![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Reflections on my trip so far
Apr. 12th, 2012 10:51 amI haven't posted since last Saturday or Sunday, so it's time for more posting.
Monday was a banner day, in that I met![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
vasilatos and, of course, Penny Lane, who studiously ignored me whenever she was let out of the bag.
I started out waiting for the bus to Boston in front of Starbucks. When it came, I had my dollar bills in hand and asked what the fare was. "$3.80 in cash, $2.80 with a CharlieCard[1]." I replied, "I'm a tourist; I don't have a CharlieCard." The bus driver immediately said, "Do you want one?" He sold me one on the bus and I put $20 on it. (It did take a while to get the farebox to realise that the piece of paper I was giving it was a $20 bill.)
That scene would not have been possible on a London bus with an Oystercard. I am heartened by the future of public transport.
The bus trip, however, was a different story. As I'm now used to traveling on public transport in London with all sorts of people, from bishops to just regular Joes and Janes, I was a bit downcast that public transport on the North Shore of Massachusetts seems to be for the impoverished and the non-Caucasian. I had temporarily forgotten that only very poor (and very young) people here in the US rely on public transport for anything.
Got to Haymarket in the North End of Boston, took the Orange and Red lines to Central Station in Cambridge, and waited in front of a Walgreens forjwg, "rsc, and vasilatos to arrive. Of course, they already had and were in the restaurant waiting for me. I, of course, never having been to this particular restaurant, had no idea where it was. Robert finally rescued me from the surroundings, including some rather disreputable characters who sat on the bench next to me and tried to fall asleep on me.
We were having Eritrean food at Asmara Restaurant. A month ago or so I tried to make injera bread. I got the teff flour, prepared it according to the recipes I'd seen, and then cooked two. They were terrible. Tasted like dirt.
The injera at Asmara was nice, just sour enough, and did not taste as if it had been prepared from the contents of the vacuum cleaner bag. The food was quite good; I can't tell you what it was I ate except for generic words like "lamb", "chicken", and "salad", but I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I get home I will upload pictures and post them.
After that,vasilatos and I went to visit her mother, the children's author Lois Lowry, who is just delightful. Over cups of tea we discovered that we have several mutual acquaintances in the Episcopal/Anglican world, and she gave me an inscribed copy of her book about church mice, Bless this Mouse, which looks to be delightful.
After thisvasilatos and I looked for her favourite Chinese food to take away for her dinner, and I seem to have impressed her by saying "谢谢" to the waitress when she delivered the order.
At this point we went to MIT to find her friend Richard Stallman, which was an ultimately unsuccessful enterprise, requiring us to maneuver in a very modern building that seemed to have been designed to defeat those who were visiting it. We found his office finally, but he wasn't in. Oh well.
We then drove to Alewife Station, wherevasilatos's hotel was, and I got on the T and went to Harvard Square to meet my friends Margaret and Bob. Thanks to vasilatos for ferrying me around and introducing me to her mother. And, of course, keeping Penny Lane from tearing me limb from limb.
I sat at Harvard Square for a while, and discovered that Margaret and Bob were already in the Russell House Tavern waiting for me. I finally discovered it (around the corner from the T entrance) and we had a lovely dinner. I had "Maine Co-Op Steak Frites" and a Manhattan (always nice to have a cocktail before dinner). It was perfect (the steak) and the Manhattan was great. Margaret had a selection of plates, which included one poached egg, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms. She was delighted with the egg, which was lovely. We all caught up with each other and, when dinner was over, Margaret volunteered to drive me back to Marblehead, which was so thoughtful. We had a bit of trouble getting onto the T to get her car. She hasn't used the T for a while because of access issues, and her CharlieCard had expired. But we finally got to her car and then home to Marblehead. Morning and evening, Monday.
Tuesday I had lunch at the Town Wharf with my friend Zeke from Salem, where we compared our various ailments. The weather was a bit on the chilly side, but we ate on the outside patio anyway. Another Manhattan…I have been very bad so far. I walked from my brother's home near the cemetery to the Landing Restaurant, and then to my brother's auto repair garage. My feet have survived. I'm very grateful. Morning and evening, Tuesday.
