Take A Walk With Us: Beantown

In The City

Boy did we luck out in Boston last weekend. The weather on Saturday was downright spring-like. People were out walking every where. It was so nice we saved the Gardner Museum for Sunday and hit the ground running..........ok, walking.

First we walked from North Station (because we took the train in), to our hotel and then we did the same in reverse, and then the reverse of that again.  Crazy walking fools.

We strolled by the common, which was filled with people.  There was much less snow in Boston than there is here, so it was pretty easy for people to get around.  The Statehouse overlooks Boston Common and it's dome looked gorgeous against the day's blue sky.

We winded our way back over toward Faneuil Hall and Quincy Marketplace.


One of the things I love about a city is the intricacy of architecture of buildings with seemingly mundane purposes...................

 ..................as well as the elegance of adornments, like this door to one of Boston's post offices.

 Something as simple as a window gate becomes a work of art in the city, like these on a government building.

 

There are small snippets of times past, jammed into what now is. The juxtaposition of old and new, coexisting happily together.

We took our time, stopped to enjoy some unique buskers, and finally landed in front of the hall.

Cradle of liberty.  Where poets and paupers, businessmen and rebels met to plan and strategize how to fight the British while giving birth to a new nation.

People like Sam Adams who stands guard over Faneuil Hall.

 

You can see the Custom House Tower from Faneuil Hall, which actually did house Customs offices in the city for many years. 

After we strolled through Quincy Marketplace for a while, we watched some street entertainers doing acrobatics of sorts, as Boston's trees started to light up as light began to dwindle.

We headed back in the general direction of our hotel and ran smack dab into the Old South Meeting House, which was the largest building in colonial  Boston. The meeting hall has seen much history, including Samuel Sewell publicly apologizing for the Salem Witch Trials, Benjamin Franklin's baptism, as well as eventually serving as a place for official votes to take place, leading to the American Revolution.

 And then, the juxtaposition between new and old could be seen again in the theater district.  First the Paramount................

....and then the Opera House.

There is something about the energy of a city, that makes the old and the new coexist. It wouldn't be quite right if there was one without the other.

Cold again. I know, big newsflash.  Fire is going, dog is yelling that he'd like to come back in and sit next to it, and I'm tackling logo designs and revisions.

What's happening in your world?

Ciao for now,

Answer To An Age Old Question

Yes, A Monkey And A Bear CAN Play Together

Pretty well in fact, as it turns out.

As we were winding our way through the streets of Boston this weekend, I hear a quick few notes of a sax. Being the music lover that I am, I started walking faster to find out where the sax player was.  As my sister and I turned the corner............there he was.

It looked like he was packing up his case.  Just when I thought we had missed his gig, he said, "Hey, did you see the bear? I think I'm going to go play with him." (honestly, my favorite line of the weekend).

No, we hadn't seen the bear, but we certainly weren't going to miss him now. So we followed the monkey.

Lo and behold, there was indeed a bear and he was open to becoming a duo.

The monkey and the bear jammed.

And passersby stop and smiled (of course, if you're like me, it put also put a little dance pep in your step).  Behold, the power of music (and a monkey and a bear) to bring people together.

It just makes me downright happy.

Today is a potpourri of design work.  Finished up an email marketing piece this morning and sent it on it's way.  I have to run prints, package and ship.  Beyond that, logo revisions and new logo design.
It's a good day.

What's happening in your world? See anything unusual lately? You know, like a monkey and a bear playing the sax and keyboard on a city street corner?

Just wondering.

Ciao for now,

Boston Bound

Playing Tourist

Having visitors from other countries is always a good excuse to play tourist.

G's sister, her husband and kids, visited with us for the past couple of weeks. It's why I've been so scarce. They traveled all the way from Cyprus and when you live that far away from each other and seen each other (except via skype) in 12 years, there is a lot of catching up to do.

We hit the weather window right last week and headed into Boston on a beautiful summer day.

Then we ventured back out into the heat, past the custom house clock tower, and headed back to the market for some lunch.

Said goodbye to the market and hightailed it back to the train.

We got home and had one thing on our mind. Pooltime. We had the funniest round of marco polo ever and I almost peed in the pool I laughed so hard. Almost.

So, what have you guys been up to?

Ciao for now,