Despite waking up early, I did very little for a few hours. Bev asked if I felt like seeing some American History, and of course I readily agreed. She took Lyle, Greg (who Lyle invited), Steven (Greg's younger brother) and I along to some American museums. I watched some videos about the beginnings of the American Revolution and we saw Old North Bridge, where the first shots were fired. The shots were fired by the Minute Men and they were the first to defend America from the tyranny of the British. I don't really care if we'd won or lost to be honest...sorry, I'm not taking sides! Here's a statue in memory of the first Minute Men who fought and died.
There you have it. I'm not sure if you can read the caption but it says "By the Rude Bridge that arched the flood, their flag to April's breeze unfurled. Here once the embattled farmers stood. And fired the shot heard round the world." Don't even ask me what that means. Just that it was an important moment. We took a walk around the area and talked about the Revolutionary War (I said I wouldn't take sides, but I think it was probably justified.)
After the walk and history tour (I knew little about the war until that day, and also had to endure the jeers of Lyle and Greg, catcalls of "WE WON, WE WON!) we headed over to Walden Pond. A little history about Walden Pond. It was the home for many years of Henry David Thoreau. A key figure in the Transcendentalism movement, he believed you must get back in touch with the natural world. He lived by Walden Pond and wrote the book called with the snappy title of Walden, it is about his experiences over two years at Walden Pond. It's also a book that I've set myself to read this summer and may do a blog about them all (at wallij.wordpress.com) when I'm finished. Now don't complain that you don't learn anything!
Walden Pond was typically an American naming. Whatever people may claim, it was a bloody big pond! Definitely a lake in my eyes. However, the water was amazing, just the right temperature and quite clean. We had a good long swim around and had a picnic lunch on the shore. Here's a picture that we attempted to take of us all jumping up out of the water at the same time...
Now tell me that isn't a lake... We got home around two o'clock in the afternoon, and I did very little all afternoon, I believe I just hung out in Lyle's room and watched bad television until dinner time. I had to pack for Bay Pond, which we left for on the fifth. However, I had a very long and eventful day ahead of me on the fourth as it was Independence Day and Bev said I wouldn't have any time to pack during the day. I packed quickly, and then promptly left with Claire and Lyle to watch Pirates of the Caribbean 3. I had already seen it but I just wanted to watch it again for the "Bahji will FIGHT!" line...that's really an old joke between friends but it makes me laugh every time.
Quite a fun day, despite my afternoon of boredom. It was a lot of fun and I learnt a lot, although it was history that made me embarassed at our loss to America. Despite the obvious Anti-Brit feeling I was receiving (all in good humour) I was looking forward to my experience of one of the days America regards so highly, in celebration and remembrance.
Thanks for listening.
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