• Contact Me
  • PR & Media
  • Home
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram
  • Email
  • RSS

Bon Touriste

Inspiring Beautiful Travels

  • Home
  • Start Here!
  • About Me
  • Portfolio
  • Blog
  • Writing Tips

Walking Tours & Umbrellas in Boston

April 9, 2015 by Kristin Winet 6 Comments

So, what else would a girl who lives in the Sonoran Desert (a place that is typically well over 100 degrees) do on a freezing cold day in Boston while it was snowing?

Yes, that’s right. Go out and do a walking tour.

DSC_0875

Sadly, my lofty aspirations to explore the far reaches of the city by foot didn’t exactly go as I’d planned (cold fingers started getting the best of me and I was too afraid to keep taking off my gloves to take photos with my camera lest I would end up with frostbite). But my self-directed walking tour, which was more of a “hey, I think there’s a park in that direction…I’ll go over there!” and less of an actual thought-out, mapped-out tour, did take me to some pretty amazing spots around what I think is one of the country’s most gorgeous—and undeniably most historic—city centers.

DSC_0934

First Stop:

Bundled up in my warmest coat (it wasn’t that warm), my warmest gloves (see prior parenthetical), and my warmest boots (these were actually pretty awesome), I turned right out of the hostel, made my way down Stuart Street, turned right onto Tremont Street, and ended up right on the fringes of Boston Common, the nation’s first public city park—and a place that is not, as most erroneously think, a plural commons. There were two homeless men there to greet me with some uncomfortable cat-calling and panhandling, but once I got past them, I headed past the Central Buying Ground cemetery, complete with its centuries-old trees with their gnarled branches and its 18th century gravestones, nodding in reverence to some of the incredible artists whose names are forever engraved there: Gilbert Stuart, the man who painted the famed portraits of George and Martha Washington, William Billings, the composer who wrote “Chester,” the famous colonial hymn, and Charles Sprague, one of the first European-born writers to consider himself an American poet. As I walked by, it occurred to me: where would I belong for eternity?

This wanderlusting girl has no idea. Georgia….my hometown? Arizona….the place I grew into a woman? Malta….my favorite country on Earth? Some place I haven’t tread yet that might capture my heart even more entirely?

DSC_0937

DSC_0873

Who knows. Globalization has done strange things to homelands.

Second Stop:

From here, I wandered over to a towering vertical statue on top of a hill that I soon learned was the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and the Flag Staff Hill. It is another space whose purpose is to commemorate the dead. Here, though, the commemoration is for the male soldiers and sailors who died in the U.S. Civil War. As I walked around the statue, read the inscriptions, and touched the delicate engraving, I wondered: Why haven’t I had this jarring kind of experience with American history before? Why have I been so critical of the United States and our complicated coming-of-age? I realized, for perhaps the first time in a long time, that like it or not, I am a small part of this place, a place that has been through war, slavery, oppression, and domination, on this strangely optimistic, weirdly American quest to justice. And that we still have a long way to go before we get there, because first we have to address the many deep-seated oppressions that happen every day with our women, our people of color, our minoritized and underserved populations. I looked up at the pinnacle of the Soldiers and Sailors Monument and I thought about how we needed a lot more statues.

DSC_0881

And then I thought, trading spots on the steps of the statue with two college students who had decided to go to Boston for their spring break, is it weird to take multiple selfies while standing on top of a monument like this?

I don’t know. But I took at least a handful of them, just to make sure the lighting was right. After all, both I and the statue were backlit.

DSC_0889

Third Stop:

Next up, I headed across the street to the famed Beacon Hill, the old neighborhood renowned for its windy streets and old homes. It wasn’t difficult to find—it’s the strip of windy, old homes sailing their way down Acorn Street.

DSC_0905

All I did here was walk. I marveled at the cracked streets, split apart by trees; the sometimes haphazard way the stones seemed to be dropped in place in the sidewalks; the peeling paint, the crooked windows, the simultaneous beautiful messiness and pristine preservation of historic districts. I thought about old friends, I thought about my first trip to Europe and the first time I walked proudly down cobblestone alleys in my high heels, I thought about where I was in my life—a very confusing place, as it turns out—and I thought about where I might walk next after I finished this crazy dissertation and decided where to land, at least for a little while. I coughed, and I watched my breath sail into the sky and disappear among the white wind.

DSC_0907

And then, more snow started to drift out of the sky, collecting on the sleeves of my coat and leaving my teeth chattering, so I walked all the way back.

My advice? When you walk Boston, don’t walk it lightly. But maybe walk it when it’s just a teensy bit warmer. Your camera-snapping finger will thank you.

