Quack quack

Our time in Boston was short but enjoyable - we drove down from Maine on Saturday morning and, armed only with a one-sheet Alamo street map, managed to find the hotel. Maybe something to do with the fact that Nick had morphed into a Bostonian driver performing illegal U-turns and horn honking - I think when I read him the section in the guide book about being able to negotiate Boston in a car being like a badge of honour, he took it as a personal challenge...

So anyway, having arrived at the hotel and negotiated ten big bags, six small bags, four children, two adults and two prams, Nick left to go and return the car..... and wasn't seen again for three hours!! Roadworks apparently... and a Gay Pride march which he promises he didn't join. And he walked (!) back from the drop off point. According to Nick he didn't know about the T (subway) and had no recollection of using it when we were last in Boston. I think it's more likely that he'd rather eat his own arms than use public transport, but anyway... Off we all went for a walk down to Boston Common - found all the Gay Priders again - and stopped off at the park so the kids could play for a while. They loved the frog sculptures on the edge of the 'frog pond' which is a huge paddling pool for children.

On Sunday we went on a Duck Tour - http://www.bostonducktours.com/ which is a Boston tour on a WW II amphibious vehicle, an hour on land and 20 minutes on the Charles River. Our driver was Frim "DucKarma" Jolly 'Boston's Good Time Guru,'(totally mad) and the boys got to drive the Duck on the river!!A As you'll see from the pictures, it wasn't a great day weather-wise, but the tour was excellent and the kids loved splashing down into the river. Thought we were going to easily win the 'who's from the furthest away' question, but then two South Africans piped up in the back. Honestly, the bloody Saffers get everywhere!!