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Wednesday Doorway

This week's doorway is the Out of Town News stand in Harvard Square.

Moakley Courthouse

The Moakley Courthouse, named in honor of Congressman John Joseph Moakley, is located in the Fan Pier area of South Boston was completed in 1998 at a cost of $170 million. It serves as the headquarters for the United States Court of Appeals for the First Circuit and the United States District for the District of Massachusetts.

The building houses two courtrooms for the Court of Appeals and 25 courtrooms for the District Court, as well as 40 judges' chambers, a Circuit law library, the office of a United States Congressman, offices for the United States Attorney, extensive support facilities for the United States Marshals service and Pre-Trial and Probation services, as well as a day-care facility. The 675,000-square-foot (62,700 m2) building, clad in water-struck brick with granite trim, has ten floors above grade and one below.

Monochrome Monday

This week's Monochrome Monday photo is a street performer who works as a living statue; we saw her yesterday in Fanueil Hall. Here though, she is a little out of character in the subway on her way home. Follow this link to see other Monochrome Maniacs and their pictures this week.

Living Statue

Fanueil Hall living statue will smile for tips.

Monochrome Monday

I'm posting my Monday monochrome on Sunday this week because I am going away for a few days. I'll be back in about a week and hope to see you all then. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this weeks photo which was taken in a North End park near the Old North Church.

You can follow this link to find other Monochrome Maniacs this week.

Street musicians

Two of the better street performers I've encountered during lunch time in Boston. Actually, the scene reminded me of a recent movie called The Visitor, because the drum player looked like he stopped on his walk and just sat down and started playing, much like the character in the movie.

Skywatch Friday

For this week's Skywatch Friday we also have a view behind the Massachusetts State House of the eagle column. This column reminds us that in the 17th century, a wooden pole and beacon, intended to warn the citizenry in case of attack, stood on Trimountain -- Beacon Hill and its two sister peaks, before the area was leveled to provide landfill for Back Bay and profit for the landowners. Charles Bulfinch, Boston's most eminent architect, designed a 60-foot column, topped with an eagle perched on a globe, on the former site of the beacon -- to commemorate Boston's glorious past and prospects. The Bulfinch monument came down in 1811 to make way for real estate development. The replacement we now see -- erected after the Civil War -- still symbolizes the original hill and beacon that William Blackstone, Boston's first settler, saw 350 years ago.

Art Deco Details

I found this over a doorway on 160 Federal Street in the Financial District.

Wednesday Doorway

I found this doorway at the BNY Mellon building on the corner of Court and Washington Streets.

Célébrons ! Bastille Day

Happy Bastille Day! This is a French flag on the square topsail schooner Étoile from France. The Étoile and her sister ship La Belle-Poule were in Boston as part of the Tall Ship Atlantic Challenge 2009.

The two 124' ships are French naval schooners used as training vessels in the French military. Their home port is Brest, France. The sisters were both launched on February 8, 1932 as replicas of a type of fishing vessel, which was used off the coast of Iceland until 1935.

Both the Étoile and the Belle Poule joined the Free French forces during the Second World War, a deed for which they are still honored by flying the French flag with the cross of Lorraine.

Two of the crewmen. One from the Étoile and one from La Belle Poule.


A map of the voyages of the sister ships during the Tall Ships Atlantic Challenge.

As you can see if you enlarge the map, they have been at sea since April and do not return home for another month. A great adventure and learning experience for the young sailors.

Monochrome Monday

Ship rigging from one of the tall ships in Boston as part of the Tall Ship Atlantic Challenge 2009. The ships leave Boston today heading for Halifax, Nova Scotia and then on to Belfast, No. Irl. Come back tomorrow for a little more of the tall ships and a special celebration.

Follow this link to see other Monochrome Maniacs and their pictures this week.

Giant White Hydrangea

Touring the city

I was amazed at the number of tourists visiting Boston on Friday and through the weekend. I saw this kiosk selling tour bus tickets and thought it appropriate for a Saturday in Boston. I believe this is the same company that Big Al works for.

Skywatch Friday

As seen from the Boston Common. You can also view other participants of Skywatch Friday.

Summer Street

Summer Street with the facade of the old Filene's building on the left, Macy's Dept. Store on the right. In the foreground left is a fruit vendor the city moved when Filenes was going to be converted to a high rise mixed use condo/retail development; since that is on hold the green grocer is back on Summer Street. Walking a few blocks down Summer Street will bring you to South Station.

Wednesday Doorway

This week's doorway is of the Bowdoin School, a Georgian Revival style building located at 45 Myrtle Street on Beacon Hill. It was built in 1896 and designed by Edmund March Wheelwright who also designed the Longfellow Bridge, Harvard Lampoon Building, Jordan Hall, and Horticultural Hall. This building housed the administration of the Boston Public Schools after 1936 and was converted to condominiums in 1977.

Brewer Fountain Under Repair

The Brewer fountain in the Common has just been dismantled for repair and renovations. It was last renovated about 30 years ago. I have shown it in parts several times, you can see it here, here, and here. This is a photo of the whole fountain. It has the mythological figures of Poseidon, Amphitrite, Galatea, and Acis at the base.

Monochrome Monday

Fountain in the Public Garden. Other monochrome maniacs photos can be seen at Aileni's Monochrome Weekly Theme.

Bird

Bird with orange chest perched atop a stone marker.

Bench

Bench at commuter train station. I know this picture doesn't have center of interest, but I liked the light and color, and the overall feel of the picture. It also would have made a good theme day post for the theme of empty.

Flowers

I found these flowers at the Museum of Fine Arts and I thought they looked pretty good and couldn't resist posting them for my birthday.

Summer boating on the Charles

Taken a couple of days ago. This is how almost all of June looked in Boston - gray and cloudy with intermittent periods of rain. July started out with heavy rain and fog, but it can't last forever, can it?

Theme Day - Empty

This month the theme for City Daily Photo Blogs is "Empty." My interpretation is an empty alley leading to Chatham Street from Fanueil Hall. To view thumbnails of all participants follow this link.