishop – which intriqued us because that is my paternal family’s name.  We have no idea if she is a distant ancestor of our lineage, but it made for interesting conversation nonetheless.

 

In homage to Nathaniel Hawthorne, author of House of the Seven Gables, and many more classic novels,we offer as our words of the day an excerpted, truncated line from his famous story which he intended to be the moral of his tale:  “the wrong-doing of one generation lives into the successive ones, and . . . becomes a pure and uncontrollable mischief.”  Good observation, good solid advice.

 

 

 

 

 

Since we won’t be home in time for Halloween, we stopped in the oldest candy manfacturing/sales site in the United States and bought some sweets for our sweets back home and had it shipped in time for spooky-time – then it was back to camp we go…With the Fall colors muted by the rain and gloom, my eyes turned to another sight on the drive back – many flocks of birds perched on tree branches and telephone lines in large numbers that must be getting ready for their trip southward (maybe we will see them later, as we move south as well…).  Tomorrow will be our last day in this area and we hope the weather will cooperate once more as we head out to Cape Cod and Plymouth Rock.

 

Tags:

You are 75 years old today and we are trekking around the great city of Boston, Mass. – not bad for an old guy!  I love you and respect you with all my heart.  I dedicate the word of the day to you – FATHER – as you are a prime example of everything a father should be.

 

We started in Little Italy, on the North end (appropriate since that was the name of our restaurant, back in the day).  We stopped at Regina’s (world-famous) for pizza, but successfully avoided all of the pastries, cookies, cakes and pies that filled the bakeries lining the streets.  There were amazing smells and sights and a very authentic local population, many speaking italian and talking with their hands flying in every direction.  It was like being in Italy itself.

We got a little (a lot) lost and wished that my sister-in-law was there with us to be our tour guide… We finally found our trolley stop and took it on a circuit around the hot-spots – Boston Commons, Fenway Park, Faneuil Hall, Bunker Hill and many other parts of the Freedom Trail.  I apologize that I have no pics to post yet (maybe never) since I dropped my camera in the sink and am trying to dry it out.   I bought a cheap-o digital that had very little memory, so I have a few, but those are not going to be great, as many were taken through the trolley window.  Once I download the software and upoad the pics, I will post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next, we took a harbor tour (camera was out of memory at this point) and ended up at the U.S.S. Constitution and also toured the museum. It was getting late, so we headed back to our rental car. THAT was a experience!  I will spare you the details, but needless to say it was frustrating and strenuous – but we did get our exercise in for the day!  We were rather overwhelmed with the size and scope of the city coupled with some bad maps that were missing lots of the minor streets.  The local residents were quite helpful, but rather confused themselves about locations – but we finally made it back.

Finally, we traveled to Marshfield, Mass (my in-laws had lived her many years ago) and found the Ming Dynasty Restaurant still in business.  Their food was still excellent. As we left the restaurant, it began to sprinkle.  By the time we reached the campground, it was a drizzle.  Through the night it was a full-blown rain and this morning…a deluge (expeted to last about 2 more days)! However, Dad still says we are going to Salem, “We can’t let a little rain stop us.”  (Did I say deluge???)

Tags: