Farewell to Boston, For Now

Boston Public Garden  

Time to start a new adventure

On Tuesday I leave Boston after 16 years (except for 20 month stint in Slovakia from 2012-2014), to start my new adventure. 

It will begin by seeing family in Colorado for a few weeks and then off to Portugal for two months, or more, if I get a long-term Visa. 

The Esplanade in Winter

It has been wonderful to live in this great city, with the last four years on Charles Street a block from the esplanade, where I would walk daily. 

In the last sixteen years I've owned and sold property, lived on the north shore (Salem), had six jobs (ugh!) and traveled to dozens of countries. My wanderlust bug is strong and I need to get back on the road again.

Here are a few of my posts on Mass/Boston/Salem over the years. So, farewell to Boston, for now. And, look for more posts of my new adventures over the next few months.

Provincetown in the Spring

Ride the Boston Rails Weekends for Only $10

Martha's Vineyard...Celebrating the Last Days of Summer

International Sand Sculpting Festival Revere Beach, MA

This is Why People Live in Massachusetts

Witches, Super Heros and Red with Her Wolf...Halloween in Salem

Sunday Afternoon Hike...Walking the Marblehead Rail Trail 

Chestnut Street: Merchants, Mansions and Memoirs

This is Why People Live in Massachusetts

I've always said the best thing about living on the East coast was the summer/fall time. It is truly wonderful for about 15 days a year and we are in that time right now.

The last week or so has been absolutely beautiful. It is why people live in Massachusetts and hold on to this time of year through the brutally cold and harsh winters.

I love taking my morning walk along the water in the morning at Pickering Wharf. Right now there is low tide and you can actually see the moon and the sun at the same time.

The streets of Salem are filled with tourists, buses and travelers lining Essex and Derby Streets. Living close to The House of Seven Gables brings some challenges, but for the most part it is by far one of the best locations I've ever lived.

It will be sad to say goodbye, but it's time for a new adventure. For now, I'm just enjoying the time I have left in this amazing place.

And, let's face it...I'm not going to miss another winter in New England.

Getting Ready - 4 July 2015

After a very, very long winter and a somewhat dismal spring, it finally hit summer on the North Shore of Massachusetts.

Getting Ready for the 4th

The 4th of July is just a day away and already people are preparing for the big event in two. Salem pulls out all the stops on this special day, mainly because it sits right on the water, boats sailing all around, but also because Salem is one of the birthplaces of the nation.

The fireworks display (weather permitting) will go off right next to the pier and grand stand.

I heard today it may rain tomorrow, so if it does, I'll have to be content with last year's pics. Here are a few photos taken this year and from last year's 4th celebration. 

Other than enjoying the one day of beautiful weather, I really don't have any plans for the weekend. Who knows what is in store...

Just another beautiful day in the neighborhood

A 10 minute walk from my place to the beach

July 4, 2014...hope this year is just as spectacular!

One block from my place

Finally...Spring Has Sprung in Salem

After ten months of cold, wind, snow and rain, Salem had it's first 60+ degree today. The streets are full of travelers, in state tourists and locals walking along the water or the Essex Street Square filled with witches, ghouls, and all those from the afterlife.

PEM Garden cafe

Susanna performing

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) is hosting the Poetry Festival, always great fun, so I stopped in to see Susanna Rich, one-woman show; Shakespeare's *itches: A Musical. 

Actor and musician Susanna Rich performed several original compositions in contemporary prose relating to Shakespeare's women: Lady MacBeth, Ophelia, Lear's daughter, The Dark Lady sonnets and Juliet.

Walking along the square is always a delight seeing commerce at its best...everything witchy, fanciful or new age, is on display. Fancy a Tarot reading, there are many places along the square to hear your future, if you dare.

That's how one knows the season has started.

The Holidays...Is It All Just Window Dressing?

Waxing lyrical about the holidays has never been something for me. Perhaps it is all the media ads and commercial sales, or maybe I'm just a Scrooge at heart. I hope it isn't the latter. I'd like to get in the swing of it, but I find it increasingly more difficult the older I get.



I miss the Christmas Markets in Europe. I felt so much more alive there and it just seemed so natural. 

I revisited some of my posts from the past two years. If you've been to Europe over the winter holidays you know what I mean.

