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| BOSTON'S TRINITY CHURCH REFLECTED IN JOHN HANCOCK BUILDING |
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| QUINCY MARKET |
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| USS CONSTITUTION |
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| SOARING EAGLE AT CONEY ISLAND |
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| MAGGIE? SINGS POP |
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| WHAT, ONLY $10,000? |
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| HOT TODDY INGREDIENTS |
When I woke up I had a sore throat and a raised temperature. I could feel it coming the previous day and had prepared with some throat sweets - but couldn't get any medicinal whiskey while on the train all day. The thought of spending a day in bed in somebody's lounge didn't appeal so I decided it was better to be ill on my feet.
I knew that the bus tour company who took me to see Philadelphia and the Amish ten and a half weeks ago also did a day-trip to Boston, so I walked to the pick-up point near Grand Central Station. The coach was quite full of Spanish tourists but there was room for me so I paid my money and off we all went.
There were both English and Spanish speaking guides on board and they were supposedly imparting the same information, but I noted that the Spanish version took about three times as long!
Boston is in Massachusetts, two states away, and it took over four hours to drive there. On the way we passed through New Haven in Connecticut where the famous Yale University is located.
Boston is an even more notable academic centre, being the home of Berklee College of Music and, on the other side of the George River in Cambridge, Harvard University, the oldest higher education institution in the USA, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Other things we saw in Boston included the modern glass-clad John Hancock Tower in which you can see the reflection of the old Trinity Church that stands next door.
Boston is also famous because of the Boston Tea Party and other events leading up to the American Revolution. We followed the Freedom Trail which is a red line linking together several sites relating to this time, including the Massachusetts State House, the Granary Burying Ground where John Hancock, whose flamboyant signature would have been the first on the Declaration of Independence, is buried, and the Old State House.
We stopped for a bite to eat at Quincy Market before continuing along the Trail to Charleston Navy Yard to see USS Constitution, ordered to be built by George Washington in 1794 initially for use against marauding pirates and later in the 1812 War.
The return journey to NYC took another four hours and, whilst I wouldn't say that the trip actually did much to cure my sore throat, it did take mind off it for a while.
The following day was Labor Day, a holiday that takes place on the first Monday of September as a tribute to the social and economic contributions of workers.
The fact it was Labor Day didn't make my throat any less sore though, but it was warm out so I thought it best to be outdoors still. I initially went to Penn Station to determine the best way to get to JFK Airport for my flight home on Wednesday. While I was looking at the ticket machine, a young couple gave me a ticket for unlimited travel on the subway. It was valid for the rest of the week but they were leaving town and wouldn't need it anymore. I thanked them and decided to see where I could go with it.
Looking at the subway map I saw Coney Island in Brooklyn. I knew that Coney Island was a big Amusement Park, but it had a beach too and I was sure the sea air would be beneficial to my health. I had to change trains to get there so it was all good practice on how to get around on the subway.
Coney Island's Luna Park is more about huge thrilling rides than slot machines, and I enjoyed watching people terrify themselves on the Soaring Eagle, the Sling Shot and the Board Walk Flight.
I walked along the beach for a while and then listened to some very good and some very bad karaoke artists (or should I say participants) performing on the boardwalk. Everyone was having fun and it seemed to be a place where people of all genders gathered (as I am sure there were more than two here).
The place was a little like Brighton beach in the UK (indeed there is a place called Brighton Beach nearby). The main difference was the huge police presence - I must have seen around 50 police officers on duty and there were cars everywhere along with a large 'Communications HQ' truck. I noted the stickers on the backs of the police cars advertising a $10,000 reward for arrest and conviction of anyone shooting a NYC Police Officer. I didn't see the slightest sign of trouble while I was there.
The previous evening Tam had offered me some honey to sooth my throat, so I got some whiskey and lemons on the way back to add to this, and spent the evening supping hot toddies.
