Boston

It’s fun to take a business trip to my home city. Especially when that city can be enjoyed with someone who has never been there before. My week in Boston helped to remind me that the place I grew up is somewhere I would like to live again... Someday.... But for now, I am content visiting for short periods at a time and departing before the excitement starts to fade. 

My hotel was located in the financial district, but I forget just how easy it is to navigate the compact city center. From the historic Quincy Market to the upscale shopping on Newbury Street, Boston is a true American jewel.

View from my hotel room in Boston

The first evening, I went to dinner with my colleague at one of the many amazing Italian restaurants in the North End. I haven’t been to this area in over a decade and I am thrilled that it is more easily accessible, now that the highway dividing it from the rest of the city has been moved underground. We could have chosen from countless restaurants, but we ended up at Vinoteca di Monica. The tables were crammed in a tiny space and the semi-open kitchen made the experience feel like we were eating in the home of our Italian grandmother. 

After dinner, we couldn’t go back to our hotel without stopping for  cannoli from Mike’s Pastry. My mouth was salivating as I debated which of the flavors I wanted to try. The amaretto was incredible and I had to restrain myself from returning the next night to try the other flavors.
 

Mike's Pastry sign lights up the night

On our last afternoon in Boston, we had some time to go on a tour of the city. The tour guide was full of great information that I hope to retain some of it so that people don’t think I am lying when I tell them I spent 22 years of my life in the Boston area. Some of my favorite facts about Boston: 

- Fenway is more than just the home of the Boston Red Sox. This part of the city was once only marshland, until land reclamation projects began in the 1820's.

Exterior of Fenway Park - the oldest stadium in major league baseball

- Just a few blocks away from Fenway Park is the oldest remaining Victory Garden in the United States. Victory Gardens emerged during World War II as a way to reduce pressure on the public food supply. Today, it is mostly filled with flowers, but it serves as a living reminder of both the contributions and the sacrifices that Americans made as part of the war effort. 

- Beacon Hill is now one of the most desirable neighborhoods in the city and its name came from an emergency beacon that once stood at the highest point in Boston. The narrow streets remain much of their historic character, including the most gas lamps of any city in the United States. Many of these lamps still burn for 24 hours per day - a tradition that began out of necessity, when the lamplighter union wages became prohibitively expensive for manually lighting and extinguishing the lamps each day. 

Beacon Hill is also home of the Massachusetts State House

- The Christian Science religion is headquartered in Boston, and the beautiful cathedral is certainly a focal point in the city. I'm still not sure how they can afford such prime real estate with only 100,000 members across the country, but it certainly adds to the overall beauty of the city. 

- Just a few blocks from the Christian Science headquarters is Trinity Church, which is honored as one of the "ten most significant buildings in the United States" by the American Institute of Architects. For me, this church is such a symbol of Boston and its reflection in the adjacent John Hancock tower adds to its appeal. 

Trinity Church reflects beautifully from the adjacent John Hancock Tower

- Harvard Bridge is 364.4 (and an ear) "smoots" long. This unit of measurement was developed in 1958 when an MIT student was laid down, end-over-end, to measure the length of the bridge. The markings are repainted each semester by the incoming class of Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity). The unit of measurement was so widely accepted that bridge renovations in the 1980's actually incorporated scores in the pavement at every smoot (5'7''). 

While crossing the bridge, people are also treated to gorgeous views of the Boston skyline:

Boston skyline, as seen from the Harvard Bridge

Of all areas in the city, Downtown Crossing and the waterfront seem to be transforming the quickest. In Downtown Crossing, there are several new luxury condo buildings and a skyscraper in the early stages of construction. I remember this area to be a little seedy when I was first graduating college and I am glad to see that it has already improved substantially.

Modern touches in an otherwise historic building in Downtown Crossing

The waterfront – home to Boston’s new convention center – also feels like an entirely new city. There has been so much construction that it makes me wonder what existed there a decade ago. I can hardly imagine that such prime waterfront real estate remained undeveloped, but maybe it was more of an industrial area.

On Friday night, I attended the Boston College football game with my parents. In most parts of the country, attending a football game would be considered a popular local activity, but not in Boston. Here, college football is almost forgotten – even when BC enjoys a national ranking.

