Boston

People said we would not like Boston. I

don’t know why, because we did.

The hotel was very comfortable, well located and bear friendly (always important). It had an excellent gourmet coffee shop attached. The main parts of the city are in easy walking distance, and there is a good and cheap transport system if you want to go to, for example, Harvard. The distance from the airport is short, but a taxi is still a good bet, and the driver was very helpful in pointing out rather more obscure places of interest and great places to eat. We got to see an all-star opera production at the symphony, Richard Strauss no less. It was packed, and excellent. Boston has some great chocolate shops, including the bears’ favourite L A Burdick. It even has a tea shop. They have branches elsewhere too. Boston is steeped in history, some of it real, and is a top rated tourist place. If you hate tourists, remember that you are one yourself. Our tip is, try to be a local. There are places perhaps best avoided. The Cheers bar seems a bit of a trap, though we didn’t go - there were queues even early in the morning before it opened. Although it is a busy city, there are many quiet places you can sit and contemplate the world. Direct flights can be a bit tricky to find from the UK, for some reason. There’s enough to do to keep you busy for several days, maybe a week. Try one of the guided tours. They can be interesting, especially if you are English and they find out… We found a great outdoor place that sold espresso coffee but with ice cream instead of milk. Yummy. And if you like seafood…