Boston MA: Mon 28 Jun - The Freedom Trail

We took an early commuter ferry from Hull into Boston, arriving at 0730. The plan was to walk the Freedom Trail that marks many historically important places and events related to the birth of the USA (Bunker Hill Monument at left). This is a fascinating and informative experience that really brings history alive, but as often happens, that's only half the story.

On the ride over Sonia and I discovered we'd left her camera on the boat. Not good news since we expected to see and do many things worth photographing. I reluctantly resolved to purchase a second camera but was unsure where, how, and especially what. So we started walking and looking and asking. By the time we reached Old North Church I was getting photographically desperate. I wandered into a small gift shop near the church and told the proprietor about my problem. She immediately suggested Bromfield Camera on Bromfield Street at the other end of town. When I asked for directions she pointed to a small cafe nearby and said: "See that man over there? That's Sonnie. He's the one you want to ask." So we did.

Sonnie owns a small cafe in Boston's North End where many residents are of Italian heritage. When I explained what I was trying to do, he immediately made a call to Steven, the owner of Bromfield Camera, and in no uncertain terms told him that he was sending over his friends, Sonia and Armond, that they needed a good deal on a nice camera, and that Steven should "take care of this." And that's exactly what happened one short taxi ride later. After Steven graciously treated us as family, we headed back to the North End, caught up with Sonnie who was having lunch at nearby Theo's, and profusely thanked him for his unbelievable hospitality. I guess you could say it was, so far at least, a pretty good morning.

Later we completed the entire Freedom Trail (Paul Revere Tomb at left), photographing madly along the way, and basking in the kind of immediate friendship and warm hospitality we'd come to expect in Boston.