Our Boston Trip May 2012

Our Boston trip now comes to a close.  Getting ready to hurry and wait.  We are on standby for an earlier flight back to LA.    We shall see if we are so lucky. It's overbooked by one right now.  Sooooo  I thought I might as well take the time to reflect about the week.  

Looking back -- Friday.....

I think one of my highlights of the week was browsing the art galleries of Boston with Dorian on the famous Newton St.   We saw so many beautiful examples of different types of creative expressions in art.  I loved many of the galleries we went to.  But we only got to 2 blocks worth of galleries  before it was time to head back to our apartment.  Fritz took us for a nice sail in the little harbor near the Boston Half shell.  ( and MIT  sailing center).   Then off we went to Graduation for Johan.    

This last Friday  was filled with fun, and friends for Johan and Rachel.  After so many 1000 of hours of research and writing and editing,  Johan is finally a PHD.  Onward to be professor hopefully soon.  He is in the process of applying to different fellowship options.   Boston University graduated 6500 students altogether.  There were 205 PHD students. Eric Schmidt was the special speaker -- Ceo of google.  His message included  -- "this graduating class is more connected than any generation ever,  anywhere".  I do see that with this generation.   All our children  stay connected with friends all over the world.  With texting, skype, face time, face book,  cell phones, smart phones, and computers and Ipads, we have a whole new world.  With our 60's generation,  Fritz and I are  always just trying to keep up.  I think we are doing ok in the department.  We shall see if we can keep up with all the new technologies.  

Saturday we were happily off to shop in Boston. Rachel's knows all the places with great deals.  And then I was taking Fritz back to the art galleries.   That evening we had a fine party and celebration of Johan's accomplishments.  joined by his many friends as Rachel had arranged.  ( I mentioned about this in the blog before)       

Sunday we slept in.  The kids were up very very late.  Fritz and I walked in the beautiful Boston Gardens.  Dorian and Fred went bike riding along the St. Charles river, as Fritz had done the day before.    We just relaxed.  We did make a trip to the Isabella Gardner ART Museum in the afternoon.  It is a 3 story home full of art work collected over a lifetime.  Tapestries and sculptures, paintings of all kinds. Sort of a San Simeon Hearst Castle on a small scale.      Very small but enjoyable.  

Monday morning we were up early for a good start to Martha's Vineyard.  I must say, moving out of the apartment was quite the accomplishment.  All over Boston students were moving out of their apartments, getting ready for their trips home.  We just had suitcases to lug down stairs.  They had so much more.  Anyway, we rented a car, and then made our way back to the Beacon hill apartment, to lug 6 floors down all our suitcases.  I think there were 12 of them, plus all the handbags, shopping bags,  plus our left over groceries, etc.  Needless to say, we did not fit into a chevy Tahoe.  No worries.  a Mini van was a better fit for 6 people plus luggage and cheaper by $40 a day.  Yeah! We saved over $100 on this deal.    and then......  off we go.  Onward to Wood's Hole, in the boot of Cape Cod.  

We made it in plenty of time to meet the Ferry, drive a car on board ( new experience for us for sure)  and pleasantly make our way to Cape Cod  and Martha's Vineyard.    If you have never experienced the East coast, let me tell you that the first thing I ever noticed was the forests of green trees and bushes.  Whether you are driving  or flying.  the Land is mostly flat.  And Green. Bright Green in the Spring like we have experienced.  Weather changes from sunny to foggy, to beautiful at this time of year.  Humidity is unbearable  in the Summer.  BUT WE ARE HERE IN SPRING!  So wonderful.     Also you will notice the beautiful homes all neat "Salt boxes".  Cape Cod style is really a style. aged wood siding, or bricks.  Lots of white wood trimmed windows and doors.  And shuttered windows everywhere on every house.  No stucco walls like California, or mix of styles like in Santa Barbara.  No Italian villas, Spanish colonial styles and early or late Calif.  houses.  Just Cape Cod style.  I do find I like the continuity.  Adds a lot of charm to the area.  

Martha's Vineyard is the same.  It is an original fishing, whaling town from the 1600's.  In 1999 I went on an East Coast trip with Casey and Jill, and their 2 younger kids.  We went to Martha's Vineyard for a very short ferry ride, 5 hours wandering around Oak Bluffs and Edgartown, had a bowl of great Clam chowder and headed back on the last ferry of the day.  At that time, I had told myself,  I want to come back here.  It was one of the charmingest little cities I had every experienced.  I loved it.    In 2009 I had a girlfriend trip back here with marilyn ( celebrated 40 years of friendship)  and now finally I was able to take Fritz and at least part of my family back.       I can see why people have 2nd homes in the vineyard.  It really is a wonderfully peacefull place to visit, or live.  The Vineyard has about 15, 000 year round residents, and grows to about 80,000 in the summer.  Plus all the day visitors from the East coast looking to cool off along the coast.  

So in Martha's Vineyard we discovered grand cuisine Island style --- I loved the crab cakes at the Atlantic fish company. They are a work of Art.    Clam chowder and the lobster rools, Tomatoe Bisque and not to forget the truffle fries!  An expericence not to forget.    Needless to say we ate everything.    We stayed at the family compound of a friend.  This farm has been in their family I understand for 200 years.  It is heaven on earth to me.  So peaceful and relaxing.  I felt so at home. 

Tuesday was a nice day to take a scenic drive around the Island.  Its only 6 miles long, full of beaufitul scenic places to see.  Especially charming lighthouses.  After experiencing so many different weather conditions in our few short days, I can see why the light houses are so important.  There was wind, rain, fog, and quiet areas on the island, changing very quickly from place to place. 

Tuesday night we decided that it would be our special night to cook again.  When you are with Dorian and FRed.  They like to cook culinary delights and they like to eat well.   Soooooo   Fred made some wonderful Austrian style veenersnitichel (sp?)  and Dorian made a traditional Holland style Belgian Endive and ham dish.  I will try to replicate this next week for sure.  Rachel created a lovely strawberry whip cream cake.  It was most similar to the cover lately of Martha Stewart magazine.  

Our last day,  Wednesday, the sun came out  beautifully.  Perfect day for a nice bike ride.  Off we went to Edgartown and we road bikes around the cute little town. Then off of Chappaquidick island.    This island is small and quaint with miles and miles of sandy shoreline.  We biked to a hidden Japaneze garden called Mytoi.  A peaceful place to walk around.  Then we rode on to an area called Podge???  Not sure. But anyway,  this bridge became sadly famous when one of our past MA senators sadly had fatal episode here back in the 70's or early 80's.   It was a very narrow bridge, and very shallow water.  How someone drowned here is very surprising indeed.  

We continued riding around the island, going to the most eastern tip of the USA .  Closest to Spain.    then finally back to the Ferry to MV Island.  It was a 3-4 hour day of riding.  I am definitly the slow poke.  Tortoise and the hare..  I am the tortoise,  slow and steady, moving along and not at break neck speed.  But when we are all done,  guess who still has energy!!!!       

Thursday we are headed home.  It will be a very long day of travel.  Ferry crossing, driving,  waiting at the airport, long flights and bus trip home from LAx.  Right now I am typing away, thinking back through our week.  Thankful to be on our way home.  Thankful to have had the opportunity to experience  this special place.     

I think my dream would be to come back again, only as an artist, and bring other artist friends.  We all could paint all day some of the lovely scenes of the area.   I noticed an art school in Edgartown.  Hmmmmmm   Maybe for a future time.????  

Anyway, if you got this far,  that's pretty good.  Thank for joining me as I Journaled this far.  

LH