Birthday in Boston

I want to thank all my online and offline friends for making my birthday, Sunday so special. Your messages here and on Facebook made my day even better.

It was a very different birthday this year, not being home or at my sister's and having no birthday cake. I made hubby sing to me while I blew out an imaginary candle on a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. Talk about desperate for "the norm"!

It was a great day though despite being different. Hubby & I slept in and then head downtown Boston. We booked tickets for the 1pm "Historic Harbor Cruise" departing from Long Wharf. We had a few hours before the boat left so we wandered around the historic streets of Beantown.

I love Boston for it's mix of history and the present mingling together in the cobblestoned streets. In this picture you can see the Old State House, home to where the Colonials decided to have their "tea party" in the Boston Harbor.

Old State House

Walking the old city streets I would look up in wonder. They sure don't make buildings like this anymore...

After walking these old streets in search for a CVS... I needed anti-naseau medicine for the boat cruise... just in case we head over to Faneuil Hall (pronounced like Daniel) and Quincy Market to take a peek around.

Quincy Market and the colonial red-brick building in the background is Faneuil Hall

Even "the boys" got to come and have fun after all it was Simon's birthday too!

Couldn't quite figure out who the bronzed guy was but he had something to do with Boston sports, we think

Right beside the bronzed guy, you can see a pair of high top sneakers. They are bronzed shoes once worn by Larry Bird, a well-known NBA icon back in my high school days. My old boyfriend and brother LOVED watching basketball so I knew who Larry was.

My feet are size 7 to give you some perspective

After burning my feet on the hot bronze, we walked across the street over to the waterfront and to Long Wharf to pick up our cruise tickets. Once again, it's amazing to see the history of this area in the old buildings, even here along the pier originally built in 1711.

Long Wharf

The day was SO hot and humid but on the boat there was a nice breeze. Here's a pic of the Boston skyline from the middle of the Boston Harbor...

Boston Skyline

At one point on the cruise, they stopped the boat near the Logan airport so we could watch planes land...

which was really cool... especially when it flew RIGHT over our head...

Got chills as the plane went over our heads! This pic was NOT zoomed btw!

As we made our way back into the Boston Harbor heading over towards the Charles River, the Old North Church spire shone in the distant sun. I could imagine that night as British ships were in the harbor just before Paul Revere & company made their ride through the cobblestoned streets and surrounding areas.

Old North Church spire is in the center of the pic

On the cruise we also passed by "Old Ironsides" aka U.S.S. Constitution, the U.S.A.'s oldest commissioned navy ship...

"Old Ironsides"

and we even a little piece of home on the cruise...

Canadian Coast Guard ships in Boston Harbor

Once off the cruise we hoofed it over to the North End which is the Italian section of Boston and where Paul Revere's house and Old North Church stand. Hubby took me out for a delicious early dinner here...

Giardino's in North End Boston

where we shared this...

Don't you love the bowl it's in?

and then while hubby enjoyed the lobster ravioli, I had the regular kind. It had THE creamiest cheese filling I've ever tasted. It was SO light and fluffy!

Me and my delicious birthday meal

After we ate, we head back to the hotel where hubby got back to work and I enjoyed a quiet evening catching up with Facebook and Twitter messages (again... thank you guys!) and a phone call from my sister in NC. It was a very good day and I didn't even cry once that I hit the midway mark of my 40's!