Massachusetts Coast Trip, Day 8 - Andey's Interstate Road Trips

I woke up at 7 AM feeling slightly ill, but well enough to go out. I ate a banana and cereal for breakfast and then headed out to the waterfront using the T. Wandering around, I encountered the U.S. Courthouse with its mix of brick and glass, passed the Chapel of Our Lady of Good Voyage, and then reached the Institute of Contemporary Art just to look at the stylish exterior. My friends told me not to waste my money paying admission there, so I left.

I walked back to the T station and took the train to Copley Square, where I entered the Boston Public Library and explored with the help of a map. First, I looked at historic drawings showing aerial views of Boston, New England and elsewhere. After that, I stepped out to the quiet courtyard on my way to the connected Johnson building, where I saw displays about the Boston Marathon. I took an elevator up unknowingly to the president's office so quickly left.

Back in the McKim building, I headed to the grand marble staircase flanked by lion statues. Upstairs, I admired large painted panels on the wall and then checked out the spacious Bates Hall with its many study desks with green lamp shades. On the top floor, I looked at more large inlaid paintings and then saw an exhibit showcasing prints and dioramas. Lastly, I looked at documents about Samuel de Champlain's exploration of New England.

A short walk led me to the Christian Science Plaza I visited the day before, but this time, I could and did enter the Mary Baker Eddy Library, where I joined a tour of the Mapparium. A guide gave us a brief introduction, and then we entered. I coughed inside and immediately felt the intense sound from the acoustics of the globular room. We easily heard each other whisper across the room. Visually, I saw a lighted map of the world with 1930s political boundaries.

Done with the short tour, I then entered the Quest Gallery, finding it uninteresting. I quickly moved on to the hall showing press coverage of the church over time as well as a peace flag. Then, I took some pictures in the Hall of Ideas, which had a couple animated displays of text. I walked over to the church itself next but found its doors locked despite a tour on the schedule. I sat in the plaza instead and ate a Clif Bar while writing a postcard.

I hopped onto the T, taking it to Central Station in Cambridge, where I then walked to the MIT Museum. After admission, I first went to see the fun display of holography on the second floor. Then, I looked and sometimes activated the various motorized mechanical sculptures by Arthur Ganson. I also liked the robot parts in another room. The first floor had portraits that changed from different people all into Einstein when you moved away.

Having gone through every exhibit in the MIT Museum, I exited and ate a Clif Bar to stave off hunger. I walked over to 32 Vassar Street to look at the unique Frank Ghery building known as the Stata Center, which looked cartoonish with its many curves and slanted walls. I wandered inside for a bit as well, marveling at the odd spatial construction. After that, I stopped at the tiny LIST Museum of Art to see a somber video art project by Chantal Akerman shown on multiple televisions.

It began to rain when I entered Kendall Station, so I hurried in only to find I had entered on the wrong side. On the side of the correct direction, the gate would not let me use my card again for 15 minutes, but then an employee let me enter. The rain stopped before I reached Fields Corner Station. I returned to the house to rest a while and have a Fuze drink. Linda returned from work but Rosa had to deal with major public transportation delays.

With time getting short, Linda just warmed up dinner for me, giving me a mix of tilapia, shrimp, string beans, rice and an omelet. I then got an Advil for a minor headache I had. Linda drove me to the airport on time, but then my flight got delayed. I passed my time talking to my friends Tim and Chris over my phone. When finally in the air, I slept or watched some DirecTV programs. I arrived in Oakland too late to take BART, so I caught the Avon Shuttle directly home.