Keeping up with the Korins in Cambridge

Having been motivated by Joel Korin to start this blog, I might as well make the inaugural post about the recently concluded visit of Joel and Kallen here in Cambridge. As I would expect most readers here to know, Joel was one of the first classmates I met at Dickinson and we've been close friends ever since then. Kallen has been part of the Joel and Kallen show for almost as long, even though she is, sadly, not a Dickinson alum.

Martha and I were their last stop on a two month grand odyssey that skipped from Los Angeles, to Philadelphia and South Jersey, to Milford, PA, more South New Jersey, a few stops in Argentina, an excursion to the Galapagos Islands, and finally visits to friends and relatives in New England. I get tired just writing this. If you haven't yet, you must read Joel's blog. Scroll to the bottom to read in chronological order.

On the afternoon of Monday, Dec 2, Joel and Kallen pulled up to 5 Ellery SQ, fresh from a few days in Marion, MA bunking in with Dickinson classmates Gary and Sue Grosart. They had stopped earlier in the day at Plymouth Rock and in Mansfield for lunch.  Shortly after the Korins arrived the aforementioned Grosarts pulled in to share the Hanukkah dinner Martha and I had organized. Mellie, Gary and Sue's lovable rescue Labrador, came as well. Unfortunately, they had trained her so well not to climb the stairs at their house that no amount of coaxing could get her above our entry way. For a time we heard her wagging tail beating against the floor, but eventually she curled up and made herself at home down there while we talked, ate and laughed.

Hanukkah present for Kallen. It's perfect millinery for the streets of Eugene.

Dinner included a pear, walnut and Gorgonzola green salad, brisket, carrot souffle, roasted brussel sprouts, potato latkas and Martha's homemade monster challah. Above is Martha serving her cranberry-walnut-apple pie and Sue's pumpkin pie for dessert. A la mode, of course. (See Joel's blog for the foodie photos).

Joel and Kallen are secret computer geeks, spending hours with their MacBooks, downing strong coffee, blotting out distractions. Under (deep) NSA cover?

On Tuesday I had arranged a tour of the spectacular Moakley Federal Courthouse on the waterfront. No cameras allowed inside, but here's Joel getting his shot of the dramatic rear of the building.

We enjoyed some of the exhibits at the Intsitute of Contemporary Art (in the background). In some cases we agreed that the creators must be laughing at us for considering their work "art." I did particularly like the photography of LaToya Ruby Frazier. Martha joined us for a wonderful lunch at Salvatore's afterwards.

Tuesday night we headed into Harvard Square for dinner at Legal Seafoods (using the stroll into the Square as a partial walk-off of the afternoon's pasta). We shared a plate of Bang-Bang Cauliflower to start.  Joel had the lobster bake, Kallen the Cioppino. And they switched mid-way, as usual. We punted on dessert there--in favor of a stop at Finale for shared Lemon Tart and Carrot Cake with cappuccinos or tea.

 

On Wednesday morning we went across the street to our new library in Cambridge. A librarian who seemed about to intercede when we ventured into the closed "Teenagers' Room" instead treated  us to a mini-tour. Then it was back to Ellery Square to pack up for the last time. On the way to the airport in East Boston we stopped for lunch at a hole-in-the wall eatery in the Boston Harbor Shipyard, KO Catering, which is devoted to all-Australian food all the time. I discovered their South Boston place (even smaller) when Megan wanted to find comfort food after her return from studying in New Zealand.

This is my one foodie photo, of a "classic with cheese" meat pie. We shared a Lamington for dessert (a small coconut covered pastry).

Much to our great surprise, the Boston Shipyard--a rather hardscrabble-looking venue--was filled with large and unusual sculptures, like this "squid."

East Boston--separated from the rest of the city by Boston Harbor and connected by a few tunnels--has the most spectacular views of the downtown, in much the same way that New York is best seen from Brooklyn or Hoboken.

Visiting, eating and sightseeing ended, Joel and Kallen headed to the car for the last mile to the terminal and on to Eugene.

We had a wonderful visit and I am in awe of the energy, inquisitiveness and general gusto with which Joel and Kallen engaged in this visit and, in reading their blog, the two months on the road. I was tired after barely 48 hours on the move with them.