1 post tagged “salem”
Oct. 4, 2007 5:34 pm
I spent the last couple days walking around Salem, and something that kept jumping out at me was all the references from HP Lovecraft. They were in the names of streets and buildings, and on the gravestones in the old cemetary.
Another remarkable thing is the presence of many buildings that aren't square--in other words, they have corners that aren't right angles. Of course, I've seen triangular buildings in other cities, where they were obviously built that way to fit the space available, but here you see it all over and it doesn't seem necessary as much as it just seems peculiar and odd.
This place reminds me a lot of Newport, RI, which is another old New England town, with lots of old buildings and cemetaries. Except this place is more touristy when it comes to the witch lore. Need I remind you that this is where the infamous Salem witch trials occurred?
I walked around the memorial dedicated to their memory, and the cemetary where they were laid to rest. Most of those unfortunate folks were not pagan by any means, but this place has become a mecca for all things pagan and "new age." It seems ironic.
It is purely a coincidence that
all the Halloween celebration stuff here kicks off this week, and all
the decorations are out (because I didn't come here for that reason).
There is even a parade tonight. Lots of people running around, dressed
as witches. I got lots of photos, which I will have to post when I get
back.
Ok, that parade was a spectacle. It wasn't anything more than a small-town parade for the locals--there were marching bands for all the schools and lots of
There was a group of guys marching in the parade, carrying folding lawn chairs above their heads, and they were opening and closing them such that they made a snapping noise, and so they were playing the chairs as musical instruments. There was also some choreography that involved putting the chair down and sitting in it, and then what looked like musical chairs or perhaps "Chinese fire drill?" And last but not least, the Roto Rooter truck was pulling a float that featured a blue cow with a hole in the middle that revealed "plumbing," followed by a band of marchers brandishing toilet seats, which they were banging with plungers and other implements (as a percussion instrument).
I hope I left you with sufficient imagery because, unfortunately, I didn't get good photos because it was dark and the camera flash was too weak.
Another peculiar observation: they love dogs here. There is a noticeable number of dog-oriented services such as doggie day care, grooming, vets, and so on. My hosts' dog was a stray from Portugal. They take such good care of their dogs here that they need to import the strays and rescues from other places. I still want a dog.
Ok, so I'm paying $8 for Internet right now, but I have at least 90 mins. to kill...
It was a good day. Walked to the water and looked at rocks, seaweed, birds, crabs...it was nice. I felt scared for about 10 seconds when I climbed up on rocks that I thought I could easily fall off of if I lost my footing. Found the popular teenage party spot and collected about 3 cases worth of discarded beer cans. Keep in mind, I think that sort of thing is cool--decay, rot, refuse, contrast, texture, repeating patterns... I found a large portion of a dead seagull. The beak, feet, skeleton, and some feathers were still intact. I also saw lots of wee-little bright green crabs--living ones--in the tide pools collected in the rocks.
I also had an excellent meal at Salem Beer Works. I tried their Custom House IPA, Oktoberfest Ale, Blueberry Ale, and Black Bat Stout. The IPA was one of the best I've ever tasted. It did say on the menu that it won awards. The Oktoberfest was good. The Blueberry Ale was unusual. It had a tart blueberry flavor, and tasted a bit weak or watered down, like a cider, but I still liked it. I would compare it to M & S's cider that I tasted at Pennsic? I was dissappointed in the stout. It tasted of ashes to me, and although I like a little burnt flavor in a stout, this was unpleasant to me. Foodwise, the menu offered typical brew pub food, and I had some french fries, which were awesome:)
It was a nice escape for a few days and I enjoyed seeing my friends up here. I think I am going to just hibernate this weekend. I did so much walking, and I already feel sore. I'm going to put myself to bed as soon as I get home, sleep as late as I possibly can, and then spend as much time on the couch as I can stand this weekend.
Links:
Salem Witch Trials The Stones memorial
Burial Point - oldest cemetery in Salem
The Salem Friendship - a reconstruction of a 171-foot three-masted Salem East Indiaman built in 1797
Salem Beer Works
House of Seven Gables
Salem Willows Waterfront Park; see also http://www.salemwillowspark.com/index.html
