Evening in the heart of Boston

I've always maintained that if the world didn't have a London, then either San Francisco or Boston would be my next 2 favourite cities. I'd never quite considered the option of landing in Boston though, I was hoping I could get a direct flight to DFW but the wonders of AAdvantage Travel - you never get direct flights. Which actually worked for me in a way. One of my good friends lives in Boston, so I thought why not visit them for a few hours before heading home. Instead of choosing an early flight, I chose the last flight out of Boston to DFW, which would give me a cool 6 hours in the Hub.

The flight was very pleasant. Again, the AA food was first class - I got couscous, fresh fruits and for the snack got a 4 cheese pizza. Very impressive. The crew/staff were very friendly.

the plane was quite full, you could see that holiday season was kicking off.

Arrival into Boston was good - I've always liked landing here as it's quite scenic - got a bit of the old and the new. Immigration was a breeze. Actually, the AA flight from Heathrow is the first before a series of European flights start arriving. The Arrivals monitor goes mental with a huge list of airlines. I collected by luggage, re-checked in for the Dallas flight, bought a CharlieCard for the subway and was off.

I'd spent quality time in Boston last year so I knew where I wanted to go - easy - The Back Bay! That includes Newbury St, Comm Ave and neighbouring Beacon St. These roads are really reminiscent of London, the ancient architecture, the rsnts by the walkways, the windows, it's really lovely with the added advantage of having a moderate crowd, not too boisterous.

I'd taken tons of pictures on my trip last year so I couldn't be arsed with taking more of the same. But the spring bloom did warrant some new additions to my Boston folder.

I walked all of the above mentioned streets from start to finish, before walking through Boston Common to the Financial District (which is where my friend works). He and I then walked back to Newbury St to the local coffee shop, the weather was unbelievably lovely (although he was telling me that Boston spring is the most unpredictable, and that it has been freezing cold last few days), and we waited for his wife to join us. Once the 3 of us were all there, we headed to Boston's famously renowned yet best kept secret - Lucky's. I had an early dinner there, had some drinks and was off to the airport by 8pm.

I found out my flight was postponed, but that didn't really put a damper on things. I not only sat and looked at all the photos I took the past week (and heaven knows I take a lot!), but also pulled out my Frommer's England 2006 book and started planning my next UK trip (hopefully Lake District in Oct'08).

I reached Dallas at 1am local time, slept like a log on the plane and honestly couldn't wait to get home and just CRASH. I was exhausted, but rightfully so. I had the best trip this time. Or as I tell my colleagues at work - the most mentally relaxing yet the most physically tiring trip I've had in my entire life. I've walked close to 6-8 miles every day in the sun, I got tanned, I lost weight...but it really was all worth it. It was by far the most surreal experience of my life. And why? Because this is the first time I did things my way and not align my time with the opening and closing of museums or Castles...

Once again, Britain's DA BEST! See you soon!