It was a rich day of walking of images, of feelings. We have loved our two days of visiting Boston and it’s museums and walking all over its streets,er eating good food. Boston functions on a smaller scale than most Eastern big cities, the subways are smaller, less crowded, easier to navigate. The people are extraordinary friendly, stopping to give directions, help figure out subway passes, guide us to museums.

The museums are thriving, renovating, expanding, Boston likes to think of itself as the sophisticated Athens of America, I think it is so. People are proud of it, there is so much less of the polarized brawling that rages elsewhere. It was misty, rainy, foggy and so beautiful as the night and fog descended on Copley Plaza, a few blocks from our hotel. The graceful John Hancock tower vanished into the clouds. It looked a scene from a Steiglitz photograph. Tonight, more walking, more searching for good and inexpensive food, more avoiding chain restaurants who have spread here like bedbugs.

South Boston as I recall it (I worked once for the Boston Globe) has vanished under a blitz of luxury apartment towers and new office buildings, it took us a long time to find the institute of Contemporary Art, hidden by construction cranes and massive towers. Most of the old bars, rooming house, sailor hangouts are gone.

I am still adjusting to some of my new post-heart surgery medications and walking is sometimes painful for me, a new and uncomfortable experience. But then, I did walk for nine straight hours and maybe that would hurt anyway. I’ll figure it out, we saw everything we wanted to see (except the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum, we might try and catch that in the morning). We head home tomorrow, hoping to stop at Blue Star Equiculture for the Christmas feeding of the horses there. Hope the rains hold off. I’ll post some more photos tonight.

It is always a joy to go to museums with Maria, she just glows at the ideas and inspiration.