Before travelling to Boston for the first time, I was told it's the closest US city to Europe. And I suppose it is in some ways, but even grander. Seeing the movie-like skyline for the first time is when I felt like I had properly arrived in the States, and it only got better from there.
We started our trip by following the famous Freedom Trail, a wonderful way of learning about Boston and its history. The Trail is a 2.5 mile pathway that guides you through significant locations of historical importance, including Faneuil Hall, the USS Constitution and the Old State House. And as any good traveller would do, we stopped for a huge portion of nachos at a sports bar, the Sons of Boston, to plan our next steps. Yummy!
In the afternoon we went for a stroll on the historic Eastside of Boston, known as Orient Heights, via the affluent Back Bay and into the charming Boston Public gardens to finally end up on the lovely (and apparently most photographed in the city) Acorn street, nestling in the middle of the famous neighbourhood of Beacon Hill.
We walked past Boston Common, the Massachusetts State House and continued deeper into Downtown for another drink and some dinner at Joe's American Bar and Grill (an amazing find with great food and brilliant service - we went here a few times).
The next day we continued our incursion into the green city and made our way to the beautiful harbour area, passing through Angell Memorial Square. We spent the day on a boat trip learning more about the history of Boston and admiring the coast. We then lunched at the famous Union Oyster where we had the traditional (and delicious!) seafood chowder (for those with a culinary interest, you can find the recipe here).
One of the highlights of Boston for me was the wonderful Isabella Gardner Museum, an unexpected gem and brainchild of an art visionary, located in the middle of a bustling city. The museum has an interior landscaped garden, useful for a break in between exploring the world-renowned and carefully curated collection.
Another highlight was the brunch at Stephanie's on Newbury, which involved a Bloody Mary so big that I wasn't entirely sure whether it was a glass or a pitcher. And the best part about it is that it is fully customisable - there is even an option to add sausage to it!
On the same afternoon, we were all set for sporty time - it was time to watch the famous Red Sox in action at Fenway Park playing against Tampa Bay Rays. I have to admit to not knowing too much (or anything really!) about baseball, but boy was the atmosphere just incredible! And as if the loud crowds weren't enough, during a break in the innings, the whole crowd rose and sang Neil Diamond's Sweet Caroline in unison - an absolutely epic experience (read about how the tradition started here).
I absolutely loved Boston and cannot wait to find a reason to go back. It's open, bright, green and most importantly, populated with hospitable people and with delicious seafood available nearly everywhere.