September 17, 2015
Boston, the home of the bean and the cod. Where the Lowells speak only to the Cabots, and the Cabots speak only to God. A poem by Ogden Nash.
Because we were coming back into the United States from a foreign nation – legal immigrants all – we had to go through immigration. Everyone one on board had to have their passport examined by a U. S. Immigration Officer. We didn’t go to the opening night show, so I don’t know how many of us are on ship, but approximately 3,500 had to gather for the ritual. The first call was at 7:10, and we went through about 9. Then we headed off ship.
We booked a $20 shuttle to ride a $33 trolley bus, and had great fun. We rode past revolutionary war sites, into Cambridge, saw the buildings of MIT and Harvard, the Green Monster of Fenway Park, and spent an enjoyable couple hours. We passed several Duck Boats and I was the only one to salute them. Quack. Quack. Quack.
Then we went back to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market and had Italian sausages with onions and peppers for lunch, and waffle cones for desert – orange sherbert dipped in chocolate for Bonnie and Blackberry Crunch and Peanut Butter Swirl for me.
We walked back to Clinton Square to catch a shuttle where we joined a couple hundred of our fellow passengers qued up and waiting. The lady on duty said she had ordered 3 extra buses and within 10 minutes we were on our way back to the Liberty of the Seas and nap time.
The only distressing part of the day was speaking to two Boston residents – one a 20 something who sold us the trolley tickets and the other a 50 something who was our bus driver and tour guide. Neither of these men knew who Robert B. Parker was. For those of you who just said, “Who is that?” I’ll tell you. Robert B. Parker was a life long resident of Boston and the author of the Spenser detective series, along with two other detective series, and one cowboy series. Spenser, Parker’s fictional hero with no known first name, had his office on Boylston Street, and when I asked the ticket taker if we would see it, he allowed as how he had no ideal who Spenser was, and the driver gave the same reply. Sadness! I know it’s fiction, but Parker was one of Boston’s favorite sons for pity sake.
Oh, and I did see a t-shirt display I wanted to hop out of the trolley, push over and hop back on. It had shirts with Tom Bradey’s picture prominently displayed and the words “Free at Last.” Looked like an Obozo campaign poster. But what do you expect in Beantown? And the Cheatriots were up to their old tricks in their win against the hapless Steelers – for the first quarter Steeler coaches couldn’t talk to their players from the sidelines to the field, and are you surprised, the Boston coaches had no trouble at all. Did the league make the Boston coaches take off their headsets? Sure, and I have a bridge to sell you!
We stopped in a bookstore called “Make Way For Ducklings” and bought a couple souvenirs. Some how I got to talking about trivia with Diedre, the proprietress, a real trivia fan. She allowed as how she likes to cruise and goes to all the trivias, and met her husband on land at a trivia contest. I asked if she watches Jeopardy! and she does. I said, “Do you yell at Alex Trebek?” “Yes,” she said, “it’s the answer and question show! Not the clue and question show!” So watch out Trebek! We are everywhere!
Diedre said she had a friend who was on Jeopardy! and I told her I have a daughter who was on Wheel of Fortune. He got third place.
And now when Bonnie wakes up from her nap, I will post this, and fill in tonight and the last day at sea when we reach Kyle’s, as well as add photos then.
TTFN!
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