Boston~Walking the Freedom Trail

 Recently I went into Boston to walk the Freedom Trail with some friends. The Freedom Trail is a brick path that connects to all of the historical sites in Boston. Afterwards, we  came away with a sense of awe, and an even greater appreciation for this beautiful state we live in.

Our journey started by purchasing our Charlie Tickets and hopping onto the  “T ”to zip our way into Boston.

We began our freedom walk at the State House, the architecture is absolutely amazing! We were very impressed with the beautiful and grand interior!

 

 

A mural of Paul Revere galloping on his horse.

John Adams

George Washington

 

The names of all of the 911 victims are laid out in this flag.

 

Of course time flies, and  we have to be moving on.

A flag from each town in the state hangs from this ceiling.

My grandfather was William Brewster who came over on the Mayflower, so this one is special to me.

  This hanging clock light is modeled after Paul Revere’s lantern, it hangs in the hall of flags.

I love the contrast here between the old and new.

The Paul Revere House

The Old North Church

The enduring fame of the Old North began on the evening of April 18, 1775, when the church sexton, Robert Newman, climbed the steeple and held high two lanterns as a signal from Paul Revere that the British were marching to Lexington and Concord by sea and not by land. This fateful event ignited the American Revolution.

http://www.oldnorth.com/history/index.htm

Each family had their own separate booth in which to sit in. They decorated it to suit their needs. I had to sit in one for a few minutes to get the feel of how it must’ve felt for them.

Still being lit by candle light.

A solemn memorial  stands in the garden outside the church. Hanging  military tags represent each soldier who have died as a result of serving our country over in the middle east.

I have this fascination with old doors, I have to stop and photograph them.

Since this was the headstone of an American Soldier, the British used it for target practicing. You can still see the bullet marks that were left.

A kindly passerby left this rose for Mary who died in 1707.

By the way, I also love old headstones.

By this time we’re getting pretty hungry and we’re walking around in the North End, which is the Italian section of Boston. Oh my word!, the smells coming out of these restaurants were undescribable!!

Wondering where we ate?

Cafe Pompei

http://www.allmenus.com/ma/boston/295-cafe-pompeii/menu/

It was a flavor explosion!

It was so good we asked for bread to sop up the remaining oil & garlic sauce!!

“Mama Mia now that’s Italian!”

We topped that off with some dessert over at the world famous

Mike’s Pastry!

http://www.mikespastry.com/history.html

http://www.mikespastry.com/history.html

You know it’s really all about the food !! When you’re in the North End you must visit Mike’s Pastry.

I had the Tiramisu, get to know what good is!

We’re very proud of our Bruins, we’ve become a championship town and proud of it!

We’re now back on the trail , walking off our lunch, more history to see & learn.

 

We walked right through a bustling farmer’s market and stopped to admire the mountains of fresh fruits & vegetables.

We’re now headed back into another graveyard , The Granary Burial Ground 1660 where 3 signers of  the Declaration of Independence lay to rest John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, and Samuel Adams.

Paul Revere, Benjamin Franklin’s parents as well as the victims of the Boston Massacre are buried here as well.

 

 

Well it’s 3:00 and it’s very hot, an approaching thunderstorm has cut our walk short, but it does continue on to Charlestown where you can view the Bunker Hill  Monument and the USS Constitution “Old Ironsides”  the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world.

I think that’ll be a fall trip.

My advice to you is to wear a good pair of sneakers, and plan to eat in the North End.

http://www.thefreedomtrail.org/

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On a final note… I am very pleased to announce that I will be meeting my good friend Sarah Post in September!

All Roads Lead Home

http://allroadsleadhome-deeb5.blogspot.com/

Sarah will be making a trip out east and will be attending the

Walker Homestead Show

Sarah will be hanging out with us at

Maria Cardillo’s booth,

Primitives by Maria

Come on by and say “hi” to us we would love to meet you!

It’s the best antique & primitive goods show!

http://www.walkerhomestead.com/Simple-Treasures.html

 

Blessings, Bonnie