Mummies and Rum Cake In Boston

I think the key to having a good vacation is letting go of my checklists.

As an INFJ, the physical space around me is chaotic but my time is structured. I like the bird’s eye view of charting things on a monthly calendar. And lists, handwritten on scraps of paper that I either lose or run through the laundry. Still, I make lists.

I began packing for Boston the night before. Jake always packs the morning of. Even though it makes me feel better to pack ahead, I forget more stuff than when I scramble. Sure enough, I forgot half my make-up.

Youtubers are always doing “Applying my make-up with ONLY my fingers!” or “Doing a full-face of make-up only using cream products!” challenges. I got to do both each day!

The flights to and from Boston were a dream. 

Why would you fly anything other than JetBlue if you can help it?

Depending on the days, you can find non-stop tickets to and from Boston for around $150 each. Both of our flights were not full. There is more legroom. The snacks are good! Flight attendants walk down the aisle offering Terra Chips and Cheez-Its from wicker baskets. I watched in awe as the passengers who asked for two got two.

Every seat has it’s own TV screen where you can watch new releases and television! Don’t forget to bring your headphones. And free wifi.

The only thing is that Jet Blue only flies to Boston from MSP. We cracked-up as the flight attendants kept trying to sell their credit card. An exclusive offer, of course! This could work out really well from Twin Cities residents who can’t get enough of Boston.

“So what did you do in Boston?” people ask.

“WE SAW MUMMIES AND ATE A LOT OF CANNOLI,” I reply.

From the North End, the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA) is seven train stops away from the Haymarket station on the green line. The museum is then a tenish-minute walk from the train station. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, also highly recommended, is located nearby.

While the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) displays 89,000 objects, Boston’s MFA 500,000 pieces. Somehow the MIA offers free admission (except for special exhibits). Adult admission to the MFA is $25. The museum is huge and I’m not sure how much we even got to see before heading back.

I was excited to see the Frida Kahlo exhibit. Jake was thrilled to find a wing with art from ancient civilizations, including mummy tombs and ceremonial drinking vessels.  The ancient coin collection is really extensive. I’ve never seen coins whose names I recognize from the Bible before. I bet each coin counts as one of the 500,000 objects, though!

We left so much of the museum unseen even though we wandered around for a while.

Bathrooms are harder to find than at the MIA. There is an open atrium near the entrance where you can enjoy appetizers or a meal with table-side service.

“But did you see the Aquarium or Harvard or Fenway?” people ask. 

“No, but we did eat a lot of things,” I reply.

Sure, Fenway Park, dim sum, and Harvard were all on my list. But when you’ve already walked seven miles by 1 p.m. it’s time to head home, take a nap, and eat cannoli.

Bova’s Bakery and Ernesto’s Pizza

Bova’s bakery (open since 1926) is open 24/7. The photo at the top of the post shows all of the calzones and pizza you can order. Cannolis come in many flavors-  they are pre-filled but the shell remains crunchy. The marscapone filling is less sweet in the chocolate chip but sweeter and more vanilla flavored in the creme brulee.

The star is the rum cake. An older couple passed us on the way to the bakery. We must have seemed lost because they offered to show us the way. We trusted their Boston accents and confidence ordering dessert that we copied them, adding a piece of rum cake. Pictured above with the cherry on top.

This cake is divine. It’s like a rummier version of tiramisu. Layers of soft, rum-soaked cake and creamy custard are somehow not too rich nor too sweet.

And the pizza from Ernesto’s? Flipping delicious. 

This restaurant is tiny. You will probably not find a seat. If you don’t want to order a whole pizza, choose a slice from many different flavors. Each slice costs $4-6, but, just as Ernesto’s boasts, it’s 1/4 of a pizza (so two large slices). The cheese glistens with milk fat and the crust is crisp and chewy in all of the right places.

Jake enjoyed his slices of pepperoni. I accidentally ordered chicken and broccoli (the chicken had looked like blobs of ricotta). The chicken tasted juicy and flavorful and I ate it, anyway. Two mornings later, the second pice still tasted good.

It’s funny how when the crust is this good I don’t go digging for ranch.

3 Comments

  1. Val - Corn, Beans, Pigs & Kids

    Looks like a great trip with some great food!

  2. katie

    I’ve never been to Boston, so this would be a dream trip to replicate!

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