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BA 747 Cabin Refresh and Boston in Summer

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  • #16
    To beat the jetlag, I headed out for a run on this warm summer afternoon...

    My route took me past Symphony Hall, not far from the Sheraton.

    At this time of the year, the Boston Symphony Hall's orchestra in residence is the famous Boston Pops Orchestra...they actually change the 3 letter sign outside the hall to reflect which orchestra is in.



    And the Boston Symphony Orchestra (BSO)? They would be spending summer at Tanglewood, the music festival.



    There was a Red Sox game on that afternoon...my running route took me past Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.





    As I ran outside the stadium, I could hear cheers from the boisterous crowd as the home team played the Seattle Mariners...

    Last edited by yflyer; 9 August 2016, 07:55 PM.

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    • #17
      I headed across the Harvard Bridge, the 660m bridge over the Charles River that connects Boston's Back Bay with Cambridge, MA...



      ...before doubling back across the bridge...



      ...to continue my run along the beautiful park along the Boston side of the river, the Charles River Esplanade.





      This is a beautiful park for walks, runs, and even water sports...



      Unlike the last time I was in Boston during winter, there were runners out in force...



      A wonderful summer day to be outside...



      I continued past Boston's North End to the Boston Marriott Long Wharf...



      ...then headed through the city, where historic buildings such as the Old State House nestled among skyscrapers...



      ...before ending in Boston Common, a large public park full of squirrels...



      ...and finishing along Boylston street.

      A very pleasant 16km run on a warm summer afternoon.



      (Red line - actual route. Blue line - planned route.)
      Last edited by yflyer; 9 August 2016, 08:00 PM.

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      • #18
        The next day, I headed to James Hook & Co for a lobster roll...



        It was pretty busy, but the queue did move fairly quickly...



        A very generously filled lobster roll, served cold with mayo...



        ...there were a few tables inside, and I managed to get a seat at one of them, but it was a pleasant day outside, so I grabbed my lobster roll and headed out...



        ...this was delicious...you can get good lobster rolls almost anywhere in Boston, but this was one of the better ones I had tried so far...



        The clam chowder there wasn't bad either.

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        • #19
          At the rate I was eating, I was going to have to head out for another run soon...and I did...

          I followed a fairly similar route, but this time instead of doubling back across the Harvard Bridge, I continued my run on the Cambridge side of the river...



          ...which was just as scenic...



          ...as you had great views of the city of Boston from that side of the river...



          Once again I finished my run along Boylston Street, near Copley Square...



          ...which is also the end point of the Boston Marathon (Although I approached the finish line from the opposite direction of the race...)...



          The Boston Public Library at one side of Copley Square...



          The route that day, slightly different from the first run, and just 9km that day, but still very satisfying.

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          • #20
            After my run, I headed to Mistral for dinner.

            Mistral serves French bistro style American cuisine in a beautiful setting, on a quiet street just a few minutes walk from Copley Square.



            This is a wonderful restaurant, with top notch cuisine and service -- very much the sort of restaurant that you would want to go to on a special occasion.



            We had couples celebrating anniversaries, families celebrating birthdays, and seated next to my table, a couple of young ladies, who from the conversation I gather had just graduated from Harvard Law School, and were discussing their near term and long term plans...

            A warm fluffy bread roll, with a couple of creamy dips...



            This being America, the portion sizes looked massive, and I did not think I would be able to manage a full multi-course menu that evening, I decided to just have a main course with a glass of wine.

            I chose half a "whole roasted duck"...



            This was beautifully prepared...crisp and richly flavoured on the outside, tender on the inside...



            That was an entire meal on a plate...my only regret is that I did not have room for dessert.

            I need to make a return trip to Mistral to sample the other dishes on the menu!

            To be continued...
            Last edited by yflyer; 9 August 2016, 08:23 PM.

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            • #21
              Great report! The 747 looks quite funny with such new IFE. Never considered paying for a premium meal on a plane before, but your pictures make me think twice.

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              • #22
                Originally posted by dfs24 View Post
                Great report! The 747 looks quite funny with such new IFE. Never considered paying for a premium meal on a plane before, but your pictures make me think twice.
                Thanks, dfs24!

                I would strongly recommend the "enhanced" economy class meals on BA. It's not very expensive, and does somehow enhance the Y travel experience.

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                • #23
                  Great TR yflyer! I was on BA's 744 in May (MIA-LHR) and loved it! The last one I was on was on SQ's SIN-FRA years back...
                  God must have been a ship owner, he placed the raw materials far from where they are needed and covered two-thirds of the earth with water...

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                  • #24
                    Originally posted by Pinkfloyd View Post
                    Great TR yflyer! I was on BA's 744 in May (MIA-LHR) and loved it! The last one I was on was on SQ's SIN-FRA years back...
                    Thanks, Pinkfloyd!

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                    • #25
                      Thanks for another enjoyable TR.

                      I've only ever stayed at Prudential Centre hotels in Boston.

                      If the weather is bad, I just walk around downstairs!

                      That lobster burger is on my list my next trip there!

