Rain was forecast for parts of Saturday, but when we were ready to head over to Shreve, Crump & Low for the annual washing of the rings, the clouds had cleared and the way was revealing glimpses of sun and peeks of blue sky as we neared the Boston Public Garden.
The trees hadn’t fully leafed out yet, aside from the brilliant chartreuse of the weeping willows, but this always give the area the look of possibility, room to expand and fill in as the summer season ushers herself in.
On this morning, we walked around the Garden, surveying the beds of tulips and flowering apple trees. Families of ducks and Canadian geese patrolled the water, but no signs of the swans this year.
This little Boston oasis is one of my favorite parts of the city – a space that completely takes you out of the concrete gray surroundings, and a welcome relief of green tranquility seen through the curtains of elderly willows.
We had a lunch at the Four Seasons, still missing the Bristol Lounge and its heavenly burgers and 12-layer chocolate wedding cake that brought us so much joy over the years (happily we were told a new restaurant was opening in that space in the next year or so). As we made our way back to the condo for an afternoon siesta, the rain returned – nothing heavy, just enough to keep us happily indoors for an afternoon nap until it was time for dinner.
For our second and last dinner of the weekend, we had reservation at Avra Estiatorio, where a crazy-good Greek menu found us partaking of the best octopus appetizer we have ever had – and so generously portioned that for the first time in decades we couldn’t quite finish it all. (I was hellbent on saving room for dessert, and they had a 16-layer chocolate cake that rivaled the elusive one we had at our wedding lunch in the Bristol Lounge 16 years ago).
It was a very sweet ending to a wonderful weekend of meals, and as the night had turned into a lovely one, we walked some of it off as we made the journey home.
The next morning, our bunny friend stopped by to see us off – a fond adieu from a favorite denizen of my favorite city.
Another anniversary weekend in the books, as a peony bashfully winked at us from behind its pink petals…
