29 March

Again I woke at 5:45, but this time I had set the alarm for 6, so I woke again at 6, did some computer checking and was up just before 6:30, got ready and then headed out for breakfast. This time I had cereals and fruit. One family (dad and kids) came in at the same time and dad tried to embarrass the kids but didn’t succeed, so I gave him some pointers. Then it was packing and checking out. I left about 7:20 and headed off to Provincetown, the place where the Pilgrims first landed (before they decided Plymouth would be a better bet). On the way I called in at the Cape Cod lighthouse and got it before the golfers came out in force. I have had a background of it from the sea, so it was interesting to see it myself.
At Provincetown there were a few interesting sidelights. The locals were raising money by selling stones with messages carved into them; the streets are very narrow and consequently parking is at a premium (especially if you choose to pay, and there isn’t really an option) and houses were covered in shingles, clapboards and some with weatherboards. Vary few were stucco or brick, but there were a few concrete block houses (cinder blocks). Clapboards are the same profile all the way (rectangular in section) whereas weatherboards are thicker at the upper edge.
The drive back along Route 6A was extremely scenic, so much so that I left the area much later than I had planned – much of it is 25 or 30 mph. Also, the beach cottages for rent over the summer can best be described as cabins – about five metres square if you were lucky, and a few which were four by eight were double occupancy. Some of them were about the size of Brighton bathing boxes.
It was then a quick run up to the outskirts of Boston where I parked at Riverside ($3.75) and took the train in ($2 each way) with a Charlie ticket. For those of you old enough to remember, the Kingston Trio had a hit with “Charlie of the MTA” and the tickets are in his memory. The politician got in and the fare increase, in that form at least, was repealed. So Charlie still rides the MTA with each ticket sold. On the way in I heard some young people wondering why they were called Charlie tickets, but the train was soon crowded so I didn’t say anything.
The Park St station is at the common, so I visited the Tourist Centre. I rad some of the brochures, but was intrigued to be asked if I wanted to join a walking tour ($12) starting soon. I did and engaged the walker/talker in conversation and found he was a local history teacher (Mark) in his real life. I also saw some police horses which I was told were Percheron/Shire crosses, but they looked a little small for that – I would say they had been cross-bred at least once with warmbloods or hacks.
The tour started out at 1:30 and was very interesting. As we passed a stall, I got a pair of gloves – a little on the large size, so I will wear them with a liner of woollen or cotton gloves, but very warm.
Along the way things found out included:
Paul Revere did not call out, “The British are coming” because everyone was British. He called out, “The regulars are coming”, that is the army.
George Washington only joined the Irregulars after being rejected twice for a commission in the British Army.
Many of the fathers of the revolution were only joiners because of circumstance, not desire or need.
In common with many places, children were born quickly and in great number because of infant mortality rates of up to 50%.
Small incidents were taken out of context and blown up out of all proportion, such as the Boston Massacre (five deaths).
Also, the city is changing so quickly that well-known landmarks are in convenient places, not correct places.
By the time we finished we had covered most of what was on the Freedom Trail, so I had a quick late lunch and then returned to Riverside, picked up the car and headed north. The weather in Boston, like Cape Cod had been clear and sunny, but freezing in the wind (nearly as cold as being on the oval at Werribee HS doing yard duty in winter – but not quite that cold) so it was good being in the car with the heater on and music playing (I didn’t have the Kingston Trio on the iPod I’m currently playing in the car).
Over the border into New Hampshire, I stopped at the Visitors’ Welcome Centre and found myself in conversation with an attendant who was an ex-teacher (how many are around?). He suggested some different ways to get to Montreal by Monday afternoon, so most likely I will be going through New Hampshire and then Vermont. The centre had a large wood fire burning and was very warm, in contrast to outside with a lot of snow.
I stopped in at Hampton at the Stone Gables Inn, which sounds olde-worlde but is a motel. I used a coupon and am staying the night – no breakfast, but the Internet makes up for par and I will have breakfast in the town before I leave. Here there are plenty of places to eat in the morning.
So I finish my third-last day in North America, my second-last blog here (as the last will be done either on the plane or in England for Monday) and will miss it.