The mystery of Boston's Fens.

The name for the famous home of the Red Sox, Fenway Park, comes from The Fens, a picturesque park not far from Boston's famous baseball field. On a recent visit to Boston, I was once again struck by how appealing this 115-acre site is, with its weeping willows, rose garden, rustic bridges, victory gardens and slowly winding creek bordered by rustic acres of tall golden reeds. But I was also surprised at what was missing from this rustic eden designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. It wasn't monuments since the Fens featured statues celebrating such poets as Katherine Lee Bates and John Boyle O'Reilly, as well as three imposing monuments engraved with the names of soldiers lost in World War II, Korea and Vietnam. It certainly has more than its share of distinguished neighbors, including The Boston Museum of Fine Arts, The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Simmons College and other renowned names in education and medicine. Then what was missing from this bucolic setting of wide dirt paths, gently sloping grass borders, darting sparrows, drifting ducks and amazing quietude in the heart of a busy city? Simply that this perfect place to escape from the cacophony and chaos of the modern-day world,  this ideal setting to take a restful break from the busy traffic of life, this beautiful park that invites you to meditate, ruminate or just stop for a brief period of serenity, this Fens, alas, does not have a single park bench.