Boston - Out and About and Above, Part 5, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

It is difficult to imagine there was a time in our history when five cents was enough money to make it part of your name and chisel it in granite on your huge bank building in downtown Boston.

Nearby, the Granary Burying Ground is one of the city's oldest cemeteries, founded in 1660 and just a block from the Boston Common.



Patriots including Paul Revere, the five victims of the Boston Massacre, and three signers of the Declaration of Independence: Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine rest for eternity here. The obelisk left of center marks the plot of the Franklin family (although Benjamin himself is buried in Philadelphia).



A sure sign of the coming winter, this park fountain with stunning statuary on the edge of the Boston Common has been turned off and the pipes completely drained of remaining water.



It is a spectacularly beautiful fall day on the 50-acre Boston Common located in a prime spot downtown. Dating from 1634, it is the oldest city park in the United States. (And yes, that's a bird blurring through my field of view - an un-glamorous pigeon perhaps).



A chill in the air, a bench to sit, and warm sun on the skin - a hard combination to beat.



And an occasional swirl of leaves in the breeze is nice, too.



The powerful "Lest We Forget" exhibit lined this walkway through the Common. Created by German-Italian photographer and filmmaker Luigi Toscano, the 60 large-scale portraits of Holocaust survivors from the United States – including nine from Massachusetts – Germany, Ukraine, Israel, Russia, and Belarus – are part of a compelling arts and remembrance project. More at this link.



The last gasp of gold to fall from the branches.



Why walk on pavement when you can brush through the crackling leaves on the ground - a sound unlike any other - soon to be replaced with the equally unique sound of snow scrunching underfoot. 

Boston - always a world-class city!

My previous posts in this series are:

Part 1 is at this link.
Part 2 is at this link.
Part 3 is at this link.
Part 4 is at this link.

Boston - Out and About and Above, Part 4, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

In this part of downtown, at least one of the faces of the clock tower on the Custom House is visible from almost everywhere. If you're wondering how that clock with four faces works and stays in sync, stay tuned -  more on that subject in a coming post.



The sky was foreboding and torrential rain was imminent but we walked over to the Seaport District to have lunch at this popular all-Vegan restaurant.  All-vegan restaurants are still rare in my experience but,  popularity is growing as more and more people around the world reassess and reject the treatment of animals in our food industry and embrace the health and environmental benefits of a plant-based diet.



Above is an excerpt from their menu - it tastes as yummy as it sounds - and they have many more delicious items on the full menu listing !



I noted this clever way to adorn a building vent as we walked fast as the rain started to pelt us.  Even with a raincoat, my pants and shoes were drenched by the time we made it back to shelter. I guess I should have carried an umbrella but, that seemed like such an "old man" thing to do and I was pretending to be a young hipster in Boston. Of course, I passed dozens of young hipsters carrying umbrellas as I walked - who would have thought - umbrellas are hip. Oh well, I'll dry out.

Part 1 is at this link.
Part 2 is at this link.
Part 3 is at this link.

Boston - Out and About and Above, Part 3, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

A walk across the Charles River and under the Zakim Bridge leads to the North Point Park. This bridge was opened in 2003 and carries Interstate Route 93 traffic into/out of and under the city of Boston.



A Duck Boat loaded with tourists heads towards me and their exit ramp from the Charles River. I shouldn't be surprised at the number of tourists - although I'm not riding on a duck boat, I am a tourist, too. It's not real crowded like in the warmer months but Boston is an excellent destination anytime of the year.



A nice place for lunch in the North Point Park.



The iconic bridge structure is reflected in this small creek.



Walking west from the park, I liked the view of the underside of this bridge adjacent to the Museum of Science in Cambridge. It carries a subway line across the Charles River into Boston.

Part 1 is at this link.
Part 2 is at this link.

Boston - Out and About and Above, Part 2, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Another beautiful fall day in the city of Boston as viewed from the 26th floor observation deck at the Custom House. In this easterly perspective, Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park is in the foreground, Boston Harbor in the center and, East Boston and Logan Airport in the distance.



