Boston Day 3: Mike's Pastry, Old North Church, Charles River

Paul Revere and the Old North Church in the background

Today has been a fairly laid back day, just as vacation should be. Another slow morning before heading to the North End of Boston where Mike's Pastry awaited with endless sweets. The anticipation was killing me as I'd seen countless people yesterday with Mike's Pastry boxes. I've only ever seen cannolies on Cake Boss until today. F and I selected Florentine and Pistachio cannolies to start our day. Nothing like what I expected. I guess my mind was thinking cream puff; this was very different: harder, crunchier shell and thick rich creame. So delicious, but I don't think I'd be able to eat more than one, since they are so rich.

We wandered around the North End for the rest of the morning along the Freedom Trail, a line of bricks in the middle of the sidewalk lead us from one historic attraction to the next. We journeyed from Paul Revere monument to the Old North Church to the second oldest graveyard in the US, then down to the harbor before turning around and passing Paul Revere's house off of a picturesque square I forget the name of.

I just found out one of my ancestors is buried in this graveyard
- wish I could have looked for the headstone!

Crossing to Cambridge, driving through Harvard and MIT, we walked along Charles River and downtown on our way to lunch at Garden at The Cellar. A friendly acquaintance of F's is the chef there, so he was kind enough to send us out a dish before our meals of beet salad and pastrami sandwich. Full and satisfied again, we headed back towards the river and leisurely trekked half way across the bridge to admire Boston's beauty, especially on such a sunny and cloudless day.

Later, we had to make a somewhat touristy stop at Cheers before dinner. If I have to explain what Cheers is, I'll cry. 

Where Everybody Knows Your Name!

Finally, we had glasses of vino while waiting for a table at Toro. Well worth any wait. Tapas and paella made me feel like I was back in Spain. It's understandable why the place is constantly packed: amazing food and great atmosphere. The music is kind of out of place, blasting rap and pop when you'd think they'd play something more guitar based, but tall ceilings, dark wood, candlelight, and touches of Spain make up for the music. There is a bull head art piece on the wall and in the bathrooms they have posters "advertising" El Real Maestro de Sevilla en la Plaza de Toros, which I love as Sevilla is where I lived and saw an actual bull fight. 

Bone Marrow

They call this a "spite" house - to spite those who wanted to hang out in the alleyways

Empowerment

Sola en la Plaza de Valencia, España

Never have I ever been afraid to do things alone - definitely one of my strengths. I'm that person you see eating dinner by themselves and maybe feel a bit awkward for them - don't! I love it. Whether it's the movies, outdoor activities, meals, or whatever, there is something peaceful in not relying on others to surround you in order to go out and do something fun (this was super helpful when I was single - maybe that's why I'm so good at it). I was so happy the other day when I visited Twin Peaks and saw other individuals making the same hike alone. Some were getting in their work out; others looks like tourists or perhaps live in the city like me.

One big thing that the company I work for pushes is empowerment. They empower each and every employee to make a special moment for one of our guests. That's the same feeling I get when I do something new and fun by myself - empowered. Maybe on a subconscious level it's soothing to know that if I somehow end up a spinster with twenty cats and no friends, I'll still go to see the latest Ryan Gosling movie or eat some fresh seafood, so at least my life wouldn't be completely monotonous.

I studied abroad in Spain for four months while in college. As most Europe study abroad ventures go, each and every weekend I found myself in a new city with the friends I made through the program. However, my absolute favorite weekend was a trip I booked for one to Valencia. I didn't have to wait for hung over people to wake up to go explore the city or have to make a group decision on which sites/restaurants/activities to see or do. I met some amazing people from England, Australia, Switzerland, and Indiana (Midwest girls need to stick together!) and had an overall amazing experience.   Sometimes the courage to travel to that foreign city, making your mother crazy worried that you're there alone, is the perfect way to make unforgettable memories :) See a few random pictures from Valencia scattered on this post.

So, I guess the point of me posting this is the following: go do something even if no one can join you! You've been waiting to try out that new wine bar, but no one has the time? Hell, go for it. Test out a running club or farmer's market; go to the movies or park or beach; visit to a cheesy tourist attraction or shopping destination. Whatever outing you've been contemplating doesn't necessarily need to wait.

I guess on a side note I should add, I'm not implying to push people away either. You can also empower yourself to make friends and invite them with you on any of your random excursions. For me, it's easy to invite people and rewarding to go do it alone.