Christian Perez's Travel Journal

First Walk into Boston, Wed Jun 8, 2005

After arriving on Sunday, I met a few students and we travelled north up Massachusetts Ave. (Mass) for dinner. We didn't quite make it to Central Square, but were pointed to pizza/sandwich/pasta restaurant called Cinderalla's by a couple of local fraternity guys. The sandwiches are good but not outstanding at 7 bucks. I think the pizzas are the way to go.

On the way back to the dorm--southwest side of campus, on the river--we stopped at Shaw's grocery. I've never experienced a grocery store that required an escalator ride to enter. Prices are definately inflated due to its convenient location--only 10-15 minute walk from campus.

Monday brought another outing for dinner: Pagolini's? Another Italian restaurant specializing in interesting pizza's, but also boasting tasty traditional Italian dishes with extreme portions. I ordered Chicken Parmesan and had TWO big chicken breasts on a bed of pasta. Overall, pretty good, but pricey at $20.

Tuesday we ventured into Boston for the first time, walking down Mass. We passed Berklee College of Music and walked over a bridge with hundreds of runners streaming beneath it. We never did find out what they were running for. There were a few shops and restaurants, but nothing truly noteworthy. Unsurprisingly, I found myself in a nice music store with a wood-paneled acoustic guitar room. Mario is looking to purchase a guitar, and with all the musical talent in our group, we joke about starting a band. I think we should just go to the music store and screw around.

We walked up Mass back towards Cambridge and took a right at the Virgin Megastore on the corner. Then we really discovered the appeal of Boston. Little chic shops and trendy restaurants and cafe's lined both sides of the streets, as did attractive trees and equally attractive people. White Christmas lights were strewn about some of the trees, giving a nice ambient light to the neighborhood at 9 pm. Unfortunately, all the shops were closed at that time, but the atmosphere of the area was worth the trip. Turning back towards the river, we crossed a street swimming in trees--trees in the sidewalk, trees in the large median, trees in yards in front of residential buildings. No wonder there are so many runners on the streets.

After crossing the Interstate, we walked up the park next to the river and back over Mass to campus. The Charles river is beautiful at night. The muddy water is unappealing in daylight, but at night gently reflects the city lights. Docks and small peninsula's jutted out into the river that begged for picnics or couples seeking solitude.