Boston

We awoke to torrential rain that didn't let up for most of the morning. We had planned various things to do, including going the AAA (Triple A is the US equivalent of the AA in the UK) to get their very informative guides for all the US states and Canadian territories we are intending to visit. We use the guides to find places of interest on our route, as well as good hotels and restaurants. Also, I wanted to go to REI, an outdoor clothing and camping chain, to buy a lightweight anorak. All this had to wait till the rain let up, which it finally did just before noon.

Anita very kindly took us to a nearby post office where I could mail a package back to the UK that they had been storing for me. After the post office, we took the T (the Boston underground network) to downtown Boston and the AAA office.  We managed to get all the guides we wanted, though I am rather concerned at the additional weight of so many books and wonder whether we will now have to pay additional baggage charges on our Air Canada flight from New York to St. John's.

We left the AAA offices and went past the Old State House which is dwarfed by the skyscrapers that surround it.

Close by, on State Street, was this modern art deco-style building with gold facings running all the way up to the top.

We then continued  down to the harbourfront and the Marriott Long Wharf hotel.

This is where we stayed at the end of our drive across the States in 2007. On the way, we went through an area with art deco skyscrapers.

 Opposite the hotel is a small restaurant, Le Sel de la Terre. We had eaten there four years ago and decided to go back and have a snack lunch.

After lunch we walked back to the T and took the Blue Line and the the Green Line trains to the REI store in Brookline. I bought a very reasonably priced weatherproof anorak and Wendy bought a pair of travel trousers for $27!

It was a short walk back from the store to Stephen and Anita's house, which is on a lovely tree-lined square. The whole area around their house is made up of wonderful old brick and stone houses. Their house was built in 1912 and next year they will be celebrating its 100th birthday.

Mason Square and Stephen and Anita's house.

In the evening, we were their guests at one of Boston's finest restaurants, Number 9 Park. The food was fantastic, as was the champagne and wine. What a way to end the day!

Tomorrow we say our goodbyes to Stephen and family and take the train from Boston South Station to Penn Central in New York. The journey is just over three hours and will be a welcome break from having to use airports. An added bonus is that we arrive in the centre of New York and have only a short taxi ride to our hotel, the Manhattan at Times Square.