Boston Virgins

Having been in the United States for almost 10 years now, I have no excuse for not visiting Boston. I knew before going that I would enjoy the trip, but it surpassed all my expectations. I loved this compact little city, and from just a long weekend's experience, I have a feeling I will someday return here to live.

Boston seemed to have a little of everything that I would want to call home, from the culture and the architecture to the nearby ocean, great restaurants, good nightlife, and cultural areas, such as little Italy and Chinatown.

* Walking around this city is an experience in itself. The architecture is stunning and the colonial buildings are pleasures to walk around

* on a nice summer's afternoon, take advantage of the local beaches. They are a great escape from the city traffic.

* Of course, the seafood is amazing, so enjoy the fish-and-chips or chowder to your heart's content and worry about the calories later.

* Don't miss Harvard. The campus is elegant and great to wander around and just pretend to be smart !!!!

* The Freedom Trail is a 3-mile walk past all the major attractions. You can do this with a guide or by yourself by following the red brick line.

* Depending on your age and energy levels, Boston has a fun nightlife, from hole-in-the-wall bars to world-renowned techno clubs.

* Don't miss the Little Italy area for some of the best Italian food (and pastries) this side of the Atlantic.

* The Boston Common (and the next-door public gardens) is a romantic place to take a picnic and while away a few hours lazing by the lake.

Quick Tips:

* Dress in layers. It can be bitterly cold in Boston, but the bars, restaurants, and subways are cozily warm.

* If going for a weekend or week, buy the T pass; a 3-day pass for us was just each and we used it all the time to get around between the T stops, a great value.

* There are many different boat trips that leave the quayside throughout the summer months, taking you anywhere from Martha's Vineyard to small forts on islands just offshore. Stop by the quay and see what they have on offer when you are there.

* If you are doing Boston on a budget, prep. Some of the famous seafood houses are very expensive, so visit for lunch instead of a dinner.

* If you are going to be doing a lot of the major attractions, you can buy a city pass for , which will save you .

* Another place to visit is the Prudential Centre, really it's just a big shopping mall, but it's a place where you meet for the Duck Tours. It also has a great Skywalk Observatory with a 360-degree view of downtown Boston.

Best Way To Get Around:

Boston is an easy city to walk around, but if it's really cold or you want to just conserve energy, use the T. It's not expensive (3-day pass is ) and was quick and reliable.

I wouldn't recommend a car in the city unless you are just passing through, as there's no real need for one. As with most metropolitan cities, the parking is a pain.

When searching Travelocity for a quick weekend getaway to Boston, we found the NINE ZERO hotel on one of the packages. To book this hotel individually was quite expensive, but as a package it was very reasonable.

Our room description on booking said “intimate,” which led me to believe we might be getting the worst possible room. Further research had me concerned with numerous reviews about the arrogant young staff. However, we couldn’t have been more pleased.

We arrived from Logan airport and took the T straight to Park, which was the nearest stop. The hotel itself looks elegant from the outside, though definitely not historic-looking with its edgy nickel-and-chrome design. It's directly opposite the graveyard in which Samuel Adams is buried.

On arrival, the staff was friendly, trendy, and very helpful. They upgraded us to a “Fantastic room,” so I never did get to see what the “intimate” one looked like. Our room was stunning, in an Art Deco design with earthy colours of browns, beiges, and blacks. The bed was huge and the headboard tall, padded, and luxurious. We had a great view; white robes;designer shampoos, moisturisers, etc.; and marble bathroom. I particularly liked the pull-out bar with all the ingredients for a killer martini and neon CD player with ambient CD at the ready. In fact, one of the things that fascinated me most, not being used to such fancy accommodations, was that the CD player would be turned on and playing every time we entered the room from sightseeing.

When we needed advice on restaurants, sights, or clubs, they were spot on with their recommendations. Nine Zero was easy walking distance to all the sights around Quincy Market and Feneuil Hall, as well as being steps away from two different T stops. Its also right on the edge of Boston Common, which makes for such a beautiful afternoon on a late summer's day!

Their in-house restaurant, Spire, has won awards for outstanding food, but we didn't get chance to eat there. The restaurant, though, was beautiful to look at at least, and I'm sure the food equaled its reputation.

Durgin-Park...established before you were born

...that’s how the signs read, and there are photographs all over the walls of this pub to prove that fact. Whilst the origins of Durgin-Park go way back to the revolutionary days, the fame founders who created the all-American-style food took over 150 years ago, and to this day people flock here to try the legendary chowder, johnny cakes, and Indian puddings.

We didn't really know of the history on entering, as we were just hungry and wandering the Fenuil Hall area and thought this looked to have a nice pub atmosphere.

We ate in the bar area on rickets benches that formed the booths. There were plenty of beers to choose from. Karl took the Sam Adams and I opted for a pale summer ale. The atmosphere was very pub-like and very similar to any pub back in England, with a slight stale-beer smell and dingy walls. I know this might not sound to pleasant, but if you are a fan of pubs and beer, you will know that it's quite a comforting feel!!

