Day # 12

Today we toured the bakeries of Boston. Well, two of them. Kaylyn found two bakeries we just had to visit, and of course we bought goodies at both. The good news is we had to walk quite some blocks to each one, hopefully that helped counterbalance the calories consumed! We parked at the end of one of the subway lines and purchased an all-day pass. It gave us the ability to move around to different parts of the city and only have to walk perhaps 6 blocks or so to each building. Then another 4 blocks or so to the bakeries! I was laughing because Kaylyn’s legs are sore from our tower-climbing yesterday. My much older legs were not. After all, she was laughing at me last night because I was actually tired for once – I am seldom tired. I think it had more to do with getting up early than the stair climbing. I’m just not good at early mornings.

We started our day at Trinity Church. The minute I saw this church on yesterday’s tour I recognized it. The church was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson, and was the origination of an architectural style which came to be called “Richardsonian Romanesque.” These buildings are always constructed of masonry with heavy arches, stubby columns, decorative stone or brick work, and look like they could survive any kind of weather catastrophe. The style is found in banks, schools, and courthouses all over America. This is where it started – with Trinity Church.

 I can barely describe the interior. Thirty-six different stained glass windows by ten of the world’s leading artists. Murals and woodwork and paint, a central square tower and a dome over the altar – all richly ornamented. Carved pews. Footrests for each pew position all done by hand in needlepoint, and each different. My favorite window was a triptych with Jesus standing in the middle and surrounded by an iridescent blue glass that is deep and rich in color.

We crossed the park to the Boston Library and were equally astounded at the interior of that building. One beautiful room followed another. The library was designed by McKim, Mead and White, one of the most well-known architectural firms in American history. The library is a square building which surrounds an inner courtyard, complete with a fountain. Kaylyn and I wanted to pick up a book, settle in one of the beautiful rooms and just read! We resisted.

After a quick lunch we took the subway to another area of town and toured Paul Revere’s house, originally built about 1680. The Reveres owned it 1770 to 1800. The most interesting thing we learned there was that Paul Revere was not known during his lifetime for his famous ride, but for his work to expand metalworking to a larger scale. We think of him making candlesticks and teapots. He set up a business to make sheets of metal for ships and other large applications. Until he did that, all large sheets of metal had to be imported from Europe.

A few blocks from Paul Revere’s house is a little Italian bakery called Maria’s. Kaylyn just had to stop and have tiramisu. I don’t care too much for anything with a coffee flavor, so I munched on a biscotti.

Back to the subway and this time we got off at Harvard Square. As the tour guide stated yesterday, “This is where you find culture and counterculture.” We walked a number of blocks to Harvard’s Art Museum and toured that, then returned to the main street through the middle of the campus, surrounded by handsome old buildings.  

Some blocks later we arrived at a bakery called “Flour.” My cousin David’s wife Rebecca recommended it. That was enough for Kaylyn. Last night we watched a video on the origin of the business, and learned their specialty is their sticky bun. So, Kaylyn got one. I got a piece of apple cake.

By this time it was 5:00 so we headed back toward the subway and our Marshmallow. We were threatened all day with rain and high winds, but escaped with nothing more than drizzle. Tonight it is supposed to pour. Let’s see which of us has a wet bed!