Witch you were here...

This weekend I headed out of Maine and down to Massachusetts on the I-95, my first big American driving adventure. I have to say I was nervous. I'm not liking the fact that the roads are so dark here due to the lack of street lighting and the on and off ramps for the highways are tiny so you sometimes have to stop...anyway, the time had come to just get on with it and, thanks to the loan of a sat nav, I was fine and made it to Salem in one piece.

Salem has made a name for itself as the home of witch craft, thanks to the witch trials that happened there in 1692. The city is therefore completely crazy for the whole month of October, full of tourists in fancy dress prepared to buy all manner of witchy tat!

I decided to head for the tourist office to find out what I should see. The reply was "The witch trials are 5 months of Salem's history, maritime makes up 300 years" so first stop the harbour then! I watched a short historical film (complete with very naff acting) and went on a tour of the custom house. In the 16 and 1700s, Salem was a major trading port from which boats set out on risky voyages carrying goods, usually salt cod to to trade first in the West Indies, then in Europe, the coast of Africa and round into the Middle East, India and Malaysia. Successful boats came back laden with rum, tea, coffee

and spices. In Salem's heyday, the customs duty that ship owners paid on their imported goods made up 7% of total U.S. Government income. Then came the Napoleonic war. The U.S. declared itself neutral so both sides attacked her ships. Jefferson declared an embargo on shipping to keep boasts safe, however, scuppered the profitable trade and practically bankrupted the Government. So what were people to do? Go privateering, silly. Salem's ships were kitted out with weapons, and then English ships were taken over and either sold alongside their goods or turned into more battle ready ships. This didn't work so well long term though and the maritime industry faded.

After doing justice to the maritime history, I then went to visit the Peabody Essex Museum. There was an interesting photography exhibit and as a complete contrast, the Native American art was also fascinating to see.

At nightfall, it was time for the Witch Trial Trail. I wandered down to the town hall for a walking tour led by Jim McCallister, a local historian and was amazed by the sheer volume of people who had similarly turned up. I reckon there were about 200 of us. We were all given orange candles to guide our way as we were talked through the history of the witch trials. It was fascinating to hear how the whole episode developed from hatred. Two separate groups of people in Salem hated each other and therefore one group sparked the rumour about witch craft to build fear among the other group with disasterous consequences. People were put to death after trials based on non-existent evidence, yet could save themselves if they were prepared to share the names of others who had signed the devil's book (hence the non-existent evidence). Finally an end was put to the hysteria when it was decided that better, substantive evidence was needed if the punishment was going to be death...It was a captivating hour!

Local historian, Jim McCallister on the steps of the Old Town Hall

I think I look rather sinister here...thank goodness it isn't 1692! 

On Sunday, Beth (the lovely friend of Sallie's with whom I was staying) decided we needed to escape the Salem bedlam so we headed up the coast in beautiful, warm sunshine to Marble Head where we visited Sewell fort and watched as people swam in the sparkling blue waters. I was envious and wished I could have joined them for it looked idyllic but I had stupidly ignored the weather forecast as I wasn't prepared to believe that I could see people scraping frost off their car one day and then be back in shorts the next. Silly me!

On we headed to Bear's neck point, another beautiful spot with some great little independent shops and a wonderful ice cream shack...yum! I tried another new flavour, purple cow - blackcurrant icecream with chocolate chips.

Our final stop for the day was Gloucester to visit the Fisherman's memorial. If you've seen 'A perfect storm' with George Clooney, you'll know the story of the Andrea Gail, a sword fishing boat which left Gloucester harbour and never returned. It is a true story, but just one of the many tragedies the community has faced over the years. The names of men lost at sea are chronicled from the 1800s, with some years having over 4 columns of names, many of those who died sharing the same surname.

I left Massachsettes this morning feeling very glad to have visited, thanks to Beth and her daughter Paula for their hospitality and such beautiful places and weather. To add to the treat, I became a leaf peeper on the way back. The otherwise ordinary drive was made stunning by the range of colours on the trees - every shade of yellow, orange, red and green imaginable.