Boston Calling

With Alex starting his Spring Semester at Northeastern University as a freshman, we needed to fly him to Boston and help him move in. Inna and I would be coming along (staying at the Lenox Hotel) to help Alex move into his new residence at Northeastern's International Village.

I initially made travel reservations on Alaska Airlines for January 10, 2022. However, due to weather delays in Seattle, the Airbus plane scheduled to fly from San Francisco to Boston was stuck in Seattle. Alaska Airlines automatically rebooked me to other, less convenient Alaska flights (that would depart, arrive at inconvenient times, and fly through Seattle).

Inna and I decided to cancel the new Alaska flights and book new flights using JetBlue. This wasted a lot of time, and I spent many hours on hold with Alaska on Sunday to resolve the problems (with no success). Thankfully, JetBlue flights were available at a reasonable price to replace the canceled Alaska flights.

The new JetBlue flight #334 departed from San Francisco at 11:12 PST and landed at Boston's Logan Airport at 19:30 EST. 

While on the plane, I continued reading The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles. Inna watched some James Bond movies, including Casino Royale (2006) and No Time to Die (2021). On the flight to Boston, I started slowly developing a headache, which lasted until I fell asleep at 23:30.

After we landed at Boston's Logan Airport, we picked up Alex's two suitcases(one large and one medium) from Carousel #2 and ordered UberX to Lenox Hotel in downtown Boston. 

Once we checked into the Lenox Hotel, at around 20:30, we decided to pick up our online Amazon orders from the Amazon Locker nearby. Inna ordered bed sheets and other items, and they were already waiting for us at the Amazon Locker. 

We ordered an UberX to the Amazon Locker and back to our hotel to retrieve the items quickly. (If we did not pick up the items on time, the items would get automatically returned to Amazon). 

Tired and hungry, we ate dinner at the City Table in the Lenox Hotel. After looking at the dinner menu, we ordered the following dinner items:

• Boris: Faroe Islands Salmon, Hot Tea
  
• Alex: Faroe Islands Salmon, Hot Tea
  
• Inna: Wild Mushroom Pappardelle, Hot Tea, Red-wine Sangria

The Faroe Islands Salmon was well-seasoned and delicious! It differed from the West Coast version, but I still liked it. Inna also enjoyed her Pappardelle pasta.

As we were tired, we retired to sleep at around midnight.

Tuesday, January 11, 2022

With the alarm set to 06:45, we woke up to face a challenging moving-in day for Alex. I took a shower first and dressed in thermal underwear (for the anticipated sub-freezing temperatures in Boston). I was followed by Inna and Alex. The weather reported a low of 10 degrees Fahrenheit!

Once ready, we decided to eat breakfast at our City Table in the Lenox Hotel (to avoid venturing outside in the frigid city). 

We ordered the following breakfast items.

• Boris: Yogurt with Fruit Plate (Berries, Watermelon), coffee with cream
• Alex: Avocado Toast, Hot Black Tea
• Inna: Avocado Toast, Coffee with cream
  

After breakfast, we ordered an UberX to take us to the Curry Student Center, where Inna and I picked up our wristbands (to show proof of COVID-19 vaccine Coverage). 

During this time, Alex waited in a long line to pick up his Northeastern Husky ID (which he needed to open his dorm room and order food). Since it was frigid outside (9-10 degrees Fahrenheit), we took UberX everywhere to avoid frostbite (and save time).

Once we completed all of the mandatory check-ins, we ordered an UberX car to return to Lenox Hotel, where we picked up Alex's 3 suitcases that Alex prepared, plus two additional Amazon boxes, and called an UberXL to take us to Northeastern's International Village East.

When we unloaded the UberX car with our suitcases, the Northeastern move-in team helped load all our bags onto a dolly and roll them indoors while Alex checked in. We rode the elevator to the 5th floor (Alex's room 599). Initially, Alex had difficulty opening his lock, but he eventually realized he needed to enter his pin, followed by the # sign.

