Europe in America- Boston

My friend and I checked into the Marriott Copley, donned our walking shoes and set off to walk the Public Gardens. The day was warm and the gardens were full with people laying on the grass and walking and admiring the flowers. The swan boats were full and there was a long line.

Since it was late afternoon we decided on an early dinner so we could get to our show on time. We ate in the North End at Al Dente's, a small cozy Italian restaurant that is one of our favorites.

We went to see Shear Madness. It has been there for 15 years but we hadn't seen it and it was in the perfect theatre, down stairs, tiny, intimate holding no more than a hundred people which was perfect for a performance that welcomed audience participation. We loved so hard, we cried!

Being Mom's and wives, the next day began with room service. Oh, the pleasure of it! But then we were off again, meandering down Newbury Steet window shopping. Stopping for an iced tea in an outdoor cafe. If you haven't treated yourself like this, do it!

Quick Tips:

Suggestions! Walk, bring comfy shoes. Pick a museum like the Fine Arts and Isabella Gardner to spend a few hours in. Stop at the Ritz for tea at 3:00. During the summer, go on the Duck tour or take the trolley tur. Even if you live in the area, you learn new things about Boston. A Harbor cruise is fun and if you are lucky, you will see the harbor seal that populate the harbor!

Best Way To Get Around:

The best way to get around is by foot and the metro. It is fairly simple and safe. It will take you evry where you want ot go. Even Fenway for a ball game!

Best Things Nearby:
Everything is near-by! You are just steps from Fanuiel Hall and the history of the United States and it's beginnings. Keep going and walk the Freedom trail. Less than a half mile away, was the Boston Tea Party.

The Boston Gardens, theatre district and Boston's best shopping are all within walking distance. You are minutes from the T that will take you to the JFK Library or the Fine Atrs Museums!

Best Things About the Resort:
Location, location, location- make this an absolute gem of a timeshare. Add to that, the building itself is a restored historic sight and what more could you ask for ...besides two bedrooms!

Resort Experience:
In the heart of Boston is this chic timeshare. It has one large bedroom and bath as well as a pullout couch. There is a mini kitchen- no stove but you are minutes from the Italian section, what do you want to cook for? There is a continental breakfast on the second floor each morning and a bar on the same floor for an afternoon drink if you don't find the Black Rose around the corner.

One floor houses a game room for children and the working mechanisms for one of Boston's oldest clocks. The top floor gives you an amazing view of the city.

The staff is friendly and competant and can help you with directions, reservations and any of your other needs.

• Unit Type: 1 Bedroom
• Activities: Good
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

As you enter this tiny establishment, you wonder what all the fuss is about. Why there is a big line outside for PIZZA. But this isn't ordinary pizza. These are creations by one of Boston's best chefs, Todd English. The brick oven blazing in the corner indicates how they are cooked but doesn't give you a clue as to the flavors he will entice you with.

My favorite is the portabello mushroom pizza with wild mushroom puree, red roasted onions and fontina cheese. His pizza is only matched by his soups that appear on the table steaming and wafting of herbs. While you are waiting for your meal, do be careful. You will be tempted to eat the fresh baked peasant bread with olive oil and garlic. But then you will be too full to finish your meal and that would be a shame!

Boston has many neighborhoods, each with their own special flavor. The North end is Boston's Italian section. It is where people go to eat, and eat and eat. Villa Francesca sits on a side road as you enter this area. In the summer, the windows are thrown open and the air is redolent with garlic, spices and Italian greetings.

For this area, this is a fairly big restaurant with seating upstairs and down. A line begins to form at the door around six o'clock and they do not take reservations so eat early or eat late . They have a large menu and it is studded with the regulars like pasta , veal, chicken but they also have fresh fish as well prepared to perfection. My favorite is a veal Pontevecchio. Veal with mushrooms, artichoke hearts cooked in a wine sauce and topped with a delicate cheese. My mouth waters just thinking of it!

Get a window seat, a glass of wine and watch the world go by. Mange and then when you are done, say "no thank you" to dessert and go to Mike's bakery for dessert. You will be there with a hundred others but it will be worth the wait! But that is for another review!

This is not your usual Saturday night restaurant in Boston. This is heaven on a plate. An artistic sojourn into the land of desserts. If you have ever browsed through Bon Appetit or the Cordon Bleu Dessert Book and seen the majestical creations with the candy plumes of spun sugar and the chocolate tower of dark and white chocolate then you have envisioned a dessert at Finales. Boston laughed and said they could never make a go of just desserts but little did they know how women crave such confections.

These imaginative delights are not inexpensive but where else could you find on one plate " molten chocolate cake, orange chocolate tartlet, hazelnut bavarian pyramid..."? That is just the beginning and the end of our waistlines ladies. This is a do not miss, put on the top of your list place that will have you coming back after the theatre, after a great dinner or better yet, skip the dinner and cozy up with a friend, a pot of tea and one of these beautiful, mouth watering delights.

Where did this grand nation begin? What are we all about? There is no better place to find out than on the Freedom Trail in Boston. Get a guide at your hotel, at a book store or from a vendor and begin your walk into history. You will see the old North church where the lantern was hung to let the revolutioners know how the British were coming.

Visit Paul Revere's house. There is access to Old Ironsides in the Charleston Harbor. Visit Fanuil Hall and go upstairs to see where many of our famous orators gave their speeches. In this city of bustling newness, there is engrained a marvelous sense of history and wonder at how we came to be as a nation. It will take you about four hours to walk the trail but spend time at each place soaking up the feeling. Bring your children when they are old enough for they will delight in what they see and remember it when the have it in history class.