After our DC stay, we took the train to Boston. Before we boarded, we had an unexpected breakfast guest at Union Station – it was a terrific surprise to see David H., who was in DC on DOJ business. Kudos to him for asking if we were still in DC and for coming to meet up before our early train after his late arrival the night before!
The Amtrak ACELA from DC to Boston is not the quickest way to get there, but as we enjoy train travel and its simplicity, it was nice to have some quiet time to catch up on reading. The trains are comfortable enough, although there was a lot of sway, making it seem like the train needed better shock absorbers. It was more like a Spanish train than the French TGV trains, which are faster and smoother. There was a better menu though. Arriving with the option to hop right on a T to the hotel was also efficient.
The highlight of Boston was seeing our dear longtime friend Heidi, her husband Jeff and meeting her kids for the first time. We couldn’t recall the last time we saw Heidi and Jeff, but we knew it was close to 20 years ago. There was so much to catch up on! We enjoyed a terrific Japanese dinner with the entire family and then Heidi took the next day off to meet us in the city. She was also kind enough to bring me clothing, which was super helpful.
Our day together revolved around talking and eating while walking through the city. She introduced us to Tatte Bakery & Cafe, where we enjoyed halva and pistachio lattes with pastry. We walked through Boston Common, Government Center, Faneuil Hall, enjoying a crisp autumn day.
We moseyed our way over to the North End to enjoy the food options there. Pizza for lunch was an easy choice. Then we found a bakery that filled their cannoli when ordered – allowing you to pick your shell, filling and garnish. Of course, that’s the only way to do it and this was the real deal. It made our day, even though we were already stuffed.
We loved this public art piece across from South Station, where we left Heidi.
We returned to the North End for a traditional Italian dinner with Jeff’s parents, who met us in Boston for the next part of the trip – Salem, Maine, and New Hampshire.
Stopping in Salem after departing Boston was easy. We were there on September 27, so we missed most of the craziness that descends on the town in October. We enjoyed the Peabody Essex Museum, especially Anila Quayyum Agha’s “All the Flowers Are for Me,” a sculptural chamber of light and shadow. Then we headed to Maine, enjoying the beautiful scenery along the way.
The Red Sox weren’t in town, so we couldn’t enjoy a game at Fenway, but we made the most of our limited time in Massachusetts.
More to come soon,
Shana & Jeff
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