Christmas Party at National Harbour

This afternoon we drove to National Harbour in the pouring rain to attend the Airbus Chirstmas party.

They were showing a Christmas movie - Muppets Christmas Carol - and this screenshot was rather apt, given that it was directly opposite the 'Peeps'

shop..

The big wheel was in operation but we were not convinced that the view would be so good in the mist..

Once at the party, David was the lucky winner of a major prize..

The decorations at the Marriott hotel where the party was held were impressive..

Pump TV

American television presents its viewers with plenty of choice of programmes including  constant news and weather programming.  Despite this it is often quite difficult to find something to watch.

However, there is plenty of opportunity to watch - in some local petrol stations such as this one, it is possible to keep watching the news while you 'pump gas', just in case you have missed anything!

Leaving Boston

Today dawned much brighter than yesterday and I took a few photos on my way to the underground, at the edge of Boston Common.

The State House looked impressive with the sun catching the golden dome and at the Park Street Church the bells were ringing out Christmas tunes.

A sign at the edge of the Common details the history of the land..

I caught the train to Harvard and met David at the end of his meeting.  We had a quick walk around Harvard Yard.

We stopped to look at the statue of John Harvard, one of the founders of the University.

The statue is made of bronze and his left shoe is shiny from being rubbed by tourists who are told on their tours of the Yard that it is customary for students to do this for good luck (it isn't, apparently but I imagine quite a few people do it, just in case!).

This evening the sun was setting as we left Logan Airport for the short flight back to Dulles.

Grey Day in Boston

This morning when David went to his meeting I set off to explore Macy's in Boston.  It was grey and foggy outside and the taller skyscrapers were shrouded in mist.

Later I took the metro to Cambridge and walked across the Harvard Yard to the Harvard Museums.

This evening we walked into town and to Christopher Columbus Park where a tunnel of light had been created over a series of arches that were full of wisteria and rises earlier in the year.

Boston Lights

We arrived in Boston late this afternoon and set off for a chilly walk around the town centre - here the Quincy Market and Faneuil Hall Marketplace is illuminated by hundreds of tiny lights..

It did not take us long to decide to explore the inside of the market to have some coffee under the dome at the centre of the long market hall ..

From inside we had a different view of the  illuminated tower of the old Custom House - now a Marriott hotel.

The reflection of the dome and lights inside combined with the illuminated trees and buildings outside was fascinating..

Outside again we visited a Christmas Shop - literally everything and anything you could imagine hanging on a Christmas tree from lobsters to ballerinas to huntsmen with guns and everything in between..

This tree was decorated with sweets, cakes and gingerbread men.

Here are the hunters..

Beautiful (but non-edible) gingerbread houses.

It was snowing as we returned to the hotel but it is due to be warmer tomorrow.

Advent Candlendar!

David bought Lauren and James a Yankee Candle Advent Calendar and so of course today it was time to open the first window.

For each day there is a fragranced tea-light, which is where Santa comes in handy..

Little house

It could be a cosy home for chipmunks or squirrels..

It even has roses all around...

It is in fact an insulated house which David has made to protect the outlet pipe from the sump in the basement from freezing as it did last year.

Otherwise it was mostly leaf-clearing this morning, this time the back garden..

One of the oak trees has really large leaves, as shown here with a £1 coin for scale.