Once inside his small, cozy room, we put away the luggage and helped to prepare his bed. Then, we all decided to take UberX to Target to pick up a few other essentials, including:

• Pillow (King size, as others were sold out)
  
• Desk Lamp
• Cleaning Supplies
• Clothes Hangers 
• Floor Rug
• Poster
  

Since Inna had an early meeting, she returned home alone, while Alex and I returned to his room in the International Village. I helped set up his rug and arranged the other supplies. Alex still needed to unpack his multiple suitcases and meet his roommate. I wished him well and returned to the Lenox Hotel for my work meeting. Inna was already working!

For lunch, Inna and I stopped by the nearby Luke's Lobster Back Bay, a block from our hotel. When we came in, the joint was empty, but we decided to sit down and order a few items, including:

• Boris: New England Clam Chowder, Shrimp Roll
• Inna: Truffle Butter Lobster Roll

Inna liked her Truffle Butter Lobster Roll, and I also enjoyed my Shrimp Roll. The New England Clam Chowder was also quite tasty.

Since no hot drinks were available, we decided to warm up (it was a bone-chilling 9 degrees F outside) at the Newsfeed Cafe nearby (which serves the Boston Public Library). We ordered the following items:

• Boris: Seasonal Ginger Mocha, Cookie
  
• Inna: Latte, Apricot Croissant
  

We really liked the layout of the Newsfeed Cafe and the fact that it was inside the Boston Public Library. Inna could stay there indefinitely. After finishing our delicious drinks, we returned to our Lenox Hotel to continue working.

At around 20:00, we invited Alex for dinner at Eataly (one of our favorite chain restaurants). We ordered the following dinner items:

• Alex: Margherita Pizza, Black Tea
• Boris: Misticanza Salad, Black Tea
• Inna: Soup, Pizza Norcina, Black Tea

We really enjoyed our dinner at Eataly. Afterward, we stopped by the Gelateria for a sample of delicious Eataly desserts. 

Alex selected pistachio and hazelnut flavors, while Inna selected the passion fruit gelato. Alex really enjoyed his gelato.

After dinner, Alex returned to his dorm room at International Village (for his first night as a student) while Inna and I retreated to our Lenox Hotel.

Wednesday, January 12, 2022

We ate our usual breakfast in the morning at City Table in the Lenox Hotel. Inna and I ordered our typical breakfast items, including:

• Boris: Yogurt with Fruit Plate (Berries, Watermelon), coffee with cream
• Inna: Avocado Toast, Coffee with cream

Wednesday's weather was much warmer - 38 degrees Fahrenheit - and so much warmer than the 9 degrees Fahrenheit on Tuesday. Strolling around Boston and enjoying the city's many sights was much more enjoyable. We noticed a lot more people walking outdoors, too.

After breakfast, we met Alex at the TJ Max Department Store on Newbury Street to help Alex purchase cups and other household items. Alex arrived around 09:45. We strolled around the store, looking for cups and towels. We found a few items for Alex in the store.

Since Alex did not have breakfast, we stopped by the Trident Booksellers and Cafe on Newbury Street. After looking at the online menu (all of the ordering was done using the website on our iPhone), Alex selected the Eggs Benedict, while Inna and I tried the London Fog.

It's a quaint and unique bookstore/cafe, and we would have enjoyed hanging around longer. Still, we needed to get to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum by 11:00. Alex decided to join us, and we ordered our UberX ride and were quickly dropped off on Evans Way (in front of the Museum entrance).

After picking up our tickets, we strolled through the beautiful Venetian Palazzo for the next 90 minutes, enjoying the beautiful statues, paintings, and sculptures. Inna enjoyed the beautiful museum and thought it was much better than The Legion of Honor in San Francisco.

Since both Inna and I had work meetings, we returned to our Lenox Hotel Room #603 by 13:00. We had a lot of work to do!

At lunchtime, Inna and I decided to try high tea at the Courtyard Tea Lounge in the Boston Public Library. When we finally located the Tea Lounge inside the beautiful Boston Public Library, we were told that there were only 3 sittings allowed: 11:00, 13:00, and 15:00. Since we arrived at 14:30, we would have to wait until 15:00 to be seated. We could not wait so long with many meetings and decided to schedule high tea for Friday at 15:00.

