Next Stop: Boston

I'm just gonna put it out there; I may have preferred Boston to New York. May have.

Let's get this straight. New York is incredible. It's a heart-thumping, neck-craning, eye-popping spectacle of a metropolis. It's the epicentre of the modern world - you can get anything you want at any time of day. It's home to some of the most iconic sights and breathtaking views in the world. Nowhere can really compare to it as a tourist destination. But could I live there? No, probably not. 

On Sunday night, following a four hour greyhound bus journey through the leafy suburbs of New England, we arrived in Boston. After growing up on a diet of Nickelodeon and American movies, we couldn't help but have pre-conceived notions of what New York would be like. When it came to Boston, it was nice to arrive with no expectations and an open mind. We were pleasantly surprised.

We were staying in Coolidge Corner, which is a little out of the main city of Boston, in the village of Brookline. It might have been the cosy comfort of our Air BnB or the quaint, community-feel of the local area, but we felt instantly at home in Boston. After the sharp elbows and gritty edge of New York, Boston felt more welcoming and relaxed. As we made our way into town on our first night, the warm lights within clusters of coffee houses and bookshops flickered like candles as we passed them, the bells of trams ringing past, giving the scene a charmingly old-fashioned feel. 

The city centre can't decide whether it's a student haven, a financial hub or a historical relic. Hungry and tired, we spent our first night in Boston watching a Patriots NFL game in the most American bar I've ever been in; as spicy wings arrived on our table and I sipped on a Bud Light, neon signs advertising various beers shone from the walls and loyal fans hollered at the giant TV screens. Boston is of course home to Harvard, one of the most famous and revered of Boston's universities, as well as MIT and the University of Boston. That college-day, fraternity-feel seeps into the fabric of the city, manifesting itself in bars like these, homages to Americana. 

But there's a lot more to Boston. A trip up Prudential Tower to the Skywalk Observatory  gave us 360 degree views of the sparkling city at night. It's a great way to get your bearings and work out how all the major sites interconnect. The audio guide talks a lot about the Freedom Trail, which is of course one of the aspects for which Boston is most famous.

The trail, signified by a 2.5 mile long snaking red brick strip slipping mostly unnoticed through Boston's busy streets, takes in 16 of the city's most historical sites of the American Revolution. You can take guided tours of the trail, but we decided to walk alone at our own pace. It was beginning to get dark on a particularly blustery day, so collars up and gloves on, we meandered along the trail, eyes glued to our winding red compass, pausing occasionally to take in the histories of several sites so important to this city. The icy gusts and fading light lended extra atmosphere to these fascinating tales, which led us through the beautiful North End - the Italian district, an almost entirely separate world of tiny panelled churches and cosy pizza places.

Just as the sun disappeared, we found ourself atop Copp's Hill, Boston's second oldest burial ground. As the final resting place of over 10,000 people, it had a sense of finality and significance that made it an apt destination to end our walk. In the distance we could see Boston Harbour where we'd walked the night before, boats bumping together in the evening chill. Behind us loomed the bridge, so far away that the steady stream of cars entering the city seemed almost silent, their headlights just fireflies meeting in the dark. It was so peaceful, so unusual and relaxing that I almost didn't want to leave. 

But of course we had to. Because an extra large pizza and a hearty night's sleep later, and it was time to head to Philadelphia, our next stop. We've been on the Greyhound for a couple of hours now, trundling through landscapes lined with barren trees and lakes that don't look real. I seem to have come down with the worst cold I've had in years - I currently can't decide if I want to be wearing ALL THE CLOTHES or just the bikini gathering dust at the bottom of my backpack (that's allowed on the Greyhound, right?). But hopefully it will fade soon - maybe the warm air in Philly will help. As they say, it's always sunny in Philadelphia.