                      If you get a trip to New York on BA, you can fly the entire BA long haul fleet: A380/77W/744/787!

                      (787 from EWR)

                      Won't that be a cool trip?

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                      • #26
                        Originally posted by 9V-SIA View Post
                        Thanks for another enjoyable TR.
                        Thanks, 9V-SIA!

                        Originally posted by 9V-SIA View Post
                        I've only ever stayed at Prudential Centre hotels in Boston.

                        If the weather is bad, I just walk around downstairs!

                        That lobster burger is on my list my next trip there!
                        Good choice of location! I think the hotels around Back Bay, Boylston Street and the Prudential Center would be ideal for a visit to Boston. Lots to eat and do in that area!

                        Originally posted by 9V-SIA View Post
                        If you get a trip to New York on BA, you can fly the entire BA long haul fleet: A380/77W/744/787!

                        (787 from EWR)

                        Won't that be a cool trip?
                        I actually have flown the BA 787 as well, from London to Toronto -- in J! (TR here), so looks like I have covered the BA longhaul A380/77W/744/787.

                        That said, I've tried the BA 788, but not the 789, so still one more bird to try!

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                        • #27
                          Continuing with the TR...

                          After that amazing fine dining experience at Mistral, my next meal in Boston would be something quite different.

                          There was a restaurant right next to the Sheraton, called Summer Shack. It looked fairly nondescript from the outside, however the TripAdvisor reviews looked very promising, so I headed in.



                          The website says this is "Fresh seafood in a classic clamshack setting". Darned if I knew what a clamshack was, but I took it to mean that this was a very casual joint, and that was indeed the case. But what amazing food!



                          First, a raw bar with a wide selection of different oysters -- none of which I had ever encountered before...



                          This being Boston, lobster and crab were specialities...



                          But I started with a clam chowder. I still order this every chance I get, hoping to one day find the best clam chowder in Boston. In truth, all have been pretty good, but some are clearly better than others. My favourite so far is the one at the Atlantic Fish Company.

                          The version served at Summer Shack was good. The best ever? Not quite, but very satisfying!



                          Then, a selection of oysters...



                          ...fresher and tastier than anything you could hope to get in Singapore...oysters get jetlag too, I suspect.

                          And then crab cakes for my main...



                          ...all washed down with a margarita...served in salt rimmed glass. Quite an impressive cocktail list here...



                          So far so good...
                          Last edited by yflyer; 15 September 2020, 05:05 PM.

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                          • #28
                            The thing about restaurants in the USA is that portions are so large, I simply cannot put away a starter, main and dessert in a single sitting.

                            My previous post contained everything I ate the first time I visited Summer Shack.

                            The next night, I headed there again...to sample the crab.

                            Here are some of the things you get when you order crab...



                            The signature dish here is Jasper White's pan roasted lobster, with bourbon, chervil and chives...



                            What a work of art! It looked spectacularly delicious.



                            I can't recall for sure, but I am pretty certain I put the bib on and began to tear at the lobster with my fingers and the nutcracker...

                            Mmmm...fragrant, buttery, tender...this was just incredible....



                            This was a dish as addictive as Singapore chilli crab or black pepper crab. This is an unforgettable dish which is right at the top of the list of things to eat again the next time I am in Boston.

                            After that, I had a little space left for dessert...cooked bananas and vanilla ice cream...not the most sophisticated dessert I have ever had, but very satisfying!



                            Highly recommended!

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                            • #29
                              While in Boston, I also spent some time checking out the shops and restaurants along Newbury Street, not far from the Sheraton. This street runs parallel to Boylston street, and is notable for the 19th century brownstone houses lining the street.





                              My friend and I just wanted a quick lunch, and we ended up at Shake Shack, one of my all-time favourite burger restaurants, which I first sampled in Manhattan.



                              Like most Shake Shacks, it was busy...



                              There is something to be said for a burger joint that serves wine and beer. Thumbs up!



                              Lunch for two...my friend paired his burger with a beer. I had mine with a glass of red...



                              Needless to say, my burger was superb. And it went great with a glass of Shack Red, from Frog's Leap, Napa, served in a stemless clear plastic glass which was a decent substitute for a real glass goblet.



                              Why doesn't Shake Shack open up here? They have branches in Dubai and Tokyo. Why not Singapore?

                              For dessert, we headed to an Italian gelato bar, Amorino, which has an outlet on Newbury Street. They do wonderful gelato in different flavors. If you order a cone, rather than a cup, they have a very distinctive way of scooping ice cream in the shape of flower petals, in as many flavours as you want!



                              To be continued...
                              Last edited by yflyer; 15 October 2016, 12:01 PM.

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                              • #30
                                My flight home was a late night BOS-LHR sector on BA, and a brief transit stop in LHR before continuing on BA to SIN.

                                I arrived at Boston Logan International Airport to check-in in the evening...



                                Lines at that hour were not too bad...



                                That said, the airside area was quite congested. It looks like BOS is in great need of expansion, given the number of pax it has to handle.



                                A few white rocking chairs for those who wanted to enjoy the tarmac views...

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