Two Dudes in Massachusetts

Not since the "Two Millenia, Two Idiots Tour" of 2000 have Mike and Keith hit the road together. The impetus for the trip in the first place was to see Noel Gallagher play at the Boston Opera House....which quickly spiralled into an excuse for a good road trip in a six-speed Mazda with a Darth Vader gearshift!

The trip began with a relaxing drive along the north shore of Lake Erie from Wheatley to Fort Erie, before crossing over at Buffalo. Some drizzle chased us across the width of New York state, before we arrived at our first destination a little ways into Massachusetts.

We spent two nights "glamping" in an old train caboose in Chester, as a great base camp to explore the rugged and scenic Berkshire hills of northern Massachusetts....in between guitar-mandolin jams. We moved onto the Boston area, first exploring the Cape Code shore, Plymouth, and the beaches of Nantasket to the south, then through Boston and onto the Salem and Gloucester areas to the northeast.

Gloucester is the quintessential fishing town....even more so than Wheatley! Of course, they also have their own brewery, their own castle, and a great Italian restaurant (The Causeway), none of which Wheatley can compete with. A whale watching tour out on the sea under blue skies and fascinating cloud formations completed the visit.

On to Beantown! We stayed at the Farrington Inn near Harvard, and took the streetcar downtown to bar-hop and sight-see before the show. We even got a local bartendress to play several Noel Gallagher songs when the crowd thinned out....the perfect lead in (accompanied by a few pints of Sam Adams Brick Red Beer of course) to the show at the Opera House.

Noel Gallagher and his lads were incredible, at a fabulous venue for live music. He even threw in a few Oasis classics. There was also this moment of amusing banter with a fan who tried to give Noel some music to check out:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VHEpyehguO8

We wrapped up the trip with a ballgame at Fenway Park on Sunday afternoon. The Red Sox trailed all game 4-0 before throwing up seven runs in the bottom of the 8th, then shutting down Oakland in the top of the 9th to send their fans home happy. Only the long drive home remained, punctuated by a stop for the night in Utica, NY before meeting Jane in Guelph for the ginger hand-off.

Call it a road trip!

(p.s. - not sure why the thumbnails are screwy and can't seem to fix, but if you click on the full size pics everything is fine!)

Glamping in Chester, MA

Night Train

Primitive accommodations

Mayflower II

Plymouth Rock

Chatham....Cape Cod!

Nantasket Beach

Boston from across the Bay

Old Burying Point cemetery in Salem

Thar She Blows!

Fin Whale

Gloucester, Massachusetts

Hammond Castle just outside Gloucester

Memorial to Gloucester Fishermen lost at sea

Noel Gallagher - you delicious bastard!

Noel and his High Flying Birds at the Boston Opera House

N

Iconic Fenway Park

Best Seats in the House

Homeward Bound

After a quick and drizzly shuttle to the airport, we bid a sad farewell to Prague, boarding a short Air Dolomiti flight to Munich, Germany. We were very impressed with our first experience with this Italian airline.

A short layover in Munich gave us time to grab a more substantial breakfast, before boarding a larger Lufthansa plane for the long flight over the Atlantic. Jane watched movies on her seatback while I listened to several albums on mine. As with the flight over, they were not shy with the food and drink.

We finally landed in Toronto - twice. As we touched down the first time, they suddenly powered back up and shot straight up into the air. The seasoned German flight attendant assured us that this was normal, and promised to get us more details as we made a wide circle over Toronto for a second attempt. We were then informed that a "sudden gust" had prompted the last-minute wave off. The second attempt was flawless.....our theory being that the (very young) co-pilot got to try the first time and then the Captain took over.

Once we claimed our baggage, our late afternoon arrival put us firmly in the midst of Toronto rush hour. We arrived home while daylight waned, to gardens full of daffodils and tulips, and a house full of needy kitties.

AWESOME TRIP!  

Farewell to Prague

Air Dolomiti was great!

Short flight Prague to Munich

On the ground in Munich 

Lufthansa to Toronto

Circling for second try to land in Toronto

Prague

The trip culminated with three days in Prague (Praha in Czech), the capital of this wonderful country. We stayed at the charming Hotel Waldstein in the Little Quarter, just under the castle. From this great central location, we did a LOT of walking.....after daily breakfast in the cavern below the hotel.

Excursions included traversing the iconic Charles Bridge several times, wandering the Old Quarter and the Jewish Quarter, and visiting Wenceslas Square and the open market on the edge of the New Town. We also explored the Castle District and stunning St. Vitus Cathedral. Near the hotel, twisty uphill Nerudova street provided all the shopping and culinary delights one could require. We also signed up for a guided night walk in some of the older neighbourhoods.

Of course, there was much food and drink, as the logical breaks in three days of walking. Beer is cheap and food is also quite affordable, with large portions. Many good local dishes and great local beers were enjoyed.....though Jane eventually declared herself "done" with pork and cabbage.

Unbeknownst to us, the World Hockey Championships were also taking place in Czech Republic during our visit, in the cities of Prague and Ostrava. It was great to see that the Czechs are equally rabid hockey fans as we are, with games being broadcast in many public venues, flags waving everywhere, and great respect and sportsmanship.....even when Canada beat the Czech squad soundly.

For a specific excursion, we found a little music store in the Old Town run by Radek Bubrle, a one-man show with a shop full of cool used instruments. As my special souvenir of the trip, I picked up a Czech mandolin from the sixties, bubble-wrapped with expert precision to ensure a safe trip home as my carry-on item. It still plays great!

On our last night, we got a "deal" on a dinner cruise of the Vltava River. The "deal" meant that the ship was booked with two Russian tour groups, and we got the only two remaining seats for the price of one. So....while we understood nothing, the food was good and the scenery was great! We even passed a small lock to head up the river several more bridges at sunset before drifting back in darkness. Our friendly bartender also introduced us to Medovina, aka Czech honey mead. Yum.

Sore feet, and many sights for sore eyes. That was Prague in three daze, er, days.

River Vltava

Karluv most - aka The Charles Bridge

Pedestrians on the bridge

West bank of the Charles Bridge

Praha street scene - Mostecka Street

Swans in the Vltava

The birthplace of pilsner!

Nerudova Street near our hotel

St. Vitus Cathedral in the Castle District

High Mass in session!

View from the rear

Prague from the Castle Wall

Prague Castle and Cathedral from the Charles Bridge

Old Town charm

Astronomical Clock in the Old Town Square

Directions....in Czech!

Wenceslas Square - the border between Old Town and New Town

Prague Outdoor Market

Crowds in the Old Town Square

Old Town Square

Old Jewish Cemetery

Dinner Cruise on the River

Vltava by Night