VISIT TO TARA AND DANA

  To visit Dana and Tara we left midday on Friday and returned before dark on Sunday.  Tara let us have her apartment and stayed with Dana for the weekend.  It was just grand.

Her place is right on the Boston Harbor, but set back a bit. Her apartment lacks a full view of the harbor, but does have a good angular view and much can be seen,

 including a new tall ship turned restaurant that looks very cool and is all lit at night. If you wait through some of the day shots, you can see how she looks after dark.

The Tall Ship Boston | Welcome Aboard

Directly across the harbor was the downtown Boston skyline.  It was grand

There was an old Ferry here that took people for one cent and buggies for 6 cents.  It was always packed, and unlike the modern taxi boat, it did not have old tires as bumpers but just slammed into some well placed telephone poles.

There is a ferry now that runs weekdays.

Tara's apartment was very comfortable, clean and fresh.  Very fancy.  Just a hotel room in the area would have cost $800 for the two nights and not given us the full kitchen or as much space. 

Thanks again, Tara. 

Dana took the car and parked it at his place, driving over each day to take us places.  There was easy unloading parking right in front of Tara's place, and Dana took care of luggage.  It was all very comfortable.  Luggage is always an issue and driving in city traffic very difficult for both of us.

Friday night we ate fish and chips take out in the room. 

Saturday we went to see Jeff,  a friend of Dana's, play a gig at the 400th Anniversary of Weymouth, Mass.  There were some stands set up to tell of local places and services.  There was bling.  We came away with a nice carry bag and fanny pack from the bank.  Unfortunately, they did not fill it with hundred dollar bills. 
It was too hot in the sun, and a man working at the fair gave us some seats and water.  

I was just wiped out.  I had taken meds late and they kept me up going to the bathroom all night.  I think I counted 20 trips, so I was very tired on Saturday, even with getting two naps.

We had just grabbed a premade and heated egg and sausage from the local market in the morning.  By supper we were hungry, but also very tired.

We went down to the harbor and went to a restaurant by water taxi which ended up being quite long ride, so we really got a grand tour around both sides of the harbor. 

In this one, the downtown harbor skyline is visible.

In this one we are passing an old fire fighting ship.  

At the restaurant we ate these Aussie style  tasty meat and veggie pies with a side of Caesar's salad.  We were lucky because we got in just before the restaurant closed and were the last to be served.  Like everyone these days, they are having trouble finding help.

Across the street were some murals. One was of huge gulls.  On the top of one building was a huge fish sculpture.  I think it was this one, at least it is very similar.

We walked back to Dana's along the harbor and through Piers Park.

Piers Park (Local Guide) (bostoncentral.com)

Everything was very clean.   Way above average for a city.

Most of the folks in the park spoke Spanish, so as we walked I got a refreshing taste of phrases here and there. 

On  Sunday   Elizabeth and I walked the short block to the harbor and looked out at the views.  Amazing really.  

This one below is looking back at Tara's apartment house.

Above is the tall ship, now a restaurant.

This is the harbor where boats are tied to docks.

These roses were along the harbor, but they were more impressive at the Piers Park where we had gone the day before.  Very colorful.

There is a snowy egret on the second to the last rock in this photo.  It was funny to see this touch of Florida.

Dana and Tara arrived and we went about 10.30 am to a restaurant on the harbor called 75 and had wonderful clam chowder, seafood chowder, and a concoction of lobster on toast.  It was all very good.  

Across the street was the Boston Fish Market.

The weekend was rich in conversation:

mathematics - Dana's specialty.  He was quite interesting to listen to about how mathematics might be viewed more in conjunction with philosophy and history rather than just calculation.

old stories- Of course, there were loads of stories and jokes and banter from other times and places.

Dana showed us a painting of his father Paul which he is going to have restored.  In the painting Paul is looking out across the beach and to the ocean.  He is very young.  

Years ago I gave Dana a book of Goya paintings, and I borrowed it to read over while we stayed at Tara's.  It is a good companion to the one I found at a library sale for $1.  The art is better reproduced, but the discussions are short and succinct.  

The book is edited by Janice Anderson.

At Tara's, I amused myself with her Oxford book of quotations.  I particularly liked this one.

Alas, Alack!

by Walter de la Mare

ANN , Ann!
 Come! quick as you can!
There's a fish that talks
 In the frying-pan.
Out of the fat,
 As clear as glass,
He put up his mouth
 And moaned ‘Alas!’
Oh, most mournful,
 ‘Alas, alack!’
Then turned to his sizzling,
 And sank him back.