“Pic of the Week”, October 27, 2017: Two Churches in Boston

03 Trinity Church

By American standards Boston is an old city, although compared to those in Europe and Asia it’s still a juvenile community.  Boston is a great city to explore on foot, with a lot of famous historic sites.

During my wanderings on my last visit I came across two old churches only a few blocks apart.  The more interesting of these is Trinity Church, an Episcopalian church on Copley Square across from the Boston Library, and a National Historic Landmark building.  It was constructed in the mid-19th century as the 3rd church home of the parish and is renowned for it’s architecture and art.  Select tours of the site are available.  

Old South Church’s present building was completed in 1873.  It is …

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.All Trips / Massachusetts / North America / Northeastern USA

A Day at the New England Aquarium, Boston

10-New-England-Aquarium

I love visiting zoos and aquariums — at least most of them.  I believe they offer an excellent chance for people to see and study our planet’s fellow inhabitants, and that they are one of the most important conservation tools available to us.   People are much more likely to conserve animals and ecosystems they have an emotional tie to.  As a life-long student of biology and nature, I always find something new and fun everytime I go.

Boston’s New England Aquarium, while far from the biggest or best, is a nice place to spend a day with a family.  It is a popular tourist destination, hosting more than a million visitors each year.  Besides the aquatic attractions within the Aquarium …

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.All Trips / Art / Massachusetts / North America / Northeastern USA

Art, Architecture and Literature: A visit to Boston’s Public Library

06 Boston Public Library

Many people I know are fond of books, so visiting libraries during our travels is an obvious extension of this interest.  Some libraries are fairly dull, but others are far more than places where books and magazines are stored.  They are buildings of great architectural beauty.  And a few even have interesting art displays, enough to warrant their consideration as small “art museums”.  Such certainly is the case with the Boston Library, a place you can wander about for hours taking in all of its charms.  Of course, it’s all completely free.

The Boston Public Library system is the second largest in the United States and contains approximately 23 million items, including 1.7 million rare books and manuscripts.  Its annual circulation is …

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.All Trips / Massachusetts / North America / Northeastern USA

Signs of Boston

03 Signs of Boston

I’m fond of looking at a city’s signage, and often find it a reflection of that city’s personality.  I’ve previously published a few galleries featuring signs I’ve encountered in different cities.

Boston was a delight for me in this regard.  Lots of clever signs, many beautifully crafted, now to be shared with you.  I hope you find most of them as entertaining as I did:

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“Pic of the Week”, July 10, 2015 : The Colby Trophy Room, Museum of Science, Boston

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Boston’s Museum of Science is a great museum to explore with children, but fun for everyone!  There are many fascinating exhibits and demonstrations that take a full day to see.  As my day at the museum was winding down I came across this most unusual room which really didn’t fit with the rest of the exhibits, but which was fascinating.  A wealthy gentleman’s room filled with guns and a large assortment of trophies bagged while hunting, and an assortment of other souvenirs from a lifetime of travel and adventure.  It seems the kind of room Teddy Roosevelt or Ernest Hemingway might have put together….

This is the Colby Trophy Room, which re-creates Colonel Francis T. Colby’s den …

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.All Trips / Massachusetts / North America / Northeastern USA

Over There! A look at World War I through Poster Art

IMG_3314 By L.A. Schaffer

While visiting Boston this past spring I encountered intense wintery weather that made me focus most of my free time on indoor activities, rather than strolling through the interesting streets of this historic city.  I enjoyed these days and visited some wonderful sites that I hope to share with you in the coming months.

A highlight was a fascinating day spent at Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts, a large yet “manageable” collection.  Among the many excellent displays at the museum was a temporary exhibit of World War I art.  Propaganda pieces really, mostly from the USA but also from Europe and Russia, many beautifully crafted, some quite familiar.

It’s been a century since World War I — among the bloodiest …

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