Thursday, July 23, 2015

Musings

I've been away from home for less than a week, and already I'm thinking I'm ready to be home now.

When we left, I thought well, this will be better, because I know the language and I know the currency.  But having been in Boston, where I used to live (well, Quincy), I find myself wondering if that's true in any but the most precise definitions.  Driving around the area, I am as astounded as any country yokel by the number and density of the buildings.  It's just so incredibly crowded!  (And going to get more so; apparently local builders are taking a leaf from New York City and planning a 'pencil skyscraper'; it will be as tall, or taller, than the surrounding buildings, but only 60 feet wide, so as to be squeezed into an available parcel of land).

We're at the Marriott Copley Place hotel.  It's nice enough, with lots of faux marble and chandeliers made, I think, of plastic, but its nothing truly amazing.  Except the elevators - to summon one, you hit a touch pad on the wall of the elevator bank to indicate the desired floor, and it lights to tell you which of several elevators to take. I guess that limits the amount of stop-and-go for each elevator. I was not happy to learn that the parking is not free - at this rate? I suppose, for Boston, its not considered expensive - and the wifi, particularly at night, is very slow.  But they do offer to sell you the opportunity to go faster. Yuck. Do a search for Marriott and WiFi and be reminded that Marriott is the company that said No, we aren't limiting your access to personal hot-spot wifi, and we'll never do it again.

The weather is -- well, I would say unseasonably warm, but I wonder if thats the case any more.  Certainly it's as warm as I remember it being in August - sultry, and a little sticky.  I think fondly of when I used to live here, and would take the T up into the city, spending the cool morning and part of the afternoon, just walking around.  Now, that seems to be beyond me -- a combination of being 40 years older, fatter, and more susceptible to fatigue -- and I miss it.

I wonder how close I am to saying thats it, I'm just staying home.  Or taking a chartered bus trip. 

2 comments:

Tabor said...

Too bad that your experience is not pleasant. Too crowded and hot so maybe you should visit another time of the year? I hate driving so husband does it all when we are out and about and that is good...for me. I don't know of any hotels that do not charge for parking in the city. They have customers without cars, so they can charge those that do.

Cerulean Bill said...

Ah, I think I;m just expecting too much, especially given the incredible popularily of Boston. I swear that there are more tourists per square foot here than there are in Paris!