It's all over one day and that is today...

I could have gone on for a while... There are more courses to play, more places to visit, more people to know, more fun to be had. For now this is it, I have packed my bags a final time on this trip.

Taking extra time at breakfast, strolling through the parks, walking up Newbury and back down on Boylston, I tried to extend my last day by taking everything in very consciously today. Cannot believe this is over now. What an amazing adventure. I am truly blessed.

- THE END -  ... for now, there will be an epilogue and if I am lucky a sequel.

Anna's birthday

A bit of a sleep in today, then I picked up the birthday girl at University Park at MIT. Birthday-lunch we had at Sam's in the south bay harbor. An area that was not developed when I lived here in 1998. In fact, South Boston then was a place not to go to. There were still gangs and shootings at times and pre-big-dig, there was nothing here of any interest. Now there is a convention center, a Westin, shopping, restaurants a museum and some nice views of the skyline.

After lunch we walked to market place for more browsing and shopping and later sat in the sun in the Boston Common. Anna then left for her surprise dinner and I took the T to Harvard Square. Walked around campus, shopped at the Coop and had dinner at my favorite Vietnamese place in The Garage. It used to be a Pho Pasteur, but it now is called Le's. "Same, same" though as the Thai would say. Ahh, such a trip down memory lane is something.

Also, thank God I have made this a golfing trip around the world. Imagine, I would have skipped that and only gone from one restaurant to the next. It would be a food blog only and I would have gained a lot of weight (I think I am about back to square one after losing some in Thailand in the heat and gaining some in Melbourne with the local gourmets and a diet of a lot of red fish and red meat since I am in the US).

Boston Back Bay and Chateaubriand

Anna my Swiss friend and running partner is in Boston for three weeks and came shopping with me all day today. We did not break our bank ;-), had lots to talk about after not seeing each other in almost three months and finished the day in style with a chateaubriand at Copley Plaza. They say it is the best in town (note, it is the only one in town apparently). We agree, you cannot cook meat any better. Absolutely fabulous. I've only ever had comparable meat in Texas and very few other places. Wow. If only the picture could do justice.

Btw, I love my Canon. Sometime, pictures really turn
out quite cool (this one is taken on Boylston
 out of the taxi on our way home, when it just started raining)

Off to Boston

So many air miles flown, but another first today: the plane from Myrtle Beach to Charlotte was so small, that all carry on items other than handbags had to be checked in at the gate. So for the first time my well travelled carry on had to go... And another first on US Airways also. Hassle free baggage arrival, all my luggage made it to Boston with me.

So glad, I decided to spoil myself and stay at the Ritz Carlton on Boston Common for the last three days. The hotel is in a great location and super nice. Not too big and with a nice bar and very spacious and bright rooms.

I have not been here in 10 years now, but walking the streets in Back Bay, it is all coming back to me. Nostalgia! So, on my way back from a stroll around the parks, Newbury Street etc. I am heading straight to Penang, where they still had my favorite curry dish of all times. A bread with a curry dip. The bread now is Indian roti and no longer Indonesian, but it all still has the same great taste.