July 10-13
Did not realize that the "skywalk" between the hotel and the conference area was such a long trek...through two shopping malls and two bridges. Sure, you never walked outside if didn't want to, but you practically needed Hansel and his crumbs to find your way back.
The conference was for Blackboard - an online learning environment that the college uses. It was actually very well planned this year, and they even tied in the Boston theme very well (clam chowder and Boston cream pie at lunch, a Cheers bar at the event later, etc.) The sessions were even done well (which I suppose was the point of the conference...ahem.)
Seen from windows of conference - Trader Joe's outside:
Street art on the way to Filene's Basement:
Juxtaposition of old and new architecture:
The church's claim to fame is that a church was built on the site in 1744; the Massachusetts State Convention met in it and ratified the Constitution of the United States on February 7th, 1788. In 1989, the congregation asked Tiffany Studios to design a set of 20 stained glass windows. They were all designed at the same time, but would be created over the next 30 years as a unique set; unfortunately, the stock market crashed in 1929 after the 16th window was installed and there was no money available for new windows after that, so the set is incomplete. But what a set of windows! One of the cool features of them is that the "folds" in the fabric were made by twisting the glass as it came through the rollers to represent draped fabric, a distinctive feature of Tiffany windows.
When you get up close to the windows, you can see how thick some of the layers of glass really are -- sometimes as many as six or seven layers of glass. If you look under the arm of the angel in the window of "The Message of the Angel to the Shepherds" you can actually see the Star of Bethlehem through the angel's robe. The windows have gorgeous Art Nouveau borders around them and beautiful, mood-ring coloring as the light hits them. Really something to see. And free...! (although there was a basket by the door for donations. I gave them five bucks, since I'd given five dollars to the crazy lady in the skywalk the night before.)
It's the oldest city park in the United States. I was hoping to see ducks, but instead I bought an overpriced (and overly sugary) snow cone from a very chatty vendor (he was very opinionated about how the country is going to the dogs) and watched a parade of fashion Dos and Don'ts go by. The only thing missing was Glamour magazine's black bars. There was a new trend of wearing leggings under skirts (never mind the 90 degrees outside) that looked very nice on everybody, no matter what size they were.
The hotel is across the street from the Boston Public Library, which was the first public library to allow people to borrow books and other materials and take them home to read and use. Around the top of the building it says: BUILT BY THE PEOPLE AND DEDICATED TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF LEARNING and THE COMMONWEALTH REQUIRES THE EDUCATION OF THE PEOPLE AS THE SAFEGUARD OF ORDER AND LIBERTY. I am glad to be positioned so close to so many books :)
