We were up and on an early Uber to the airport.

Arriving we dropped one bag, quickly passed thru security and got in the LONG line for passport control.
That line moved relatively quickly and we were soon chatting with the Border Patrol agent – who informed us that we have Global Entry, so we could have gotten in the much quicker line ‘over there’. We responded “We’re with them. And it was either wait on the other side or wait in line with them.”
Turns out that our gate was very close so we were soon seated and hunting breakfast.

After claiming the bag we were Uber’d to the hotel in the hopes that we could drop our bags (it was only 11:00) and come back at check in time.
Turns out that checking in at 11:00 isn’t a problem for Platinum Member Jen.
So we dropped bags in their room, got directions to the T stop, and were off to explore.

The first stop was Quincy Market and Lunch.
Checking out all the options and making a decision took more time than eating but it was an interesting experience nonetheless.
With the lunchtime crowd finding a table was an impossibility.

Lunch done it was time to begin our trek. Our intention was to find several of the locations named in the Magnus Chase books by Rick Riordan.
Along the way we wanted to catch a few historical sites as well.
Which is how we ended up passing Old City Hall – location of the Boston Massacre.
We also stopped at the Kings Chapel Burying Ground and the Granary Burying Ground to view some of the headstones – both the famous and not-so-famous.

Entering the Boston Common we stopped to appreciate a busker doing an acrobatic routine, then headed off to the first Magnus Chase sites:

Make Way for Ducklings was a children’s book written by Robert McCloskey and memorialized with a sculpture by Nancy Schön. In Magnus’ world each of the ducks is the portal to one of the nine Norse worlds.

Following a bit of play on the ducks

While Jen, Brian and I went to do a little bit of exploring.

Returning to the folk in the park we decided that we had had enough of the oppressive heat/humidity/walking so we retreated to the hotel for a rest before dinner.

Dinner was at a fabulous little restaurant in the Beacon Hill area of town.
We had a great meal and even finer staff.

Then it was into an Uber and up to the Bunker Hill Monument (The third Magnus site of the day). The historical significance of the site on Breed’s Hill in the struggle for American Independence is well known. In the Riordan books the Norse goddess Hell appears to Magnus here and declares; “For every hero, a thousand cowards. fore every brave death, a thousand senseless ones.”

Walking down from Breeds Hill we treated ourselves to ice cream at Emack & Bolio’s Ice Cream Shop.
It’s kind of a cult thing but the ice cream was good, and a fitting end to a moderately successful day.

From the ice cream shot we had a great view of the Leonard P Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge.

We didn’t get to see two other sites on our list; the Leif Erickson statue and Fenway Park. But that leaves something for next time.

Tomorrow we board the train to New York, Should be fun.

Till then…
R