We wanted to try a few smaller items that Durgin Park is more famous for, so Karl had the clam chowder whilst I had the fish chowder. Both were $5 and both were great, though I have to say the clam chowder was better. We also had a side of Boston baked beans because, well, we were in Boston and just had to.

To finish up a pleasant lunch we shared the famed Indian pudding, which was heavy, sweet, and delicious. It was also $5 and made from molasses, brown sugar, and cornmeal, mixed into a stick concoction that tasted oh sooo good.

The story goes that as a young 12-year-old, Fiore Correla dreamed of owning a restaurant on this street and would wander the shops hoping that one day his dreams would come true. Eventually, the store that stood in Fiores spot (a music store) closed down, so Fiore snapped up the chance to buy the spot and create his dream

We ate at Fiores for lunch on one of our many wanderings through the Little Italy area (more commonly known as the North End). Fiores has an elegant look to it, from the small side patio to the rooftop where more of a night scene takes place.

Even though we timed it for lunch, we were late and hit the early dinner crowd. Though the restaurant was quite busy, we didn't have to wait at all.

They seated us in the front room with a great view of Hanover Street, and the walls were decorated with stunning Italian murals. The wait staff were friendly and courteous, the rooms were beautiful, with a lot of ambiance, and the food was wonderful.

Karl choose the signature dish, which was a pasta with Italian sausage. We had arrived for a late lunch, so the prices were already set for dinner hours, so you can do this restaurant more cheaply if you come earlier. His dish was $16.

I had the homemade (all their pasta is homemade) lobster pasta, which was just out of this world ($25).

A word of warning: these are fancy restaurant prices with fancy restaurant serving sizes, so fill up on the lovely bread. Check out their website for more information HERE.

Okay, so here's the culprit for the 2 pounds that somehow arrived on my butt after this short weekend trip !!

Mike's Pastry is right in the middle of the Little Italy area on Hanover Street. You know it's going to be good when you see all the other pastry shops around and see that Mike's has a queue going out of the door. That’s was enough to attract my attention alone, never mind the glowing report I had heard and the enchanting blue-and-white "Mike's Pastry" boxes I saw being carted all over town.

What was this elusive Mike's, I kept thinking as I saw box after box pass me by a day earlier, and now I was here before it and about the join the line for my own little box.

It's a cafe, so there are tables to sit, eat, and watch the crowds stare at you in jealousy, but I didn't want to sit and eat my cake. I wanted a box so I could walk around with it under my arm, like I'd seem, until I found just the right spot to sit and eat it

Karl and I had an argument here. In any new restaurant and cafe, it's important to us to eat different, as that way we can try both items. However, we both wanted the same here--a homemade ricotta cannoli--it's really the ONLY thing to buy, despite the shelves being stocked with every possible pastry you could imagine.

Well, as usual, Karl won and got to order that whilst I picked a wonderful-looking Italian cream puff. The wait seemed to take forever, but really they were very efficient and it was just mere moments before I was having the girl add the ribbon to my blue-and-white box

We walked with our boxes in proud possession through Boston to the Common and sat and savored our purchases. HEAVENLY!

Of course mine was wonderful, but the cannoli was by far the more superior, and Karl wasn't too keen on sharing so fairly, so it was back to Mike's for my cannoli !!!

I have to also admit that we did do a "Mike's Pastry" run right before going home and took our special boxes (with MANY envious glances) on board the AA flight and home to Dallas with us for our last slice of heaven. If you want to find out more information or even order some of their cakes online, look HERE.

The NAKED FISH restaurant caught my eye as we were shopping in the Faneuil Hall area. I love seafood, and we had already tried the more local joints for chowder and fish-and-chips. Naked Fish looked a little different, as it was advertised as “elegant seafood and Cuban cocktails.” That’s a combination I wasn’t about to miss.

The decor inside was simple and stylish. I was glad we had dressed up a little and made the effort. It was pretty packed, but we had made reservations earlier that day. Our table was in the back, towards the kitchen, which is not usually a preferred spot, but on this chilly evening it suited us fine.

The waitress was fun and friendly, and being a local, helped us plan our after-hours clubbing. The menu was great, with every type of fish you could desire, and the cocktails really did live up to their reputation. To start, I had to try the infamous Latin Love, which, according to the menu, had been voted “America’s most sensual cocktail by Penthouse magazine.” I wasn’t too sure how much I was going to trust the “taste” of Penthouse magazine in anything, but I have to say that it was damn good. I suggest having the Latin Love last rather than first, though, as the sweetness was more fitting as a dessert, and at $7, it was about the same price as dessert. However, all the cocktails were about the same price. The Caiprinha and Mojito were wonderful.

As for the food, it was expensive but delicious. To start, we shared a chilled soup of avocado and crab meat. It just sounded so wonderful that we wanted to have some and indeed it was ($7). Then I had rare tuna with a peppercorn coating, which gave it a wonderful kick. This plus two sides was $18.
Karl had scallops and mushroom in a bowl of rum cream sauce--yummy (also $18).

If you are a fan of my journals, you will know that no trip is complete for me without a little nightlife thrown in for good measure, and what better way to jiggle away all the chowder calories than a good club!!