Instead, we stopped by across the street at Sweetgreen, where we purchased some lunch items, including:

• Boris: Crispy Rice Bowl (Blackened chicken, raw carrots, shredded cabbage, cucumbers, cilantro, roasted almonds, crispy rice, warm wild rice, arugula, lime squeeze, spicy cashew dressing)
• Inna: Fish Taco Bowl (Roasted steelhead, avocado, shredded cabbage, cilantro, tortilla chips, warm quinoa, arugula, Sweetgreen hot sauce, lime-cilantro jalapeño vinaigrette)

Inna liked her fishbowl, which was healthy and inexpensive. After a quick lunch, we headed to the Newsfeed Cafe for coffee. This time, Inna and I were more adventurous in our selections:

• Boris: Hot Chocolate with Pistachio, Chocolate-chip cookie
• Inna: Latte

For dinner, we decided to try eating at Earl's in the Prudential Center. We selected the following items:

• Alex: Lobster Ravioli, New England Clam Chowder
• Boris: Curry Chicken Bowl, New England Clam Chowder
• Inna: Ahi Poke Bowl, New England Clam Chowder

I found that the service was prolonged, the hot tea was lukewarm, and the waiter forgot to bring glasses for the water. 

Overall, I was not very impressed with Earl's. It was a trendy restaurant, as it was packed with numerous young people.

After dinner, Alex ordered an UberX to take him to International Village while we returned to our Lenox Hotel.

Thursday, January 13, 2022

We ate our usual breakfast in the morning at City Table in the Lenox Hotel. 

Inna and I ordered our usual breakfast items, including:

• Boris: Yogurt with Fruit Plate (Berries, Watermelon), coffee with cream
• Inna: Yogurt with Granola, Coffee with cream

Since we were hurrying to catch the 09:00. Northeastern Campus Tour, we finished our breakfast at 08:50 and ordered UberX to take us to Dodge Hall (in Krentzman Quad). 

We enjoyed our tour of Northeastern, which included many buildings:

• Curry Student Center
• Snell Library
• Snell Engineering Center
• International Village
• Ruggles Train Station
  
• Gym

After finishing the tour, we took an UberX to MIT in Cambridge, where we walked around the campus and visited the fascinating Ray and Maria Stata Center. Most other MIT buildings looked quite dull and uninspiring.

With 40 minutes left before our work meetings, we decided to try local coffee at Cafe Luna. We ordered the following drinks:

• Boris: Matcha Latte
• Inna: London Fog

I liked the Matcha, and Inna thought her London Fog was one of the best she's ever had. After our quick stop, we ordered UberX to take us to our hotel so that we could call in our work meetings and resume our workday.

At around 14:00, Inna and I decided to eat lunch at Eataly. We ordered the following lunch items:

• Boris: Lo Spaghetto al Pomodoro
• Inna: Lasagna Emilliana

I really liked my freshly prepared Spaghetti, and Inna enjoyed her Lasagna. Since hot tea was unavailable, we stopped by Lavazza Coffee for a mocha and a pastry. Both Inna and I enjoyed our drinks.

We returned to continue working. I had lots of work meetings and emails to catch up on.

Inna made dinner reservations at Figs by Todd English Pizzeria on Beacon Hill. We were recommended this pizzeria by our friends who recently visited Boston. 

Because it was cold and dark, we took UberX to Beacon Hill and met Alex at the pizzeria. In the small pizzeria, we were offered high-top seats, and we sat down, ordering the following dinner items:

• Boris: Greek Salad
• Inna:  Portobello Pizza (Mushroom)
• Alex: Quattro Fromaggio (4-cheese)

Our two pizzas came out on large rectangular trays. They were outstanding, and Alex finished his entire Quattro Formaggio pizza - all by himself. Inna and I shared the Portobello pizza and could not spend all the slices.

Since no hot beverages were available, we decided to stop by for tea and dessert somewhere else. At first, we stopped at Tatte Bakery & Cafe, but there was nowhere to sit due to Covid-19 restrictions. We decided to try another place and stopped at J.P. Licks Ice Cream shop.

