Faneuil Hall Marketplace, Market District, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Boston's Market District includes the Quincy Market - Faneuil Hall Marketplace, the Haymarket Pushcarts, and the Boston Public Market. All three are centrally located in downtown Boston. I went there recently to see the free outdoor light and sound show, "Blink!"

Living 50 miles south of Boston always creates a dilemma when I go to visit. Automobile traffic is usually heavy and slow. Alternatively, the subway is sometimes crowded and slow and the platforms are cold in winter. So picking the right time to drive becomes a fine art. The best window is usually between 10am and 2pm - the morning inbound traffic has subsided and the early afternoon outbound traffic hasn't begun. The traffic ballet is a delicate act - one minor accident or flat tire that blocks a lane (not to mention wet weather) can throw the whole system into chaos for hours.

So I got there early and wandered around before the light show began at the Faneuil Hall Marketplace. It was an incredibly warm day for mid-December.



"The Old State House is a historic building in Boston, Massachusetts, at the intersection of Washington and State Streets. Built in 1713, it was the seat of the Massachusetts General Court until 1798, and is one of the oldest public buildings in the United States. One of the landmarks on Boston's Freedom Trail, it is the oldest surviving public building in Boston, and now serves as a history museum operated by the Bostonian Society. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1960." (Source: Wikipedia).



The three story brick building seems so out of place amidst the skyscrapers and fuscia-clad pedestrian with white go-go boots. (Is "go-go boots" still a useful contemporary term or, am I showing my age?) The balcony in the center of the brick façade is where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the Boston citizenry in 1776.



A street performer demonstrates his art for an appreciative crowd near Faneuil Hall.



When did the statement, "Exit Only," become, "Not An Entrance." And more importantly, why?  Park Street station on the Boston Common.



This squirrel is not sure if I am friend, foe, or food source. On the Boston Common.



Tourists mug for the camera in front of the Massachusetts State House. Judging by all the shopping bags from nearby stores, I think someone was out Christmas shopping today.



As the daylight fades, I walk back toward the marketplace.......



....to observe the darkening sky and brightening decorative lights.











































Across the street in Christopher Columbus Park, the arches are appropriately bedecked for the holiday season.

Boston - never a disappointment to visit in any season.

Citizenship Ceremony, Faneuil Hall, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

Faneuil Hall has been a meeting place and marketplace in downtown Boston since the 1740's and is now part of the Boston National Historical Park. Periodically, ceremonies are held in it's main meeting room for the final oath of citizenship for new immigrants to America.

On this beautiful spring day in June, 400+ new applicants gathered in the meeting hall to achieve their dream of American citizenship.

At the stroke of high noon.......

.....under the watchful eyes of President George Washington and his trusty bug-eyed steed...

...with friends watching in the gallery.....

....our friend Graham became a welcome citizen of the United States of America today.

Our nation of immigrants continues the melting pot tradition with folks coming together from all over the world.

The oath was administered under the oversight of a United States Federal Judge who reminded us all that each of us is either an immigrant or a descendant of one.

Graham and the others swore allegiance to their new homeland.

The smiling face of a brand new citizen.

Family and friends were gathered outside Faneuil Hall to welcome the new citizens following the ceremony.

Graham proudly displays his Certificate of Naturalization....

...and poses with friends who came to witness his special moment.

The judge also mentioned in his remarks two critically important responsibilities that each of us has in this democratic republic: to serve on a jury of our peers, and to vote. Amidst the strident political rhetoric we so often hear, it is easy to lose sight of how important those two acts are to our system of government and justice.  Next time you complain about jury duty or having to go to the polls to vote, think about the fact that for billions of people on this planet, they have neither opportunity.

So often, all we hear and read are disparaging comments about, and how reviled America is, according to our many detractors around the world. As evidenced by this ceremony though, and others like it throughout the United States, we are still the beacon of hope, freedom, and opportunity for any and all who dream of a better day. And they willingly and proudly pledge their allegiance to their new homeland. Congratulations to Graham and welcome home!