One of the reasons I chose to attend Boston College was the Division I athletics, which I feel brings such unity to the student body. This game was proof of that, as the student section was the most crowded and most lively area of the stadium. For little more than a price of a movie, everyone gets an impressive game-day experience, but the students bond in a way that simply cannot be replicated at schools without popular sports teams. The final score was a disappointment for my alma mater, but it was a lot of fun to relive all the great memories from my years as a student.

Boston College Football

Over the past week in Boston, I enjoyed seeing the city from the perspective of a visitor. Boston is so filled with history, yet it continues to transform with cutting-edge art and architecture. Learning so many interesting facts about Boston and hearing the glowing reviews from my colleague allowed me to gain a new appreciation of my home town.

I normally visit the Boston area purely to reconnect with family and friends. Occasionally, I will go into the city for dinner or drinks but most of my time is spent in the suburbs. My experience got me wondering: How many people fail to take advantage of the tourist activities in their home cities?  Sometimes, just a tour of the historic sites or slow walk with a camera in hand may be enough to renew their sense of pride in the place they live.

Orlando

Orlando without kids? 

In my mind, the home of Mickey Mouse is only meant to be enjoyed by people with families. Water parks exist in all corners of the city, hotels are all filled with kid-friendly activities, and restaurants always have crayons and coloring books readily available. 

Don't get me wrong - Orlando is a great place for adults, too. The weather is warmer than most other parts of the United States and almost everyone likes theme park rides.  Orlando may not top my list of vacation destinations, but I am happy to spend a week there on business. 

On our way to the resort, we saw some dark clouds up ahead and immediately got stuck in a 5-minute downpour. Fortunately, we were sitting dry in a chauffeured car instead of running to buy an emergency poncho like all the people at Disney World. Classic Florida. 

Check-in at the hotel included a glass of champagne and a nice suite upgrade.  With all this extra space, I felt like I should invite some friends and family down for the week. It didn't take long for this hotel to win me over!

Hotel Suite

I looked out the window and the only buildings to stand above the tree line were high-rise hotels and strip malls. From the atrium lobby, EPCOT created the familiar Disney skyline. The sprawling resort pool below also looked inviting. The greater Orlando area just screams "vacation" and it is such a welcome contrast from the chaotic city life I usually see from my hotel rooms. 

View of Lake Buena Vista "skyline" from my hotel room

View of the resort from the hotel lobby

The work week, as always, included some excellent meals. My favorite was Nine 18, the Forbes 4-star restaurant at Grand Cypress Golf Resort.  The carefully crafted dishes and mature atmosphere were almost "too nice" for a random Wednesday dinner.  The meal was a huge contrast to the night before, where our team had an unusual experience at a place called Miller's Ale House. On first glance, it seemed like just another casual bar with countless beers on tap. However, it was surprisingly filled with families and small children. In fact, the restaurant catered so much to small children that it even had a balloon artist circulating around the tables to make the animals of our choice. If this restaurant doesn't proliferate the bar culture at a young age, I don't know what else would.

Balloon Animals and beer (and a 4-year-old peeping Tom)

After the work week was over, I spent a little extra time in Florida before flying to my next destination. My morning started with a vibrant rainbow (one of the benefits of the Florida rain). 

Beautiful rainbow over the resort pool

I purposely avoided any of the theme parks in Orlando, opting instead to stay on property and enjoy the on-site recreation activities. Between the kayaking and the "water-ski" bike (something I have never seen before), these 'family-friendly' activities were starting to grow on me. 

View of the hotel from the adjacent lake.

I have never heard of a bike on water skis...but it was fun!

I may not have any kids of my own, but I was never very far removed from them throughout the past week. Orlando is clearly a city geared towards tourism and the younger generation seems to rule the world when it comes to local activities. 

Walking through the resort on the last day, I actually felt out of place as a single adult. Everyone else seemed to be surrounded by family and friends. I had a great time working in such a relaxed environment, but it's not a destination that I will rush back to without a family of my own or a big group of friends.

Weekend in Cannes

I arrived in Cannes after a long travel day that truly involved planes, trains, and automobiles.  Weather was beautiful and I was excited for a relaxing weekend before my three week work-cation in the French Riviera.   Then, I opened my work e-mail and everything changed.  I had multiple e-mails from my office asking me to "call urgently because something came up that will affect my schedule".  Of course I called immediately, but my boss was not available to talk.  So I sat in my room, waiting for a call back and wondering what could be such an emergency. 