• Alex:2 scoops of ice cream (Salted Caramel Cookies'n Cream, Brownie Brownie Batter), London Fog
• Inna: 2 scoops of ice cream (Meyer's Rum Raisin, Salted Caramel Cookies'n Cream), London Fog

I liked the hard ice cream, and especially Meyer's Rum Raisin. Since Alex had an event to attend at 20:00, he returned to Northeastern alone, while Inna and I took a separate UberX to our Lenox Hotel.

Friday, January 14, 2022

We woke around 08:30 and ate breakfast at City Table in our Lenox Hotel. Inna and I ordered our usual breakfast items, including:

• Boris: Yogurt with Fruit Plate (Berries, Watermelon), coffee with cream
• Inna: Eggs Benedict, Coffee with cream

After breakfast, we visited the Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, Copley Square, and Boston Common. 

The Boston Public Library had a magnificent outdoor and indoor entrance, and we enjoyed visiting all the reading rooms.

Next, we stopped by the Trinity Church and purchased tickets and an audio tour to look inside. We really enjoyed the magnificent arches and the beautiful stained-glass windows.

After the visit, we continued eastwards toward Boston Common (America's oldest park). Since it was getting late, we decided to return (I had to call into 12:00 meetings).

During the day, I learned about a powerful snowstorm headed our way and was concerned about departing from Boston on Monday. After some consideration, Inna and I decided to leave Boston one day earlier, on Sunday, January 16, at 18:45 EST, to avoid possible delays. Using the JetBlue iPhone Application, I could switch my current flight reservation to an earlier flight, #633.

After all my meetings, we stopped by the Courtyard Tea Room for afternoon high tea ($62/person). Inna made reservations for two people, but Alex wanted to join us. We hoped that we could be seated together. When we arrived at 15:05, we were told there were spaces left to sit. Consequently, we decided to eat lunch at Eataly instead.

After sitting down at Eataly and talking to our waiter, we ordered the following lunch items:

• Appetizer: Zuppa di Pesce (Shrimp, Clams appetizer)
• Alex: Lo Spaghetto al Pomodoro with Mozzarella
• Boris: Tagliatelle alla Bolognese
• Inna: Linguini Ali'Astice (Lobster)

After our delicious lunch (I really enjoyed my Tagliatelle all Bolognese), we decided to sample some delicious Italian gelato. Alex ordered Pistachio and Straciatella flavors while Inna selected some of her favorites: Pistachio.

We also tried some coffee drinks (though Lavazza Cafe downstairs was closing). After our delicious lunch, Inna and I returned to our hotel to continue work while Alex took an UberX to his International Village dorm.

We contacted our hotel's customer service to see if we could change our reservation by one day and were told to get Booking.com. Inna got Booking and modified the reservation by one day (hopefully, saving one day's lodging costs).

Saturday, January 15, 2022

We woke up around 09:30 and ate a late brunch at City Table in our Lenox Hotel. For the first time in Boston, we were asked to show our Vaccination cards! City Table was busy, and we noticed the hotel lobby overflowing with newly arrived guests. The weather outside was freezing, 6 degrees Fahrenheit.

Inna and I ordered the breakfast items from the Brunch menu:

• Boris: Shakshuka, Coffee
• Inna: Salmon Toast, Coffee

After brunch, we ordered an UberX to take us to The Museum of Fine Arts. We were again asked to show us our vaccination cards. Then, we queued up in a line to purchase general admission tickets ($25/person). With tickets in hand, we also queued up to drop off our coats, gloves, and hats in the cloakroom.

Finally, we started to explore the multiple exhibits on the first floor. The Mysteries of Ancient Egypt was our first destination, and we enjoyed learning about the various Egyptian dynasties and browsing through the multitude of artifacts in the collection. 

With more than 65,000 works of art, including sculpture, jewelry, coffins, mummies, coins, weapons, architecture, vases, carved gems, musical instruments, and mosaics, the Art of Ancient Egypt, Nubia, and the Near East department houses one of the world's premieres encyclopedic collections of antiquities. The objects date from about 6500 B.C. to 600 A.D. and were acquired mainly through excavations in Egypt and Sudan led by George A. Reisner between 1905 and 1942.

