Walden Pond

More progress on my things-to-do-in-my-last-summer-in-Boston: I’ve been to Walden Pond two times in as many weeks (and may well make it three-for-three next weekend)!

Walden Pond really is my favorite place to swim in New England. It’s really beautiful, if you’re willing to walk a bit you don’t have to swim in the company of so many people, it’s relatively easy to get to, and it’s cheap once you’re there. I also was able to try out my new camera while I was there.

Mum, Clare, and Laurie recently went to Exmouth, mainly to snorkel over Ningaloo reef and to see the whale sharks that seasonally feed in and around the reef. I sent them my waterproof camera to use while they were snorkeling. The camera turned out to be not-so-waterproof; it leaked. (I’ve used it in water before without incident, this was a relatively recent development). Mum wanted to replace it (even though it really wasn’t her fault it leaked), and so she paid for a refurbished camera (and Olympus Stylus 850 SW, slightly more recent than my old camera, an extra megapixel, but still orange). I didn’t take any underwater photos at Walden pond, but it works just fine out of the water.

Sox Game

I had an as-close-as-possible-to-perfect Boston afternoon yesterday – complete with tickets to see the Sox play.

We started the afternoon with lunch at Spike’s (perfect pre-game food) and then made our way to Fenway Park. We had seats in the (uncovered) bleachers, and the forecast had been less than ideal – intermittant thunderstorms. However, what we had was an overcast, but pleasant, afternoon (probably mid 20s/70s) – the rain held off until got home. Fenway Park is such a nice ball park and the weather was so perfect that it almost didn’t matter that the Sox went down to the Tampa Bay Rays in a blow out. Summer in Boston really can be lovely – I’m going to miss it when I leave.

Spring in Cambridge

Spring has finally arrived in Cambridge, and I can’t tell you what a relief it is. We’re having the most glorious weekend of weather, and I’ve been soaking up the sun and the warmth. I had brunch with Zeba yesterday at the Neighborhood Restaurant, and it was just fantastic. The 15 minutes walk there was glorious, and they’ve opened up their patio seating so we sat outside and enjoyed the near-perfect day. This improved weather has me thinking of all the things I want to do (that are totally not thesis related) in my last summer in Boston. Some of them require a bit of forward planning, so I feel like making a list probably isn’t a bad idea.

• Swim at Walden Pond. It would be nice if I could manage this more than once. It does involve getting organized and renting a car, or co-ordinating with someone who owns a car.
• Catch a ball game at Fenway Park. This weekend’s series between the Sox and the Yankees would have been perfect. Needless to say, it’s completely sold out, and tickets are not easy (or cheap) to come by.
• Read The New Yorker on the back deck. I could easily check this one off today.
• Scull on the Charles.
• Make ice-cream. And eat ice cream.
• Shakespeare on the Commons. I’m not actually a huge fan of Shakespeare (particularly outside) but I love the pre-play picnic.
• Eat outside.
• Catch some live music. I recently bought tickets to see The Shins, so I’m on the way to taking care of this.
• Shop at farmers’ markets.

Anything obvious I’m missing?

Walden Pond

I’ve lived in Boston for nearly 6 years, and until this morning I’d never been to Walden Pond. Walden Pond is a lake (or pond, if you like) about 15 minutes drive from Cambridge, and made famous by Henry David Thoreau. It’s also an excellent place to swim in the summer: reasonably warm, clear water, beautiful surroundings, and not a great deal of overcrowding. I easily spent an hour in the water, and then more time gazing out over it. It’s earned me my first sunburn of the summer, but it was completely worth it.

Enjoying the Spring Weather

We’ve had a series of really beautiful spring days in Cambridge – in fact, in my six years here, I think this is the nicest spring we’ve had – and today was another of them. I started the day lazily – some reading and dozing, and then biked to Kendra’s place for brunch (picking up a cherry pie from Petsi Pies on my way). Kendra and I immediately headed out to her local bakery – When Pigs Fly – where we bought some bread to have with brunch. We then headed back to her apartment where we scrambled eggs (with cheese & parsley) – yum!

After a restorative nap, I headed across the river to Newbury Street for some much-needed spring shopping – I’m now set for shoes, pants, tops, and sunglasses – as well as a summer dress and some socks. It was a beautiful, sunny afternoon, and it was a pleasure to walk along the shopping strip, and enjoy the trees’ return to life.

This evening, I settled in with Season 2 of The (American) Office. I’ve seen all of the British version, which I thoroughly enjoyed, but it took me a while to warm to the American version. The first few episodes follow the British series very closely, and it was painful to watch. Then, the American version branched out in it’s own direction, and it got considerably better. It’s very different from the British series, but funny in it’s own way.