Christmas Markets Open in Slovakia

Way to Party at the Vienna Christmas Markets

Christmas Markets Open in Piestany

But, I'm not in Europe so to try and get "into the spirit" as so many call it, I took this lovely sunny weekend to walk around Boston and Salem to view the holiday "window dressings" to help me. If you need a nudge to move forward this holiday as I did, perhaps these visuals will help.

A Walk Through Boston

 

Holiday Tree Lighting in Salem, MA

It just seemed like yesterday we were celebrating Halloween in Salem, but today was the opening of the winter holiday season with the Salem Main Streets Holiday Tree Lighting at Lappin Park (next to the Bewitched Statue at the intersection of Essex Street and Washington Street.

Salem mayor, Kim Driscoll did a 10 count down and suddenly the tree lit up complete with snow caps from the nor'easter we had yesterday.

Paul Madore Singers provided the music along with a brass band playing children favorites like Frosty the Snow Man. Hot cocoa (very welcome in the 30 degree weather) and snacks were provided.

Happy holidays!

Bewitched at Christmas

Yin Yu Tang: A Chinese House

Ever since moving to Salem nine months ago, I've had an amazing walk through American history. The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM) has been a treasure I've enjoyed over the last months and continue to find new and exciting exhibits to keep me amused.

Last Sunday I decided to view The Chinese House located just outside the premises.

The back side of Yin Yu Tang: The Chinese House

There are many Chinese architectural designs and artifacts in Salem due to many of the early resident sea captains traveling to China. The original part of the museum has several items from both China and India from the thirteen marine society members who established the museum in 1799.

The Yin Yu Tang house is presented just as it was in the 1980s as the home of the Huang family. It was deconstructed stone by stone from the Yin Yu Tang village in southeastern China in the Anhui Province.

Yin Yu Tang was the home for multiple generations of the Huang family with up to 30 people living in the house at one time, for a period of 200 years!

The furnishings have been preserved from beds chairs, even the courtyard lattice and shutters. 

The house was part of a cultural exchange with the local Chinese officials in the Anhui Province and the PEM.

If you are in Salem, this extraordinary piece of architecture and its amazing story is worth the experience.

Witches, Super Heros and Red with Her Wolf...Halloween in Salem

Salem, Massachusetts is the epicenter for Halloween. We've been partying since October 1 in this lovely little hamlet on the water. No where is Halloween more celebrated. I've taken a few photos to mark the date. 

As always, my photos are very, very amateur but you'll get the idea.

Red and Her Wolf

No Takers Here

Mr. Adam's and His Family

They look more like accountants than Ghostbusters

Salem Witch Museum...It All Starts Here

It's the weekend before October 1 and it is starting to look like a lot Halloween. I knew moving to Salem would be a treat but there are a few tricks here too.

Today is Museum Day so I took a trip to Salem Witch Museum. It had been years since I was at the museum so I thought I would brave the crowds (and there were quite a few). In 1692 during the Witch Hysteria, twenty innocent people were killed; 19 by hanging and 1 by crushing.

Three young girls started the 9-10 month hysteria led by Puritan beliefs and clergy. The museum is a must-see for any visitor of Salem. The tour starts with a dramatization of how the hysteria starts and ends with the deaths of the innocents. The main young girl, Ann Putnam, who caused all the hysteria eventually gave testimony that she made the accusations up as a game. The second part of the tour is to see the actual jail cells and torture devices used.

As horrendous as this was in American history, the Europeans murders 1,000s people due to supposedly practicing witchcraft. 

The Witch Hysteria of 1692 is a small part of the history of Salem, but is well worth the experience.

Right outside of the museum is a statue of Roger Conant, arriving in Plymouth in 1623, he later became the original founder of Salem in 1626. I'm sure many people think he has something to do with the witch trials because his statue is so close to the museum but he doesn't.

The only Witch Hysteria we have now in Salem will start October 1 and go through October 31. It should be a wild ride. I can't wait!

Photo Walk Through Salem

A few months ago I joined Meet Up. Meet Up provides several groups, depending on your interests, you can join. I met today with a few people to walk around Salem and take photos of different happenings with our cell phones.

Salem has begun its October happenings with stores and shops decorated in Halloween attire. But...before the meet up I took a ride around the bay on the Ardelle, a schooner out of Gloucester. It was such a beautiful day on the water and walk around town. 

Enjoy...

Our captain and first mate Connor