To the south, the Rose Kennedy Greenway cuts through this part of downtown Boston providing a delightful greenspace for residents and visitors to enjoy.



A powerful display at the New England Holocaust Memorial near Faneuil Hall in downtown Boston.



A view in City Hall plaza.



In the North End neighborhood, the always crowded iconic pastry shop - Mike's Pastry - is trying to keep up selling cannolis and other treats to a crowd that just keeps on coming in the door in an endless stream.



Dusk over Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Marketplace.



This and the remainder of images are captured in the deepening dusk during the blue hour.



The conical roof building is the former Flour and Grain Exchange completed in 1892. The architectural style is Romanesque Revival, with tiered arched windows and a conical roof. I don't see many of this style around here.



The northward view, Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall in the foreground.



The southern view with the Harbor Towers at left, Rowes Wharf at center, and the Fan Pier and Seaport District in the distance.



Northward, a little bit later and darker.



I am always fond of standing on high places especially at sunset or rise - although I don't often get out the door by sunrise anymore (except to refill the bird feeder) - one of the perks of retirement.

Part 1 is at this link.

Boston - Out and About and Above, Part 1, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

This begins a series of blog posts from a one-week stay in downtown Boston.

There may be very little greenery in the densely developed downtown area of Boston but, the small ribbon of parkland on the Rose Kennedy Greenway is still showing off some nice fall colors. The arched opening is Rowes Wharf.



Faneuil Hall is the gold-domed building left of center. The beautiful trees and three parallel buildings make up the Quincy Marketplace area. Faneuil Hall has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1743. It's now part of the Boston National Historical Park and a stop on the Freedom Trail. They also hold new citizen swearing-in ceremonies here from time to time. I attended one a few years ago (June 2012) that has become the most popular blog I ever published (at this link).



This lovely oasis is the Post Office Square in the financial district of Boston.



And here's what you get when you hand a stranger the camera and ask him to point-and-shoot.



The view eastward over Boston Harbor. The greenery parkland is the Christopher Columbus Park and Logan International Airport is on the horizon at right. The pointy shadow at lower left is the top of the Custom House tower where I am standing.



Looking northward, the two spires of the Zakim Bridge are partially visible above the buildings and the bit of green parkland lower left is the last stretch of the Rose Kennedy Greenway.



Another view of the harbor and distant airport. The robot-looking structure at right houses the airport traffic control tower which was my place of employment for a number of years during my pre-retirement days.



And later in the day, the changed light creates a slightly different shadowless appearance.



Ditto.



An in-camera panoramic version.



This and all the preceding images were taken from the 26th floor observation deck of the Custom House tower building. Originally built in 1849, now it serves as a Marriott property with 84 guest suites. Metal bars and netting protect folks on the observation deck from the peregrine falcons that nest here and call this place home, too. The pigeons perched on nearby rooftops seem wary.



Over in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, this bright and shiny holdover from Halloween caught my eye in the fading sunlight.



Capping off our first day was an extraordinary acapella concert in the Custom House Rotunda (amazing acoustics) by the Crepusculum Choir from the nearby Berklee College of Music. They sang an 11-song bill of beautiful four-part harmonies.

Ah Boston, never a disappointment! Did I forget to mention the Boston Red Sox won the Baseball World Series - again?

Part 2 is at this link.
Part 3 is at this link.
Part 4 is at this link.

Fall Views from a Sunroom, Manomet, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

With strong storm winds, more and more leaves are falling fast......











.....soon, this will be the only heron hanging around the pond.

Continuation of Fall, Manomet, Chiltonville, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

The reddish trees across the pond have already peaked and dropped - the yellows are soon to follow.



This panorama features a fall view from a sunroom.



The grass is still green but not for much longer on the rolling hills of the village of Chiltonville.



And on Old Sandwich Road, long shadows in early afternoon are clearly a sign that winter is just around the corner.