epicenter

it may have been helpful if i had gotten this email a few days ago instead of the day after st. patty's.

In 1773, this city made its mark by throwing an unforgettable party (you know, the one involving tea), and it hasn't stopped since. First we suggest working up an appetite by walking the historic Freedom Trail. Stroll the two-and-a-half miles at your own pace while learning about landmarks like Faneuil Hall and the Bunker Hill Memorial. Next, duck in for homemade sausages or veggie pot pie and golden elixirs from the tap at Allston bar Deep Ellum, whose selection of 22 daily draughts and 100 bottled beers has made it a favorite among local hops heads. Wash it all down with an afternoon tasting at either Harpoon or Sam Adams Brewery.

thanks a lot, kayak.com. in any event, boston was a fun time. after a misstep or two, we found what we were looking for. fenway. looks just like wrigley, but greener. same sort of neighborhood. brownstones and bars, all full of baseball lovers no doubt. we ate lunch at the cask and flagon, which (according to them) is as synonymous to fenway as the green monster. i don't know about that, but their chowdah was pretty good. i went to quiet city boston with a warning in my ears, "remember. you're not irish." problem is, i'd just watched boondock saints too. my favorite oft-quoted line disputes that, "it's st. patty's day. everyone's irish tonight. why don't you pull up a stool and have a drink with us?" and so it was for the evening. everyone was irish for the day. it truly is a drinking holiday. it felt awfully cliche to be drinking guinness on such a day, but it was way better than the bud light quaffed by so many others. we initially set out to follow the freedom trail, stop at the irish pubs, have a pint, and move on. unfortunately, we didn't find the freedom trail until 4. by then, we were looking to meet up with friends, and hopped around quincy square with them. three in all, one dance club filled with girls and sailors, one bar irish in name only with budweiser and corona ads plastered on the walls, and one chinese bar featuring some god-awful karaoke.

quote of the night, "you're lucky our standards aren't as high as yours." and she laughed.