The journey home was on our minds as we gathered ourselves together, but Day Eight saw us take in a couple of more sights while allowing for us to reconnect with friends from university days. The pace was relaxed and we began to wind down the vacation and prepare for the journey home.

Boston Public Gardens/Boston Common - With check out at 12:00 pm, we decided to make use of the morning by doing a walk to Boston Public Gardens/Boston Common and enjoying another day of fantastic weather. We really hadn't seen a drop since the very light shower which graced us on Day 1 in Quebec City. Boston, it turns out, is great for walking (or at least much better than driving). After a quick 5 minute jaunt we were in the Public Gardens.

I'd wanted to see this area as it seemed the main green space for the city. I'd very much enjoyed Central Park in NYC and although I knew this to be on a much smaller scale, I wanted to see how a public park was handled in Boston. The Public Garden (as I learned during the duck tour) is built on infill, and the Common is part of the natural landscape. The commons was cited as one of Americas first public parks.

Couple of things struck me as we explored these two sites. Firstly, the well kept gardens and monuments were obviously well cared for and there is a real pride in the space as families, seniors and couples made use of the area (ie frog pond, benches, recreation & exercise). However, this is juxtaposed against what I considered an over-abundance of people in trouble, whether it be homeless folks or those dealing with addiction and/or mental illness. A lasting image is that of a flagpole/monument, with the American flag standing proud, flanked by a cardboard cottage and a mans legs, in a laying position, hanging out the end. The ironies are significant.

Appleton, Me. - We drove out of Boston at about 10:30 am... just two turns and we were northbound on the 93 heading for New Hampshire (great Liquor Store deals). The accommodation we selected was perfect for transportation in and out of the city, as well as near several subway stations. Lucked out here!!!

I'd made contact with our great university friends, The Porters, and we'd arranged to hunker down with them for the evening just outside of Appleton Me. (south of Augusta). We arrived mid-afternoon, got caught up with the gang, and enjoyed a wonderful supper, a special "Cotswold" sold in Camden and some very lovely samples of Sam Adams. Further, the evening saw some finely arranged entertainment as a budding "Circus Smirkus" troop took the stage to rave reviews. Well done!!! Great to get caught up and share the latest on family and friends. Thanks for opening your home to us.

After a wonderful sleep (followed by a morning trek to Miller Road Cemetery) we made tracks for Canada. Jane made a quick stop at the Bean Outlet in Ellsworth (good deals) and we crossed the border at Calais mid-afternoon. We chugged for home and pulled in to Antigonish at about 9:00 pm, 4000 kms later, with a knapsack full of new experiences and memories for our family.