Boston 2024: Quirky Sightings

 I told my brother I liked to see quirky things when visiting someplace new. And he obliged with the following sites in Boston:

While "Bell in Hand" claims to be the oldest tavern in America, I found there are others that are actually older. The original owner of this tavern was Boston's town crier for 50 years.

Cheers!  Norm!

Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the US (per the website).

I just happened to see this in the sidewalk in front of a restaurant in the North End.

This was in the previous post, but it's too cute not to mention again! Make Way for Ducklings!

This was also in the previous post, but from the opposite side. I couldn't tell what it was when I first saw it; it looked like another part of the body which should never be that big in a sculpture!

Local artists in Newton paint pianos for Artful Pianos. Businesses can sponsor one during the summer months. Passers-by can sit down and play.

And a couple of things in Cambridge:

Harvard Lampoon Building, built in 1909

The Ray and Maria Stata Center on MIT's campus houses the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory.

Back in Boston, you wouldn't think that an art museum could be considered "quirky", but this one definitely is. A woman so obsessed with purchasing art following the death of her son, Isabella Stewart Gardner was a force to be reckoned with. She knew what she wanted and she knew how she wanted it displayed. So much so that upon her death, she bequeathed her home to the City of Boston with the stipulation that nothing be moved, removed, or added. 

She built a museum with living quarters on the 4th floor, using the Palazzo Barbaro as inspiration. 

The building itself is incredible, but then you find quirky things inside:

Nocturne: Blue and Silver-Battersea Reach by James McNeill Whistler. I thought this was just a painting with different shades of black, but it's actually a landscape.

The Horses of Anahita, or The Flight of Night (William Morris Hunt) 

An ostrich egg in an ostrich 

It is theorized that Isabella placed the foot sculpture to point to the picture of Mary holding Jesus' foot.

But maybe the quirkiest (or most fascinating) thing of all is that this museum is the site of the largest-value art heist in history. Thieves stole 13 pieces of art valued at $500 million in 1990 over a span of 81 minutes. The artwork has not been retrieved but the $10 million reward for information about the missing pieces is still active. Here's where the quirkiness comes in: The empty frames are in place where the artwork was. The thieves didn't take the frames; they cut some of the art from their frames, but others were taken out of the frame. To learn more, listen to The Last Seen Season 1 podcast (WBUR and Boston Globe, 2018).

A Vermeer (The Concert) was taken from this frame. Isabella outbid the Louvre to attain this piece of art.

2 Rembrandts were cut from their frames: a double portrait of a man and his wife (A Lady and Gentleman in Black) as well as the only landscape Rembrandt painted (Christ in the Storm on the Sea of Galilee).

In the podcast, the reason for the empty frames was mentioned. Although many people think it's because of Isabella's stipulation (nothing is to be rearranged, taken away, or added to), it's actually used as a reminder of what happened. Hopes also remain that these items will be found and returned where they belong.

It's amazing how much she accumulated. Knowing what I know about the heist, I'd love to go back and dedicate a whole day to this museum. It could easily be done. One piece that wasn't taken was a self-portrait of Rembrandt. This painting is what inspired Isabella to begin her museum.

Walking through the museum, looking at the artwork, and recognizing some names, I mentioned that I really wish I paid more attention to Art History in my college days. Going back to this museum is worth another visit to Boston. 

Boston 2024: Historical Sites

Boston is a city I've heard about my entire life. It's such a historical city for Americans; every citizen should visit at least once. Since my brother has lived there for well over 30 years and we never made it up there, a visit was well overdue. 

I took a chance and booked a flight on Allegiant Airline. There are nonstop flights from my local airport and the price was right. I knew I could pack what I needed in a carry-on so I wouldn't have to pay for a checked bag, and I also knew I could go 2 hours without a snack. I had some episodes from a series downloaded onto my Kindle and my earbuds were all charged and ready to go, so I was all set. I was very pleasantly surprised. The flight attendants were very personable, the flight was very smooth, and the seats extremely comfortable. I won't hesitate to use this airline again.

