ON VACATION: DAY 2

This is one of the front windows of Paul Revere's home, a 300+ year old house that is along The Freedom Trail in central Boston. Can you see me in the reflection? Can you also see the purple planes of glass? My understanding is that there was something in those batches of glass that has later turned it purple, and the people who possess the purple glass are very proud and protective of it. It's great to walk around, especially on Beacon Hill, and catch a glimpse of these fortunate "mistakes."

It's truly magnificent to walk all along The Freedom Trail to see and sense the power of the people who made history.

Statue of Paul Revere in the foreground of the North Church steeple (of "one if by land..." fame).



The State capitol overlooking Boston Commons. The Celtics had just won the championship the night before, hence the hideous banner on the beautiful building.



Some gravestones in the Granary Burying Grounds. Although not marked by these stones, the Granary is where such famous souls as John Hancock, Sam Adams, and Benjamin Franklin are buried. I was really struck by the winged skulls, which seem morbid to me, but were apparently beautiful depictions of a soul flying home to heaven. I was also interested to learn that the headstones in these old graveyards don't actually mark the actual burying place of the dead they name. Graves used to be placed haphazardly throughout the grounds until one day, hundreds of years later, even, people thought the graveyards looked messy, and "cleaned them up" by pulling out the gravestones (but not the bodies) and placing them in neat rows.



Bunker Hill Monument and a representation of Colonel William Prescott, who uttered the famous "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes," instruction at the beginning of the Battle of Bunker Hill.



A view from Copley Square.

I had a lovely day sitting in the park reading my book, walking around and along The Freedom Trail, visiting the Nichols House Museum (the most fascinating thing about that place was the embossed wallpaper in the dining room, and my tour guide's incredibly long eyebrow hairs which kept getting caught in his bangs. I am not even kidding.), and eating coconut and watermelon gelato from a great place Michael and I found (and re-found) when we visited here two years ago.

The Spirit lives on.