Une mise à jour sur l'avancée de ma to do list pour commencer :
106.Explorer les restaurants italiens de
North End et goûter les fameuses cannolis de Mike's Pastry [31 aout, parfum
amaretto, miam ! - still need to to try the other amazing restaurants and have something salty though ]
109.Me faire photographier avec Rhett, la
mascotte de BU [28 aout, but I think the pic never made it to Facebook]
Marisa, notre conseillère pédagogique, a organisé une chasse au trésor en équipes à travers Boston pour nous, étudiants en échange, dimanche. L'un des challenges était de se prendre en photo devant chaque Dunkin' Donuts, une chaîne un peu similaire aux Starbucks qui vend du café et des donuts. Il y en a littéralement à chaque coin de rue ! Une longue promenade pleine de fun et de transpiration qui nous a emmené dans pas mal de différents quartiers bostoniens. [Disclaimer: non, je n'ai même pas encore goûté à un donut. Il paraît que ceux au cidre sont excellent, donc je vais me réserver jusqu'à ce qu'ils arrivent et que je puisse en goûter un, parce que ce n'est pas ma pâtisserie préférée.]
(Pas de chance, ce n'est pas moi qui ai pris les photos des célèbres Mike's Pastry's cannolis dans le North End, mais que mes chers parents se rassurent : non, je n'ai pas tout mangé. 2 pâtisseries pour 6 ont été amplement suffisantes. Et bien que très riche, oui, celle à l'amaretto valait totalement la peine. On n'a jamais assez d'amandes dans sa vie.)
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| The giant Citgo sign over Kenmore square, which from obnoxious advertisement, somehow became a toursitic symbol. |
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| I was very impressed by this Gun Sense ad. Going for the full guns debate wouldn't make much sense in a picture's caption, but I have to say I'm still greatly puzzled, to say the least, about America's love for guns. I watched the news the other day and learned about the 9-years old in Texas who accidently killed her shooting instructor... I'll just say so I'm really, really relieved concealed/not concealed weapons are not allowed on campus. Otherwise, I would probably go all paranoid. |
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| Fenway Park, home of the legendary Red Sox. |
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| This legendary baseball team won the world series 8 times. I've been here for less than a week and somehow I'm already feeling proud?! In any case, I need to learn the rules so I can enjoy watching games. |
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| Boston's central Public Library. I am in love with the motto on the facade. |
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| The muse of painting in front of the library. |
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| Cute store display on Newbury Street, the shopping hub of Boston. My friend Mindy, from Singapore, calls it the "Bostonian Madison Avenue". I need to check when I go to New York! |
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| Swan Boat in the Public Garden, the first public botanical one in the United States. |
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| Cute little girl feeding a good dozen of ducks, who were literally eating off her hand. |
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| And ducks feeding themselves. |
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| One-man orchestra. This reminds me so much of Dick Van Dyke's performance in Mary Poppins, it was really fun. |
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| From left to right, Mindy, Lauriane, me and Laura, in front of our seventh Dunkin Donuts (this one was at the train station). |
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| So many trains, and they are not even all there! |
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| Our whole group in front of the Benjamin Franklin statue that marks the spot of the first public school in the US (yeah Education Majors!). From left to right, Lewis, Mindy, Lauriane, Yeram, Laura, me and Morane. The awkward posing is because we tried to imitate Franklin. |
Glad you're having fun. I can't believe it's finally summer but at least you have sun. Mike's is the most famous bakery but there are others better and more authentic, according to my parents who took a food tour of the North End. My sister lived in a BU apartment overlooking the Citgo sign at Fenway. My dad is a die hard Sox fan and at that time they hadn't won the World Series in 86 years! She JUST missed their first win graduating a year before they won. If I can bring my dad with me when I come to Boston, I'll have him explain Boston and all the weird things Boston Italians do. The festivals are based on the traditions they had back in Sicily or Naples 100 + years ago. There's a lot to explain to you! I'm enjoying learning about my country through your eyes. I hope to get to Boston soon and show you around. I need to earn some money so I can get there.
RépondreSupprimerAww, thanks for your nice comment!
RépondreSupprimerAny particular address in the North End you recommend? Mike's was recommended by my academic advisor and was part of our scavenger hunt. There was an incredible line there! But, as I will basically jump at anythign with "amaretto" written on it...
I tried to go to a Red Sox game, but so far, it seems that they will only let you buy tickets online if you have an American bank account. I'm still figuring it out with my fellow exchange students, and hopefully we can plan something!
You know the funny thing about the Saint Anthony feast is, while the food wasn't authentic at all in the eyes of the Italian students, both Spanish and Italian students said street fairs and festivals like this one were common in their home countries (aka late night gatherings in the streets with food and music). We also do that sometimes in France, although rarely as often. it's more of a Southern thing, Mediterranean I'd say.
I look forward to meeting you and hearing all your historical explanations and family traditions. I wish you a lot of success with The Time Treasurer also, it's a wonderful idea and many people would benefit from your knowledge! :)
Red Sox tickets are expensive and hard to come by but their minor league team, the Pawtucket Red Sox is close by my house. You can see some of the Major League players as they recover from injury or future Major League players.
RépondreSupprimerMy parents did the Boston food tours and bought bones of the dead cookies, that leads to to Maria's Pastry Shop at 46 Cross St. They said there was a long line.
Though my dad was named after St. Anthony and attended a St. Anthony's church, he doesn't go to festivals. I think they're now more like carnivals with games and street food. Italian street food was originally pizza! I went to a Portuguese feast once at my friend's church and her grandmother and aunts made traditional sausage and peppers and fried dough. Southern Europeans have a different sort of traditional religion that blends gods/goddesses with Saints. They were more flamboyant than the Irish and the Irish looked down on the Italians. I'm sure BU teaches anthropology and sociology. Have you come across a bathtub Madonna yet?