HEL->FRA->BOS
Woke up at an unfashionable 4:40 o’clock, took a cab to the airport and boarded a plane to Frankfurt. Extremely tired, of course, but the curse of not being able to sleep in planes held. Thankfully, Lufthansa had today’s Helsingin Sanomat to provide some amusement for the ride.
Frankfurt airport hadn’t really changed. But for the first time in ages, the moving walkways between terminals A and B actually worked. In both directions. Which is unheard of, lately.
Security measures had been tightened once again, had no issues there, but spent a lot of time in queue. Bags were scanned as usual, but the spinaltapian cucumber-detection device was applied prodigiously to every traveller. All this meant that the generous 90 minute layover was barely sufficient.
Plane was an old 747-400, without personal screens. Which meant that everybody shared the same movie. Well, took a brief look at the Bridget Jones sequel, and resumed reading the newest Dortmunder caper by the ever-trusted Donald E. Westlake (trust me, the E. is significant - it’s the difference between sparkly comic crime and bog-standard hard-boiled novel).
Food was decent, even good. Savory chicken in tomato sauce. I’m sure the karma balance of the universe will be restored with something utterly unpalatable on the return leg. Had an aisle seat (traveler profile works wonders with most airlines), with a very silent neighbor, very much retreated into his own earphones. Noted too late that ipod was buried somewhere in the overhead compartment, and made do with the unusually good muzak provided by the airline.
Arrival was painless. This was the first time in states for a goog long while, and thus the first time through the new immigration formalities. Yes, had my picture taken, and my fingerprints are now available for the Secret Services of the western world.
Formidable rain, which started turning into sleet during the ride to the hotel located in Cambridge. Settled in, took a quick shower and went to meet colleagues who took a different flight in.
Before going for dinner took a look at neighboring shops. Tower Records is always a good neighbor (it’s becoming a habit - but refrained from spending as much as in San Francisco last fall), and the Harvard Bookstore still ranks among the mandatory sights in the city. Discovered that sometimes hardbacks are cheaper than newly minted paperbacks. Decided that a second visit into both is in order, after having scoped what the average prices in other shops are.
Had an excellent dinner with Serpe and Matti at the McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant at the Faneuil Hall. Had to cab in, since Seppo’s shoes were no match for the four+ inches of slush on the sidewalks. Food was nothing less than divine - seafood of the very best kind. Had halibut for the main course, and opted for apple tart instead of the classic key lime pie for dessert. Capped the night with a brief visit to Boston Beer Works on Canal Street. Excellent microbrewery, with too much variety after a very long day, and funky T-shirts with label designs to boot. Retired after a metro ride to the hotel. This is definitely one of the american cities that have really functional municipal traffic system.
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