DSC_0919Yours in travel,

Kristin

Filed Under: Massachusetts, North America, Travel, Uncategorized, United States Tagged With: Boston, city, Massachusetts, parks, statues, tour, travel tips, travel writing, walking, WITS15, Women in Travel Summit

Dispatches from Boston’s Chinatown

March 29, 2015 by Kristin Winet Leave a Comment

DSC_0835I recently read a story about the first Subway opening up in one of North America’s Chinatowns. Despite the overlooked fact that a Subway had crept in to an otherwise corporate-free ethnic enclave, the interesting thing was that nobody knew how to translate it. It couldn’t be the actual word for Subway, because no Mandarin speaker would have any idea why a sandwich shop was named after a mode of public transportation. There is no such translatable idea of a “sub sandwich” in Mandarin.

So what did they do?

They went with something much more beautiful: they chose three characters that, when put together, mean “better than hundred tastes.”

I couldn’t stop thinking about that yesterday when I went to visit Chinatown in Boston.

These towns of China, these glorious microcosms of Chinese food and shopping, have always been a source of curiosity for me. For one, there are a lot of Chinatowns across North America (except, sadly, for Tucson, which could really benefit from an influx of decent Asian fare, and not the trendy, DIY, “roll your own sushi” place by the university or the unfortunately-named FuKu Sushi on University Ave). Secondly, I always find myself inexplicably drawn to Chinatowns for some reason or another, aching to try the juicy pork dumplings or the fried noodles, eager to find a place that serves food like it’s supposed to be, even though deep down I know even that’s a meaningless statement in itself. Food like it’s supposed to be….food is malleable as it migrates, just like people.

To be honest, I think it’s the general sense of awe and curiosity of stepping into a place that’s meant to mimic another place while still holding on to bits of the first place that strikes me so evocatively about Chinatowns. These places, too, are often the result of difficult migrations themselves, poverty, an aching for community, blue-collar labor, and sometimes, even red light districts. They are contact zones in and of themselves, simultaneously serving as relics of the past and examples of modern globalization.

Boston’s Chinatown is no different. As I walked through it in the pouring rain yesterday, hoping to find a hot cup of tea and a warm bowl of soup, I started thinking about these mini “towns” and what the represent, both geographically and culturally. Historically, Chinatowns popped up in tandem with waves of Chinese migration, to both ease the transition into life in a new country and to preserve a sense of community that might have otherwise gotten lost. Though many Chinatowns no longer specifically function as enclaves for Chinese immigrants and have been infiltrated by tourists and city locals, there’s still something fascinating about these replica spaces.

For instance, here’s a photo of a woman eating her lunch in the Dumpling Cafe, a little soup and dumpling shop right around the corner from the hostel where I’m staying for the weekend.

DSC_0840

Presumably from China based on her rapid Mandarin and her ability to navigate the menu like a pro, she’s not doing anything that unusual–after all, she’s just eating and catching up with an old friend or business associate on the phone, right?–but there’s something very, well, Chinatown about it. A woman eating a spicy bowl of soup that may or may not remind her of home, a smartphone, a conversation in Mandarin, equal amounts of white and Asian customers skirting by in the background–these are all images I see when I close my eyes and I think about the busy, chaotic, weird life we live in modernity.

DSC_0838

I also noticed the plate setting in front of me, lemon tea, a plate unusued, plastic utensils stacked on top of each other, a menu written in two languages. Another example.

From the window, there’s a McDonald’s, infamous in its two yellow half-moons, its logo placed next to Chinese characters that curiously seem to be the translation of the word. From my research, I now know that the orthography for McDonald’s in Chinese is essentially meaningless, a transliteration of the English word’s pronunciation, but when I saw this yesterday, I couldn’t help but think how strange it was to see such an American icon–yellow against its bright-red background–next to a set of Chinese symbols that are otherwise meaningless.

DSC_0842

Or this, a wrapped door calling out to shoppers of 3-D Pictures (what are those?!), Luggages, a cold Coca-Cola, DVD movies, and a drowned out “Push” sign. Elements on the spectrum, some words translated, some not.

DSC_0841

My sojourn through Boston’s Chinatown wasn’t long, and I was too cold to really spend any good amount of time there (yes, I’m pathetic when it comes to below-freezing temperatures, even when bundled up), but when I turned the corner and went back to the hostel to warm up, I had so much more to think about than just soup.

Chinatown is centered on Beach Street in downtown Boston. It borders Boston Common and is easily accessible by the MBTA’s Orange Line.

Yours in travel,

Kristin

—

All images copyrighted by Kristin Winet, 2015.

Filed Under: Asia, Photography, Travel, Uncategorized Tagged With: Boston, Chinatown, culture, dumplings, eating, food, immigration, soup

Come Join Us for the Women in Travel Summit!