After the Egyptian exhibit, we dived into the pre-revolutionary and post-revolutionary paintings in Boston. We saw many paintings, furniture, and other items.

 

 

After 2-hours of walking, Inna and I were tired and decided to sit down for lunch at the museum's New American Cafe. After perusing the menu, we decided on the following items:

• Boris: Seared Shrimp, Hot Tea
• Inna: Panini, Hot Tea
• Dessert: Saratoga Mousse

The Seared Shrimp was of average quality (and the portion was relatively small for the high price - 5 shrimp for $26). Inna's Panini sandwich was a better deal (for a lower price, too).

 

 

We resumed our museum tour on the second floor with European paintings. We looked at many American and European paintings, followed by Greek and Roman statues. As we continued the tour, we also discovered Italian Renaissance art (including one Boticelli) and some ancient Asian art.

 

Eventually, we found the impressionist paintings of Monet and Van Gogh in one of the furthest galleries.

 

We had a wonderful time at the Museum of Fine Arts and hope to return next time. The museum has a lot of art to explore. I did not expect its collection to be so extensive.

 

 

After the museum closed at 17:00 (there was no announcement of closing time), we ordered an UberX at the nearby Japanese Douzo restaurant. Alex was meeting us there, and we arrived a few minutes late. After being seated, we reviewed the menu and ordered the following dinner items:

• Appetizer: Wagyu Beef, Scallops
• Alex: Sirloin Steak Ishiyaki
• Boris: Lobster Miso Soup, House Salad, Sumo Roll
• Inna:  Lobster Miso Soup, Tasty Roll, Crunchy Roll

I enjoyed the Lobster Miso Soup, but the House salad was average. The Sumo Roll was not bad, and the Tasty Roll and Crunchy Roll were delicious. Alex enjoyed the Wagyu beef in his Sirloin Steak.

 

 

At about 18:45, we finished our meal, as Alex needed to return to his dorm for a 19:00 meeting. We planned to meet the next day for breakfast and the Harvard University tour at 11:30.

 

 

We returned to our Lenox Hotel (only a few blocks away) in the cold, 9-degree F weather. It was not the most pleasant walk back. On arrival at our hotel, we ordered some hot tea, which took a long time to come upstairs.

We drank the hot tea and ate a few Lindt candies (we had purchased earlier). They were delicious!

Sunday, January 16, 2022

Our last day in Boston!

We were initially scheduled to depart Boston on Monday, January 17, at 12:30 EST. Still, due to an intense winter snowstorm, we decided to fly out one day earlier (to avoid possible flight delays).

 

 

I woke at 07:30, showered, shaved, and packed my suitcase and backpack. While Inna was also getting ready, I did some work. We planned to eat breakfast with Alex at City Table and then take UberX to Harvard Square for our 11:30 Harvard Campus Tour.

 

While Alex was running late, we packed our suitcases, descended downstairs, bid farewell to room #603, and put our luggage into temporary storage. I re-joined Inna and Alex, who were seated at City Table. After looking at the menu, we ordered the following items:

• Alex: Salmon Toast
• Boris: Yogurt with Fresh Fruit
• Inna: 3-egg Omelet with toast

After we finished our last breakfast at Lenox Hotel, I ordered an UberX to take us to Harvard Square. It was still quite cold outside, but the temperature had steadily increased above 20 Fahrenheit.

 

 

We arrived a few minutes early - at about 11:15 - so we had a few minutes to walk around Harvard Square and stop in the bookstores. Inna was impressed with the Co-Op Bookstore, which had Harvard clothing, gifts, memorabilia, and thousands of books on multiple floors. Of course - the leading book title (as I entered the store)- How Not to Be Racist - had me laughing! (Dumbest book ever!)

 

At 11:30, we returned to Harvard Square to join our Hahvahd Tour. Our tour guide was a current 3rd-year Harvard student studying Biology. We walked around the periphery of Harvard Yard. Due to Covid-19, 

 

Harvard restricted guided tours (but we could enter Harvard Yard independently after the tour). After looking at the first Harvard Buildings and the Entrance Gate, we went to look at the John Harvard Statue (the 3rd most photographed statue in the USA). 

