Today we headed into Boston after parking at the Quincy Adams garage and taking the red line into the center of town. Dan had an appointment with the Boston Redevelopment Authority at about 11:30, so we headed out around 9:30 in order to make it on time.
We ended up treating ourselves to Starbucks- this is a bit unusual for us because spending $5 on a cup of coffee is just a bit too extravagant. I happened to find a gift certificate in my purse from at least a year ago, so we indulged. It was a bit chilly and damp, so a hot drink was just about right.
I parted with Dan at City Hall - the building and surrounding plaza are done in a pretty brutal modernist style (as you can see, an endless expanse of bricks supporting a heavy concrete building...not exactly an inviting environment).
After leaving Dan to his meeting I tromped around the adjacent parts of the city. I crossed through City Hall Plaza and wound my way through Haymarket. There were zillions of people buying and selling all sorts of lovely produce (and getting quite irritated that I wanted to take photos).
I revisited the Holocaust Memorial Park- it's one of the most powerful memorial parks I've been to as of yet. The emblematic glass towers with millions of etched numbers grab everyone who walks by. 
I then found my way to the new Rose Kennedy Greenway- all of the new spaces created by placing the freeway under the city. After being in Boston three years ago and viewing some of the initial construction of the parks, I was interested to see what the final product was. I started at the parcels near the North End and walked down to Chinatown where the highway re-emerges. All of the parks seem to be classic, long-lasting, pedestrian-oriented spaces. There are multiple lawns, stone pathways, splash pads (fountains shooting up from the ground), perennial gardens, patios with tables and chairs, and interpretive signs about Boston's history. For a project that took over 30 years and who knows how much money, it seems to be well worth it. 
Dan and I then met back up and had lunch at the historic Union Oyster House. I had a beautiful bowl of seafood stew- very much similar to the family oyster stew, but includes shrimp, mussels, fish and scallops. As we were leaving I realized you can sit at the oyster bar and try out oysters of all sizes and tastes- we may have to go back and try that out.
We worked our way through a bit of the charming North End, stopping to enjoy a bite of strawberry gelato. We debated having some deluxe Italian food rather than oysters...it seems to me that you could do a trip to Boston based solely on meals.
We began to run out of time, but wanted to see at least the outside of the new Institute of Contemporary Art. It's possible that we might see the exhibits on Sunday if there is time.
As we walked back to town we were able to see quite a bit of new construction happening along the bay. Huge new condo buildings are going in right on the water, along with shopping areas and parks.
As a last stop we walked through the downtown crossing area and came across the shell of Filene's. It looks like they are re-doing the entire store but salvaging some of the exterior.
The day ended up being a tad exhausting, but totally worth it. I'm wishing we had a few more days to spend in the city, but there are so many other things to see and do.
This evening we went out to dinner with friends and family of the bride and groom (not a rehearsal, just a time to relax and catch up). Sounds like everything for the wedding is all set and the weather is looking decent. Should be a good time!
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