The Wandering Writer in the U.S.A. -This time in Boston!

I always keep my promises, and when last time I said that this week I will tell you something about Boston, I wasn't kidding.
So, after New York, we took the bus to reach Boston. We were in luck as that was also the time when you could take a cruise from the Boston Harbor to see the whales. There are 3-hours cruises scheduled three times a day starting from the Long Wharf, and in those three hours, you will be able to see those amazing mammals. You have the chance to see the humpback, fin, minke, and pilot whales together with the Atlantic white-sided dolphins. If you are lucky you might see them all, but there is, of course, no guarantee for all the species, as mostly depends on the season and their migration.

Nevertheless, you don’t want to miss the chance to see them, especially because the humpback and the fin whales are considered endangered species, and this might also be the last chance you have to see them in their natural environment. Just like the mountain gorillas in the Virunga Park, or the northern white rhino, the African penguin and many others that are at risk of extinction.
But let’s go back to the whales.

Watching them was mesmerizing, and I started to think about the hard life they have. It is not just protecting themselves from the predators but also surviving the long migrations that become extremely challenging especially for the youngest ones. I watched at their majestic bodies capable of being graceful like few others.
If you can, please, take a trip and watch them, to understand their life, their beauty and their need for protection from the extinction.
Concerning the city of Boston, the first thing you’ll notice when coming from New York is the difference in size, that translates into a less bustling environment, yet keeping a decent size. With its over 630 000 inhabitants, it is the largest city in Massachusetts.
If you are not used to the large metropolis like New York, Boston will make you feel more comfortable with its largest spaces for your visual field.
 

Don’t forget to visit Harvard!! You will fall in love with the place, that somehow reminded me of Germany (don’t ask me why perhaps it was just a memory coming from the times of the University).
Nevertheless, I really fell in love with the square and the University area.
Particularly I admired the famous Widener Library. Built in the early 1900s by Eleanor Elkins Widener, it was given to Harvard as a memorial to her son, Harry, Class of 1907, a young bibliophile who perished aboard the Titanic.

And to greet John Harvard one of the founders of the famous school. The inscription on the statue’s base said “founder,” but this is to be considered incorrect, as the Harvard College was the work of many people. However, he was the most influential of those who contributed to it.
Many tourists are mistakenly going to rub the shoe (which is very polished then respect the rest of the statue) for luck, in the mistaken belief that doing so is a Harvard student tradition.
Although this is quite nice to believe, it doesn’t belong to any student’s tradition, so at least, a friend of mine who studied there assured. We left Boston but we kept it in our hearts, as a very lovely city where we might go again.
As usual, it is time for me to greet you all in the hope to see you once again next week for another tale about traveling in this crazy planet.
Have a lovely weekend!!