 

According to our tour guide, there are 3 falsehoods about the John Harvard statue.

    JOHN HARVARD  •   FOUNDER  • 1638

‍
These falsehoods are:

1. John Harvard was not the founder but a benefactor. He donated 400 books to Harvard.
2. Harvard was founded in 1636, not 1638
3. The statue is of Sherman Hoar, a Harvard President and a descendant of Leonard Hoar.

Sometime in the 1990s, tour guides began encouraging visitors to emulate a "student tradition"—‌nonexistent‍—‌of rubbing the toe of John Harvard's left shoe for luck so that while the statue as a whole is darkly weathered, the toe now "gleams almost throbbingly bright, as though from an excruciating inflammation of the bronze." However, it is traditional for seniors to remove their caps as they pass the process of graduation exercises on Commencement Day.

 

 

There is a tradition at Harvard of naming freshman residence halls after past Harvard presidents. However, this presented a unique problem for former Harvard president Leonard Hoar. Could you imagine a - wait for it - the Harvard Hoarhouse?

According to our tour guide, Harvard undergraduates do not have majors but concentrations. He had a concentration in biology. After completing the Harvard tour, we decided to stop by for lunch at Tatte Bakery & Cafe, frequented by Harvard students.

 

When we entered Tatte, it was hectic, and we had to ascend to the second floor to find a place to sit. Eventually, we found an open table, and our lunch items arrived.

We ordered the following lunch items:

• Alex: Lamb Kebab Plate. Mint Lemonade, Hot Tea
• Boris: Lamb Sandwich
• Inna: Smoked Salmon and Avocado Tartine, Orange Juice

After lunch, we returned to Harvard Yard, looking at the beautiful brownstone buildings. We wanted to enter the Widener Library, but it was closed to visitors. The building was donated by Eleanor Elkins Widener on behalf of her late son, Harry Widener, who perished on the RMS Titanic in 1912. Harry and his friends toured Europe to collect valuable books for Harvard. Fortunately, the original Gutenberg Bible survived.

Inna and I wanted to visit the Harvard Art Museum, but all the tickets were sold out. However, we were told to check the Q.R. code to see if new tickets might become available. Later on, Inna was able to reserve tickets.

 

Since Alex wanted to return to Northeastern to visit the gym, we decided to stop by for coffee and pastries at Tatte Bakery. After ordering a few pastries, we sat down at a small table upstairs:

• Alex: London Fog
• Boris: Cranberry Scone, Mocha
• Inna: Pistachio Croisant, London Fog

It was a sad time. We hugged Alex and wished him goodbye as we watched him walk to the train station to take the subway to Northeastern's Ruggles station.

Since we still had an hour before returning to Lenox Hotel (for our flight to San Francisco), we walked to the Harvard Art Museum to see the beautiful paintings and sculptures. The Harvard Art Museum is a small but tall building that houses many paintings on floors 2 and 3. We spent our time on the 2nd floor, admiring some of the impressionist paintings on display.

 

With time running out, we ordered an UberX and returned to the Lenox Hotel. We picked up our suitcases and ordered an UberX to Boston's Logan Airport. I checked in online using JetBlue's iPhone app and had boarding passes.

We stopped by for a quick dinner at Legal Seafood, and Inna and I enjoyed a few dinner items:

• Boris: Greek Salad, New England Clam Chowder, Hot Tea
• Inna: Lobster Roll and Chowder, Hot Tea

Our JetBlue flight #633 from Gate C9 boarded and departed on time, and I mostly spent the time watching the Australian Open tennis.

We landed in San Francisco at 21:40 (ahead of schedule.) Initially, I wanted to use UberX, but the prices were jacked up to $150, so I switched to using Lyft for $80.

It was nice to be home again.

Boston Trip Report

Highlights

• Visiting  Isabella Stuart Gardner Museum
  
• Visiting the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
• Dining at Eataly
• Browsing Multiple bookstores at Harvard Square
  
• Visiting the Boston Public Library
• Harvard Campus Tour

Lowlights

• Frigid Winter weather (sometimes reaching 8 degrees F)