I couldn't help but worry about the worst possible scenarios.  Would I be forced to end my jet-setting lifestyle?  Did my company announce some big news that I missed while I was traveling?  After what felt like an eternity, I finally talked to my boss and he asked me to cancel my project in Cannes and book a flight to Paris instead.  Fortunately, I was given the approval to remain in Cannes for the weekend but I lost my Friday night to travel logistics and e-mail communications.  

Saturday morning, I woke up without an alarm (which means I woke up at the same early time as every other morning).  The weather was perfect so I went for a long run along the boardwalk.  Even in the off-season, the sidewalks along the beach are overcrowded so I couldn't even imagine what it would be like during the height of the summer.  I literally spent the entire run dodging people and traffic.  

While I was running, I kept smelling food cooking yet I couldn't see any restaurants or food trucks nearby.  Then I realized that the restaurants were actually underneath the boardwalk, right along the beach.  These Europeans really know how to maximize small spaces.

True beachside dining, with scents to entice anyone on the boardwalk!

Maybe it's the palm trees, or the weather, or simply that I don't have to work in Cannes but I truly felt relaxed and energized by the time I returned to the hotel.  After a quick shower in the curtain-less tub area, I was ready to start the day.  (Sidenote: I will never understand why Europeans do not use shower curtains??  Who teaches them how to shower without spraying water all over the bathroom?)

I figured I would get more-than enough french food throughout the next two months working in France, so I searched for a good sushi restaurant.  As it turns out, sushi is not so easy to find in France and the place I ended up trying was more like fast-food sushi.  At least I got my raw fish and, for dessert, a nutella and strawberry sushi roll.  Gross?  The jury's still out...

The afternoon was mainly spent shopping since I barely have any casual clothes and my week-long vacation to Italy is coming up soon.  I don't think my friends need to see me wearing suits every day of the trip.  One of the more annoying parts about traveling non-stop for 4 months is that I have to be so careful about what I buy.  More shopping equates to more hassle every time I need to pack and transport my luggage.  

Weather continued to be perfect so I walked down to the pier to watch the sunset.  It was absolutely gorgeous and  I didn't even care that I was all alone, surrounded by overly-affectionate couples.  I spent a while just listening to the sounds of the waves crashing against the rocks.  I like to use moments like this to think about my life.  On one hand, it can be difficult spending so much time alone, but on the other hand, I am so grateful to have this amazing opportunity to travel the world.  

Sun starting to set - view from the marina

Sun continues to set - view from the pier/beach

On the way back to the hotel, I stopped at the grocery store and bought myself some deli meat and fruit to make a simple meal.  I know what you're thinking: vacations aren't supposed to involve cheapo, self-prepared meals.  But, for someone who eats every meal at a restaurant, a simple meal involving no oil or butter is like a dream come true.  

Sunday morning, I woke up to another gorgeous morning.  When I looked out of my window, I noticed a giant cross on the hill so I decided that I would change up the workout and jog up the hill until I got to the cross.  

The cross on the top of the hill (right side) caught my attention this morning

I didn't bother bringing a map with me because maps are for unadventurous people.  Instead, I just started running in the general direction of the cross and didn't even care if I was taking the long route.  After all, part of the fun is what I will discover along the way.  As I zig-zagged my way up, I had countless amazing views of the city, the water, and so many beautiful homes tucked into the side of the mountain. 

Views from the run

I wouldn't mind any of these as a summer home.

I finally made it to the cross and made an interesting discovery: It's not a cross at all, but rather, an abandoned observation tower!  This is a perfect example of a quest where the journey was more exciting than the destination...

Here's what the "cross" looks like from up close

I think this may be a water tower, disguised as a castle!

Running downhill is a lot more fun

For the rest of the afternoon, I walked around the city again, stopping at a couple churches, the casino, and the Cannes version of the Hollywood walk of fame that involves celebrity hand prints instead of stars.  

Julie Andrews has been here. 

Dinner was at a Thai restaurant because I can never get Thai food at my hotels.  It actually tasted more like Chinese food but, my I was ok because my expectations for food in France are always very low.  

Overall, it was a very quiet weekend.  I'm not sure if this is typical in Cannes, but I didn't get the impression that it is a big party city - especially in the shoulder seasons when no one is out on boats or tanning on the beaches.  On the bright side, I got to enjoy perfect weather, fantastic workouts, non-hotel meals, and picture-perfect sunrises/sunsets.  I feel refreshed for the week ahead. 

Here's my art deco hotel.  

Enjoying my last sunrise in Cannes on Monday morning