Atlantica - 01.06.2004, Blaðsíða 28

26 A T L A N T I C A
launching. In typical Boston style, the
workers had a large stash of beer sitting
on ice, waiting to be enjoyed once the
boats were readied. Generous like most
Bostonians, they shared a cool beverage
with us before we went on our way.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck fans will
surely recognize the weeping willows
surrounding the pond as the spot where
Robin Williams’s caring-shrink character
finally connected with Matt Damon’s
suffering-genius character in the film
Good Will Hunting. These local heroes
are omnipresent so if you don’t have an
Affleck and Damon moment, Boston’s
Tourist Board will offer you a full refund.
My Affleck moment came while I was
drinking a pint of Bass Ale in Whiskey’s,
a loud bar full of college students, locat-
ed on Boylston Street. Like most
American bars these days, Whiskey’s is
full of TVs. On this April night, the Red
Sox were playing the Baltimore Orioles
and who did the camera catch sitting
next to the Red Sox dug out? Why, it
was Ben Affleck, of course.
QUACK! QUACK!
If you’re like me, after a while all those
brownstones begin to look alike. If you
happen to get lost while navigating
Boston, look up. Dominating the Back
Bay’s skyline is the Prudential Centre,
known as "The Pru".
Inside The Pru and the adjoining
Copley Place, there are loads of shops
where you can max out that new credit
card. But after you’ve filled your bags
and dragged your kids to the top of the
52-story skyscraper to check out the
view from the "Skywalk" platform,
descend to the back of The Pru for a trip
around Boston that the children will
love.
Boston Duck Tours run amphibious
vehicles through Boston, concentrating
on the city’s historical sites, with the
coup de grace coming when the vehi-
cles leave the sweaty streets and crawl
into the cool Charles River for a water-
side view, alongside those ubiquitous
sailboats, of Boston’s skyline. You can’t
miss the Duck Tours. The colourful vehi-
cles are everywhere. So, be a good
sport. When one passes you on the
street, go ahead and shout with the kids:
"Quack! Quack!"
Edward Weinman is a staff writer.
Boston
Icelandair flies seven times a week
between Keflavík International airport
and Boston, until 30 October.
Looking across Charles River towards downtown Bston
020 Boston ATL 304 23.4.2004 14:45 Page 26