Tuesday, August 17th, 2021 - What the Heck!

 After 15 months of staring at the seabirds in Fernandina Beach, and watching Covid-19 data, it seemed that the parade of daily numbers was looking promising. So, in late May, when news of the Delta variant in India seemed far away, Robyn and I decided to look for a place that might offer a sensible travel destination in the midst of this global pandemic.

As a result, we found ourselves on a plane to Boston this morning, en route to a further adventure. (Regarding our final destination: I'll keep you waiting.) 

A while after we made our plans, the Delta variant  arrived in Fernandina Beach and for a week or so we had the dubious distinction of being the zip code in the USA with the highest case rate. I contemplated the risk of dragging the bug with us as more of a concern than the risk of picking it up. It wasn't an easy decision, but as we head to a place that is much safer than home, and our destination has safety measures in place, we felt it was appropriate to continue with our plan. 

So, complete with negative rt-PCR tests, lots of masks, hand sanitizer, every protective supplement known to 'man' and travel insurance that covers Covid, we set off for Boston, the first leg of our journey. For me, there was trepidation in my heart - being so close to others in lines and enclosed spaces has not been in my repertoire this past 18 months.

As we had a good 12 hour layover, we decided to take the water taxi from the airport to Rowes Wharf, near downtown Boston. It offered lots of fresh air and was a great way to approach the city. They also provided storage for our bags, which was not available at the airport.

On the way, we stopped at the famed Legal Harborside Restaurant, where many of you may have eaten. 

I preferred the look of the older Boston Fish Pier.

The view approaching Rowe's Wharf was delightful - revealing the 'red brick' look of the city.

 Being greeted by an abundant planter was a delight, also.

As Robyn had fond memories of dumplings at this restaurant, we set off for Chinatown, with just a small regret that we hadn't considered lobster! The dumplings were very delicious - the best I've ever eaten, so we were well fed.

Chinatown in Boston, was a little less culturally obvious than the ones I've visited elsewhere. It's paifang gate was a muted green and white, enhanced by paper lanterns and a bright, modern playground. There were game tables being used by groups of men - but I saw only cards - not 'Go'.

 Other than some red and gold with Chinese writing, nothing was jumping out at me, until we found these marvelous murals in a parking lot between Tyler and Harrison Streets. I was not able to find the artist for the yin yang one above, but a Flikr commentary on it identified Confucius on the left, Buddha in the middle and Lao-Tze on the right. The commentary also pointed out that there are cigarette butts depicted all over it, and was wondering if it was an anti-smoking message! LOL! I did find another reference to a Tobacco Control Mural Project from 1998, but still no word on the artist.

This one is called 'Tale of an Ancient Vase' by Bryan Beyung. It is in the same parking lot as the previous one and is said to depict the reign of Emperor Shun from 23 BCE! Can you imagine the memory of a ruler being significant enough that we would even consider honoring them today? I really liked the colors in it. 

By contrast, this one, also in the same parking lot, is more quirky and modern than the other two. I wasn't able to find any information about it, but I liked his energy and readiness for action.

Following this, we wandered towards the Boston Commons to the Botanic Garden. As we walked, I loved the flowers, the pedestrian streets and colors of the city. It was also lovely to see a big Macy's, but had to resist shopping there!

In the Gardens, I was entertained by the sight of the swan boat rides. This young boatman had such a look of displeasure on his face, I was wondering if it was contagious! No one looks as if they are having fun!

Perhaps it's due to the fact that these were pedal-wheelers! .... run entirely by human legs. It did look rather laborious. Some of the boatmen looked quite young!

I also delighted in the flowers and enjoyed watching this bumblebee staggering his way around the blooms.

As we returned to Rowes Wharf, Robyn pointed out the Majestic Theatre - the place where Boston Lyric Opera had planned to open their production of Norma in March 2020. She was understudy for Norma and on stage as Clotilde. They cancelled on the day of the dress rehearsal and Robyn joined me in Florida as we held onto hope that lockdowns might hold the bug at bay. 

Finally, legs and energy levels were tired and time was running out, so we made our way back to the airport for our next flight. Robyn caught me in this pensive pose in the water taxi. I was contemplating how the plans for the next leg would play out ....... and next time I'll tell you all about that.