My wishlist included quirky historical places, Salem, Cape Cod, and the Freedom Trail. Late May- Early June was the perfect time to be in Boston. The weather was cool and the crowds were amazingly sparse. 

For a 360° view of the city, the top of the Prudential Building is the place.

View of the John Hancock Building, the tallest building in Boston

Fenway can be seen from this view

The Charles River with a view of Cambridge/Harvard

Sailboats on the Charles River

Freedom Trail

This was a long walk; if you have mobility issues you may want to think twice about attempting to walk. We did the trail in a day; however, if we went into all of the buildings we could have easily taken 2 days to complete it. We began at Boston Common but didn't go all the way to Bunker Hill, which was the end of the Trail. 

**Facts are taken from The Freedom Trail website.

Make Way for Ducklings Statues all dressed up for the Celtics.

"Embrace": a tribute to Dr. MLK & Coretta Scott King. This is the better side; it's hard to tell what it is from the other side.

Massachusetts State House from Boston Common; it opened in 1798

Boston Common (America's oldest public park) in front of Park Street Church 

Granary Burying Ground: Gravesites of notable people in American History such as Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin's parents, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine.

Samuel Adams is also interred here.

A mosaic marks the location of the original Boston Latin School which is the oldest public school in the USA (founded in 1635)

The Irish Famine Memorial

Old Corner Bookstore: Boston's oldest commercial building. Ticknor and Fields Publishing was housed here in the 19th century. This firm published notable works such as Walden by Henry David Thoreau, The Scarlet Letter (Nathaniel Hawthorne), and Midnight Ride of Paul Revere (Longfellow).

Old South Meeting House: Approximately 5000 people crowded inside and outside of the building before the Boston Tea Party

It is well worth the admission price of $15 to tour this beautiful building.

Site of the Boston Massacre

Jewish Holocaust Memorial. Idenitification numbers are etched in the glass of this beautiful memorial.

Paul Revere House

We made a quick stop into St. Leonard's Catholic Church...the first Catholic Church built in New England by Italian Immigrants

Stop into Modern Pastry Shop (and avoid the long lines at Mike's) for an incredible canoli, made just as you want it!

Paul Revere Statue with Old North Church in the background

Memorial to honor lives lost in the conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, and on terror

Old North Church, famous for Paul Revere's ride ("2 if by sea"), is also the oldest church building in Boston

Copp's Hill Burial Ground: the resting site of Robert Newman (who hung the lanterns in the Old North Church) and Edmund Hartt (builder of the USS Constitution). The British used the site during the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Personally, my favorite area of Historic Boston was the North End, or Little Italy. Lunch was at Ristorante Lucia, which was a good find off of Hanover Street on Harris Street. Exposed brick inside added to the charm of this Italian restaurant. There were plenty of options for anyone who is gluten free or vegetarian. Immigrants from Italy are the owners. It's website boasts that it is the first restaurant to bring authentic Italian cuisine to Boston's oldest neighborhood. 

Other Things to See in and around Boston

The Harbor (of course!), although the exact spot of the Tea Party is no longer in existence.

JFK Library

JFK's Birthplace

Castle Island

For something a little different (but I wouldn't call it "quirky"), visit the James P. Kelleher Rose Garden in Fenway. It's part of the "Emerald Necklace" and is absolutely gorgeous, even when the flowers aren't out in full force.

Go across the Charles River to visit Cambridge, home to Harvard & MIT. 

Christ Church, the oldest church building in Cambridge (1760), it was occupied by Continental Soldiers in 1775.

Stone outside of the Harvard Law Building commemorating the site where Continental Soldiers gathered before the Battle of Bunker Hill

Harvard Memorial Hall

These 2 burying grounds are right beside each other.

Inside St. Paul's Catholic Church, Cambridge

There was an event happening on Harvard's campus so I wasn't able to walk around Harvard Yard. Hats off to security...I put on my thickest southern accent but they wouldn't let me in. 

Personally, I found Boston to be a wonderful city. It felt very safe, although I know there are places that are best avoided. It kind of had a European City vibe to it although the history is not as old. My visit definitely made me a fan.