Monday, May 26, 2008

Step Back to Beacon Hill

My cousin and his girlfriend came for a visit from New York this weekend. I'm the oldest by 10 years, in this case. My younger cousin moved to NYC three years ago to embark on his financial career. His girlfriend followed suit a few years later.

This was the first weekend in months I've been at home so the visit worked out well. The weather was beautiful, the company was pleasant and for the first time in years I got to play tour guide to my own city. I forgot how much there is to see in Boston.

We started our journey through Boston Commons and the Boston Public Garden. We boarded the Swan Boats and enjoyed the serene ride around the lake. I never really looked at the weeping willow trees before this day. Afterwards, we walked through Beacon Hill and admired the historical homes, the gas lights and the windowsill flower beds that lined the apartments on Mount Vernon Street. Walking through Beacon Hill is like stepping back in time - a gaze down Chestnut Street, Acorn Street, Willow Street or Louisburg Square evokes images of horse-drawn carriages, parasols and three-piece suits accessorized with time pieces and gold cuff links. Further up Mount Vernon Street, we turned right on Joy Street and headed back toward the public garden, where the twenty-first century was in full swing.

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