A trip north to Massachusetts

We left Washington early on June 1 on our trip North to Ben's Harvard reunion, visiting family on the trip and then on to Maine and Canada. Of course, the search for the perfect Greek diner and the perfect extra-dry cappucino continued unabated.

We stopped at the Maryland House on I95 for our morning java; the clerks knew how to teach the newbie how to make cappucino with only foam, no liquid milk. Like most Startbucks the product was acceptable. Our next stop, the Sage Greek diner on route 73 in New Jersey. This is one of our favorite Greek diners on the trip to NY, and we were not disappointed, either in the portion of hamburger for John nor the spinach pie for Ben. Stuffed but happy we continued north.

Connecticut with brother Andrew and family was fine. The weather was superb, and the 24year old cabernet sauvignon we carried for our 24 y o nephew's birthday still had some fruit left. Of course, after a couple of hours open the wine had turned nasty. The following morning, we lazed overlooking the lake, nibbling bagels and lox and not doing much. We had a fine steak dinner with Cannonball cab to go with for dinner. Good steak, good wine, good company.

Wednesday morning, we left Connecticut for Cambridge and Ben's reunion. We stopped in Providence for exquisite coffee at the Blue State Coffee Company on Thayer Street adjacent to the Brown campus. Excellent coffee, xxx dry cappucino made to order and a lovely latte from fair trade, organic beans. This is one of Ben's favorite East Coast coffee stops. Then a chicken wrap at the local Greek restaurant to fill us for lunch.

Arrived in Boston, drove into the parking garage. Now safely esconced with friends Joe and Howard, in Winthrop House on the Harvard campus. Worse than the worst Motel 6 we've ever been in, but the room's poverty, (How do undegraduates live like this?) is made up by the friends we've seen. Good British bitters at John Harvard's brew pup last night with the HGLC group, great company at the dinner in the courtyard, and this morning, as Ben and Joe head off to Commencement, John ventures off for lunch with his daughter and Howard will join them for lunch at the faculty club.

Cambridge and the Harvard campus are awash in the colors of academia, with all the various robes of the academics on show. The crowds of parents, undergraduates and graduates show the wealth of talent around here. And the day became beautiful. We look forward to more.