Boston Again

A trip to Rockport is not complete without a day trip to the Big Shamrock; Boston town. This time Ellen, Alex and Beth all work downtown so the lunch group expanded. Danny and I took the train and Chris opted to stay home because this would be one of the last good days to rake leaves and he was itchin' to get at it. He would not have been able to enjoy himself had he come.

It was a gorgeous day. Fifty and clear. I almost only wore a sweater and not a coat and then I remembered the wicked winds that zip through downtown from the water and changed my mind - and I am glad I did.

Views, Views and More Views...

View of Manchester from the train. That ended it. I was alseep from there until Boston and the same returning. I cannot stay awake on public transportation.

After lunch at Clark's near Fanueil Hall we got a tour of both Beth (aka Bravo Echo Tango Hilo) and Ellen's offices. Quite a contrast, but more on that later. We were treated to some stunning city views on this beautiful day. This looks towards the Aquarium from Ellen's offices.

The infamous Nunzio's

A great bit of architecture to ponder

The Garden and the Zakim Bridge

Boston Common looking towards the John Hancock building

The North End with The Old North Church spire

Beacon Hill and Back Bay with the golden State House dome in the foreground

A Study in Contrasts

Ellen and Alex work for Mullen, a creative ad agency and Beth works for Robeco, an investment firm. They have different vibes. Above is Alex at what they call a dog bone desk. He did not seem to appreciate my offer to have Auntie Clare kiss him goodbye.

At the bottom of the picture, people playing ping pong. At Mullen the surfaces are hard, the noise level is loud, everyone eats lunch in the group kitchen/cafeteria and there are lots of places to brainstorm. The decor is decidedly minimalist and modern.

At Robeco The decor is rich and up to date yet traditional, the surfaces are soft and the noise is muffled. There is no clutter and everyone eats lunch at their desk alone, despite having a very nice cafeteria.

Also

As we passed Fanueil Hall we came across a naturalization ceremony. Great place for it. These are the people lining up to go in. I spoke with a Russian woman who was there with her nephew as she had been an Amerikanka for 10 years. Very exciting.

Dan

Speaking of contrasts. In the foreground is the decidedly ugly Boston City Hall backed by the simple beauty of Fanueil Hall. They could not have made this building any more depressing if they had a "Build the Ugliest Building in Boston" contest.

For Grecia


And back home we go

And tomorrow is the helicopter ride! We will be going into Boston so both Beth and Ellen will be watching for us.