December 6, 2014 by Kristin Winet 2 Comments

Kristin Winet

What could possibly be better than spending a weekend in a gorgeous city with 300 smart, influential, incredible women? (I’ll wait while you think about it).

Probably not much. So, then, I’m super excited–and humbled, and nervous, and all the good stuff that comes with the anticipation of an upcoming trip–to announce that I’ve been invited to do a nonfiction writing workshop at the second annual Women in Travel Summit this year!

The Women in Travel Summit (WITS) is the creation of Go Girl Travel Network, an online community of adventurous, independent women around the world who strive to live globally (in whatever ways they understand the term–physically, emotionally, spiritually, etc.). WITS educates, inspires and connects female travel bloggers (or female traveler allies–you certainly don’t have to identify as a female to come) together, while also providing a forum for travelers, bloggers and industry professionals to grow relationships with each other. The Summit features three conference presentation “tracks” that participants can choose from, including:

The Traveler: How to travel on a budget, finding a job abroad, traveling solo, choosing ethical travel solutions.

The Blogger: How to maximize your SEO, basic HTML coding, travel vlogging, using social media.

The Entrepreneur: Building your personal brand, creating a following, working with travel companies.

This year, I’m presenting in the Blogger track. And my topic? Here’s a hint: it’s one of my FAVORITE topics to discuss with my writing students (And one they usually try to avoid at all costs).

Revision! In my session, I’m hoping to reintroduce and help writers rediscover the art of revision, an often overlooked but integral part of the blogging process. I’m envisioning it more as a round-table than a presentation, per se, because what I’m hoping to do is model it after the creative writing workshops I did in my MFA. No one sits at the head of the table, no one takes control of the conversation, and everyone gets a chance to speak. Blending my academic experience with my love for sharing travel stories…I honestly don’t think there could be anything better than this.

Plus, and here’s the more important thing, the voices of women, minorities, and people of color haven’t always been represented very well in the travel industry, and it’s places like these where I believe real change and an embracing of other perspectives and ways of knowing can start to happen. For instance: Think of three famous travel writers (except maybe Elizabeth Gilbert, who always seems to come to mind because of her 2006 travel memoir Eat, Pray, Love). So other than that, are any of them women? People of color? People who aren’t of privilege? Or just people who aren’t concerned with conquering other people and places? Digital media–and blogging in particular–has a unique opportunity here, then, to change the way people see the art and act of travel. Here’s hoping the second annual WITS can spark the fire.

Final-Women-in-Travel-Summit-small-copy1The summit will be held on March 27-29, 2014 in Boston, Massachusetts at the Revere Hotel Boston Common. Tix (which you can buy here) are $159 for bloggers/writers and $199 for general admission. Oh! And every attendee gets one of these beauties, too.

I’d love to see you there–and maybe even do a little writing while we’re at it!

Yours in travel,

Kristin

Filed Under: Women Writers Tagged With: Boston, culture, encounters, GoGirl, place-based writing, travel writing, WITS, women

Where I’ve Been

On Instagram

This error message is only visible to WordPress admins

Error: No connected account.

Please go to the Instagram Feed settings page to connect an account.

On Twitter

My Tweets

Recent Posts

  • Because it’s Summer in Portugal
  • Walking Calle Ocho with Croquetas and Cafe Cubanos
  • Bathing Suits & Boots in the Dominican Republic
  • How I Packed for Two Weeks in Eastern Europe in a Carry-On
  • Why I’m Spending Two Weeks in Eastern Europe

Get Short & Sweet Monthly Writing Tips!

powered by TinyLetter

Blog Lovin’

Bon Touriste

Archives

  • August 2017
  • July 2016
  • June 2016
  • May 2016
  • April 2016
  • March 2016
  • December 2015
  • October 2015
  • September 2015
  • August 2015
  • July 2015
  • June 2015
  • May 2015
  • April 2015
  • March 2015
  • February 2015
  • January 2015
  • December 2014
  • September 2014
  • August 2014
  • March 2014
  • July 2013
  • June 2013
  • May 2013
  • April 2013
  • March 2013
  • February 2013
  • January 2013
  • November 2012
  • June 2012
  • May 2012

Get New Post Updates!

 Subscribe in a reader

Subscribe Via Email

Enter your email address:

Welcome to bon touriste

Bon Touriste is a website devoted to inspiring beautiful travels, whether those travels are in our … Read More>>

Inquiries

Welcome! :) This is where you'll find out all about where Kristin and Bon Touriste have … Read More>>

As Seen In…

In Partnership With…

Connect With Me

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter

Get New Post Updates!

 Subscribe in a reader

Subscribe Via Email

Enter your email address:

Copyright © 2021 · Bon Touriste By Krizzy Designs