Amid the regal commotion that is Harvard University’s 2009 Commencement, a quiet bed and breakfast on a nearby side street readies itself for proud families of graduates. An old Victorian-style home sitting on a crooked little road, The Irving House is surrounded by gardens, similarly beautiful homes, and students.
A welcoming sign out front proclaims its place in the world, offering comfort to Boston travelers.
A few stairs covered by patterned carpet lead me to the front desk, where a sign promptly asks “Thirsty? Take a bottle, fill it up, and reuse it.” Fresh local flowers sprout from vases on every available surface, and an embracing, cheery backdrop of antique furniture and long, sweeping curtains whisper an immediate comfort.
Guests hauling their own luggage through the door greet the young woman behind the desk, and proceed unceremoniously upstairs. Half of them have stayed here before, and most have “favorite” rooms (but don’t always get them).
A book shelf in the room holds dusty paperbacks and worn hard covers that owner Rachael Solem salvages from the Wellesley dump. They’re free to take – it’s just one of the ways that Solem recycles. The simple act of reusing one of these kick starts the green travel cycle.
“Being green just makes sense,” says the owner of 19 years. In 1990, Solem acquired the house on 24 Irving Street in Cambridge, and fostered the place – then dim with springy mattresses, fabric stapled to the ceiling, and few fine points – to become the sturdy and worldly nest that loyal guests now cherish.
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© Cheapflights Ltd Andrea Mooney