We were recommended Avalon by the bloke that worked the door at our hotel, as I wanted a good techno music night. We took the T over to the Fenway (Kenmore was nearest T stop) area, which had quite a lot of bars and clubs all around. Avalon would have been easy to find we had been looking rather than getting distracted by all the neon in that area.

It was $15 to get in, though I’m sure the prices vary depending on the night and time you go in. There was already quite a line forming at 11:30pm, which surprised me, and the doormen seemed to be quite picky. As this is advertised as the biggest (and best) club in Boston, I guess they can afford to be.

I also noticed that whilst we were there on a regular night, from the fliers being passed out, Avalon sees its fair share of big-name DJs, though the nights did seem to vary a lot between techno and hip-hop. One night Sean Paul would be pulling the crowd and the following night they had Tiesto, so be sure to check first on their WEBSITE.

As you enter the club, you are blown away by the sound system. It was amazing, with some great lights and lasers. Tucked away are secluded VIP areas, but the main dance floor is the place to be anyway. At various points in the evening, the ceiling would lower and the lasers became more intense.

There was a stage at the front with go-go dancers, but not the usual just bikini-clad ones. These had extravagant costumes and could actually really dance!! I liked it. and as the night progressed, the dancers gave mini shows, sometimes in Asian outfits, another time with glow-in-the-dark capes.
The crowd was young and fun, and the dancing was serious techno, but everyone was just about having a good time and no one cared how anyone else moved or grooved. It was the kind of club I could have stayed partying in all night and not cared about drinking (which was good, as the bar wasn’t cheap).

When it was time to go, of course the T was no longer running, but it was easy enough to hail a cab, and it was just $10 back to the hotel.

NED DEVINES is an Irish pub right on the corner on the Fenueil marketplace walkway. There’s outdoor seating as well as two floors with three different area inside for a fun night out. We started sitting on the patio, just for some quick food. Karl was disappointed at the beer choices, but with an appletini in hand, I was more than happy.

The food was simple pub food and was enjoyable. I got the fish-and-chips ($13), which were done in a more traditional English style, with a nice crunchy batter. Karl had chowder (again), and it really was delicious ($5).

Our intention was just to grab some quick food and then move on, but on venturing inside to look for the bathrooms, I realized we had picked a great nightlife spot to eat at, and quite by accident for once.

The decor inside was beautiful. I will describe is as Gothic chic, with lots of red velvet, carved iron railings, Irish wood carvings, and huge old-fashioned chandeliers giving the rooms quite a wonderful atmosphere. Actually, there was quite the party going on. YAY!!

The lower floor was more tables and casual eating, but once you climb the twisting staircase it's like entering another world--think Interview with the Vampire.This upstairs area is no longer known as Ned Divines but Paris Lounge, and a little further along, Paris nightclub. It stretches the whole length of the building and ranges from the hangout space, which was presumably the lounge, all across the hallway to the dance floor.

The music was chart hits, mostly hip-hop: a little Beyonce here, a little "Fiddy" Cent there. There were lots of pretty people hanging out and grooving to the tunes. Later a live band came on in the "club" area to play a mix of chart tunes.

Karl and I had only planned for one night of heavy clubbing but as this was close to our hotel and highly recommended, we decided to check it out the following evening.

After a late dinner, we set out to find it. We hadn't asked directions at the hotel, figuring it wouldn't be too difficult, but no one in town seemed to have heard of it, so it did take some time. Tucked away in the Financial District, the streets we walked in our search were deserted and we didn't have high hopes--then, turning the last corner, a line was formed outside a four-story building and my heart jumped. A line is never good to wait in, especially on a chilly September evening in Boston, but a line is also a good sign. It means a full club, people, and atmosphere

We waited only about 20 minutes, and on entering the club we found that it actually wasn't too busy at all. The line is kept in place by savvy bouncers to fool fools like me into thinking the place is so popular!! That’s just the way it works, but I liked Umbria, and as midnight arrived, so did more people, and soon the place really was hopping.

The club/lounge was four floors high, and each one had a slightly different theme and a different music. One narrow staircase linked all the floors together, and this wasn't too easy to navigate once the crowds arrived. Dark winding stairs, killer heels, and a few martinis is a recipe for disaster, but other than trodden-on toes, I managed to avert any medical issues.

The lowest floor was a bar and restaurant. It was too late to eat, but the signs on the wall said that Umbria Restaurant won the “Best New Restaurant of 2005” in Boston. Up one floor and it's hip-hop/chart, a small dance floor, squishy little couches and puffy stools to sit on, and an elegant crowd. One more floor up and it's techno--not the best techno but fun and easy to dance to--with some hardcore folks on the dance floor and a rather bored-looking girl in a cage wearing the requisite bikini and fluffy boots.

One more floor up and this was really more of a VIP viewing area of the techno floor with more couches and a full bar.

We stayed late, going up and down the stairs to find the best music and best spot for people-watching. Drinks were usual club price (i.e. expensive), but I liked the atmosphere, and for a less-serious dancing night and more posing time, Umbria is perfect.