I had never been to Boston, so took the opportunity to see some of the city and visit my college roommate. Unexpectedly, she was between jobs so had lots of time to show me the sights. I met Deb at 9:00 and we spent Sunday walking around Boston. We walked through the Boston Commons and enjoyed the elaborate plantings. It rains a lot in Boston and everything was lush and green. Flowers were planted everywhere. We enjoyed a delicious brunch at the Salty Pig, a restaurant that specializes in charcuterie, although I was chilled and ordered a warm pasta dish. A rain shower foiled our plan to eat outside, but the restaurant was not crowded. People were mostly hiding from the rain.
The Moxy charged a resort fee which gave me a certain amount of credit to spend in the bar and restaurant. Not being a big drinker, the only way I could use my credit was to eat dinner at the hotel. The only option was naan served with various pizza toppings. I had mine with basil, tomato and mozarella. I spent the evening composing a blog post to bring my readers up to date on the events of the past year.
July 26. 2021
Deb and I had plans to go to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in the afternoon, but I had the morning to myself. I ate breakfast at the Panera across from the hotel and then walked to the Mexican Consulate so that I would be sure to find it on the morning of my appointment. Then I attempted to walk along the riverfront, which was frustrating as sections of it were inaccessible due to industry or governmental facilities that were not open to the public.
After lunch, I met Deb and we took the train to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. The museum was in the former home of the donor who had amassed a large collection of art. The collection was varied and ranged from medieval tapestries and Russian icons to paintings by artists that she had patronized. The building was lovely, although not really designed to be a museum, which resulted in various dead ends and the retracing of steps.
After returning to my hotel, we stopped for a cocktail in the bar of the hotel across the street, a much more elegant and spacious affair than the bar at the Moxy. Once again, I had naan for dinner, this time I had S’mores naan. The cook was new and it took over an hour to make my dinner. As there was nowhere comfortable to wait, I grew annoyed. The Moxy was centrally located near Deb’s apartment and the Mexican Consulate, but it was not to my liking. It was clearly designed for younger guests. I found it noisy and crowded. The rooms were small, but comfortable enough, although I would have appreciated a bathtub.
July 27, 2021
The twenty-seventh was the day of my appointment with the Mexican Consulate. I had breakfast at Panera and then walked over to the Consulate. It was much smaller than the ones in California and nearly empty. I waited only a few minutes before being called. I presented the man behind the counter with my bank statements and chatted in Spanish with the entire staff while he reviewed my documents and made copies. As my brokerage has the annoying policy of issuing quarterly statements every third month, it always confuses those who want to see a year’s worth of monthly statements. Still, we managed to assemble the necessary documentation and I was approved.
In Sacramento, a clerk reviewed my documents and, when it was determined that I qualified, I was told to come back after lunch for an interview with the Consul. In Boston, they fingerprinted and photographed me (I didn’t have to provide a passport photo as I had in the past.) and then told me to wait. Apparently, the gentleman I had been chatting with was the Consul and our banter served as my interview. I was out of there with my visa in under 45 minutes.
Having planned to spend the entire day at the Consulate, I now found myself with an entire day to myself. I decided to walk to Harvard. This was not a short walk, but gave me a chance to explore Boston and Cambridge. I ate lunch at a snack bar in the commons. I walked across Boston and then crossed the bridge into Cambridge.
July 28, 2021
Deb and I had agreed to meet for breakfast before I left for the airport. Once again, it was raining and Deb’s plan to eat breakfast outside was foiled. With all the patrons crowded inside, we didn’t have time to wait for a table, so went to the bakery next door for pastries and coffee. By the time we walked back to my hotel to collect my luggage, it was time to call an Uber and head for the airport. Fortunately, we remembered to snap a picture of the two of us together. We had both enjoyed our reunion. My ride to the airport was uneventful, as was my return flight.