Wednesday I did nothing all day. I suppose it was recovering from Monday and Tuesday. I have decided that manically running around for the entire period of my holiday requires a long period of recuperation afterwards. Thus, the occasional day off is welcome. In the evening Harold and I went to Bertucci's Restaurant in Swampscott for dinner, where I had spaghetti and meatballs, which was a personal mistake. They were delicious, but my blood sugar was quite high this morning, sadly. Morning and evening, Wednesday.
Today I have nothing planned, but I think I'll mosey downtown and go to a package store to find some Ryan and Wood rye whiskey, distilled in Gloucester. I suspect I may have difficulty and it may cost an arm and a leg. However, from Bob's description, it sounds like it's worth it. I'll take it back to the UK as my permitted import.
Coming up, lunch tomorrow with Dawn Bucket, the local opinion columnist for the Marblehead Reporter. We're good friends (she calls me "her biggest fan", even though I read her column in London) and the lunch should be spirited, as we both have deeply-held opinions about the Old Town and how it's changed over the years. Tomorrow evening, a visit with my friend Sarav in Cambridge. Saturday,momshapedbox is coming up from Connecticut to pal around during the afternoon. On Low Sunday I hope to attend St. Michael's Episcopal Church here—298 years young, then go to my favourite steak restaurant in the whole world, Outback in Peabody. Yes, it's hokey and a chain, but the prime rib is really good, and I'm being treated by my Lodge brother Rick, along with my brother, their spouses, and who knows who else?
Monday I have nothing on yet, and Tuesday is Philanthropic Lodge's 2121st regular meeting. It's the last one I can attend as a Ruling Master, as I install my successor next month. I'm looking forward to it (both events). Wednesday nothing scheduled yet, then Thursday evening back to London.
[1]The CharlieCard is the MBTA's equivalent of the Oystercard in London. Touch pads on the buses and trains, refill at T stations and various other places, monthly passes available as well. Very much like the Oystercard except that you can buy one on a bus.
Monday was a banner day, in that I met
vasilatos and, of course, Penny Lane, who studiously ignored me whenever she was let out of the bag.I started out waiting for the bus to Boston in front of Starbucks. When it came, I had my dollar bills in hand and asked what the fare was. "$3.80 in cash, $2.80 with a CharlieCard[1]." I replied, "I'm a tourist; I don't have a CharlieCard." The bus driver immediately said, "Do you want one?" He sold me one on the bus and I put $20 on it. (It did take a while to get the farebox to realise that the piece of paper I was giving it was a $20 bill.)
That scene would not have been possible on a London bus with an Oystercard. I am heartened by the future of public transport.
The bus trip, however, was a different story. As I'm now used to traveling on public transport in London with all sorts of people, from bishops to just regular Joes and Janes, I was a bit downcast that public transport on the North Shore of Massachusetts seems to be for the impoverished and the non-Caucasian. I had temporarily forgotten that only very poor (and very young) people here in the US rely on public transport for anything.
Got to Haymarket in the North End of Boston, took the Orange and Red lines to Central Station in Cambridge, and waited in front of a Walgreens for
jwg, "rsc, and vasilatos to arrive. Of course, they already had and were in the restaurant waiting for me. I, of course, never having been to this particular restaurant, had no idea where it was. Robert finally rescued me from the surroundings, including some rather disreputable characters who sat on the bench next to me and tried to fall asleep on me.We were having Eritrean food at Asmara Restaurant. A month ago or so I tried to make injera bread. I got the teff flour, prepared it according to the recipes I'd seen, and then cooked two. They were terrible. Tasted like dirt.
The injera at Asmara was nice, just sour enough, and did not taste as if it had been prepared from the contents of the vacuum cleaner bag. The food was quite good; I can't tell you what it was I ate except for generic words like "lamb", "chicken", and "salad", but I thoroughly enjoyed it. When I get home I will upload pictures and post them.
After that,
vasilatos and I went to visit her mother, the children's author Lois Lowry, who is just delightful. Over cups of tea we discovered that we have several mutual acquaintances in the Episcopal/Anglican world, and she gave me an inscribed copy of her book about church mice, Bless this Mouse, which looks to be delightful.After this
vasilatos and I looked for her favourite Chinese food to take away for her dinner, and I seem to have impressed her by saying "谢谢" to the waitress when she delivered the order. At this point we went to MIT to find her friend Richard Stallman, which was an ultimately unsuccessful enterprise, requiring us to maneuver in a very modern building that seemed to have been designed to defeat those who were visiting it. We found his office finally, but he wasn't in. Oh well.
We then drove to Alewife Station, where
vasilatos's hotel was, and I got on the T and went to Harvard Square to meet my friends Margaret and Bob. Thanks to vasilatos for ferrying me around and introducing me to her mother. And, of course, keeping Penny Lane from tearing me limb from limb.I sat at Harvard Square for a while, and discovered that Margaret and Bob were already in the Russell House Tavern waiting for me. I finally discovered it (around the corner from the T entrance) and we had a lovely dinner. I had "Maine Co-Op Steak Frites" and a Manhattan (always nice to have a cocktail before dinner). It was perfect (the steak) and the Manhattan was great. Margaret had a selection of plates, which included one poached egg, Brussels sprouts, and mushrooms. She was delighted with the egg, which was lovely. We all caught up with each other and, when dinner was over, Margaret volunteered to drive me back to Marblehead, which was so thoughtful. We had a bit of trouble getting onto the T to get her car. She hasn't used the T for a while because of access issues, and her CharlieCard had expired. But we finally got to her car and then home to Marblehead. Morning and evening, Monday.
Tuesday I had lunch at the Town Wharf with my friend Zeke from Salem, where we compared our various ailments. The weather was a bit on the chilly side, but we ate on the outside patio anyway. Another Manhattan…I have been very bad so far. I walked from my brother's home near the cemetery to the Landing Restaurant, and then to my brother's auto repair garage. My feet have survived. I'm very grateful. Morning and evening, Tuesday.
Wednesday I did nothing all day. I suppose it was recovering from Monday and Tuesday. I have decided that manically running around for the entire period of my holiday requires a long period of recuperation afterwards. Thus, the occasional day off is welcome. In the evening Harold and I went to Bertucci's Restaurant in Swampscott for dinner, where I had spaghetti and meatballs, which was a personal mistake. They were delicious, but my blood sugar was quite high this morning, sadly. Morning and evening, Wednesday.
Today I have nothing planned, but I think I'll mosey downtown and go to a package store to find some Ryan and Wood rye whiskey, distilled in Gloucester. I suspect I may have difficulty and it may cost an arm and a leg. However, from Bob's description, it sounds like it's worth it. I'll take it back to the UK as my permitted import.
Coming up, lunch tomorrow with Dawn Bucket, the local opinion columnist for the Marblehead Reporter. We're good friends (she calls me "her biggest fan", even though I read her column in London) and the lunch should be spirited, as we both have deeply-held opinions about the Old Town and how it's changed over the years. Tomorrow evening, a visit with my friend Sarav in Cambridge. Saturday,
momshapedbox is coming up from Connecticut to pal around during the afternoon. On Low Sunday I hope to attend St. Michael's Episcopal Church here—298 years young, then go to my favourite steak restaurant in the whole world, Outback in Peabody. Yes, it's hokey and a chain, but the prime rib is really good, and I'm being treated by my Lodge brother Rick, along with my brother, their spouses, and who knows who else?Monday I have nothing on yet, and Tuesday is Philanthropic Lodge's 2121st regular meeting. It's the last one I can attend as a Ruling Master, as I install my successor next month. I'm looking forward to it (both events). Wednesday nothing scheduled yet, then Thursday evening back to London.
[1]The CharlieCard is the MBTA's equivalent of the Oystercard in London. Touch pads on the buses and trains, refill at T stations and various other places, monthly passes available as well. Very much like the Oystercard except that you can buy one on a bus.
