Shadows in the Night

I don't get to travel much.  Money gets tight when you constantly freelance.  But I couldn't be a part of this blog without saying something about my trip to Boston, Massachusetts a couple of years ago.  So, sorry for these stories not being current or anything, but it was an amazing trip so here ya go!

My boyfriend at the time, now husband has traveled the world.  Literally.  So when we try to find places to go on vacation or just for a weekend away from home we try to go and do things that he has never done before.  And that's how we ended up picking Boston as our fall trip in 2009.  Now, me being a (at the time) self proclaimed Southern Lady, I thought I would find the trip just marginally interesting.  An experiment in social behavior foreign, and ultimately inferior to my own.  Completely wrong!  Was so shocked to get there and see what a phenomenal, beautiful and inspiring city Boston really is.  And I wish I had pictures but sadly the camera that I used on that trip broke, killing any hope of me sharing some of my favorite spots on film...so apologies there.

We were in the city for just over 7 days and as I mentioned in my previous post, my husband is a walker.  So he wanted to canvas the city, exploring what seemed to me to be every alley and side street available to us in order to really get a feel for the energy of the city.  At the time, my feet were screaming at him, but now I'm really glad we did because we saw and heard and experienced so much of the history and life of the city in such a short time; it was all worth it.

On our second day we decided to walk the Freedom Trail www.thefreedomtrail.org which takes you in the footsteps of Paul Revere, to the oldest cemetery and church in the city, through the beautiful Boston Common, to the site of the Boston Massacre and ending with the USS Constitution.  And yes we walked the whole thing.  Amazing amounts of history.  And let me tell you, if you are into haunts and local lore, this is the place to be.  The Granary Burial Ground (resting place of Ben Franklin's parents, Paul Revere and Sam Adams) was probably the most active cemetery I have ever set foot in.  Not to sound weird or anything, but you know that feeling that you are being watched?  Even possibly touched by something you can't see?  I'll just say that there is more than just history to be experienced there!

In fact, the entire city is full of local lure, if you will, and for those interested in getting a good, entertaining look at the spooky side of Boston's night life, I highly recommend the Ghost and Gravestones Frightseeing Tour www.ghostsandgravestones.com/boston.  Costumed ghouls take you on a trolley tour through Boston's most haunted streets and graveyards---I laughed, I was spooked, I think I even yelped once.  Top notch.

In the middle of our trip, we took the T out to Salem.  It was October, the leaves were every color of fall imaginable and as we pulled into the train station early in the day, the sun hit the hills and illuminated the bright pallet of nature's radiance making it seem like I was looking at a Monet.  The town is home to the Salem Witch Museum www.salemwitchmuseum.com explaining the history behind the events of the 1609 witch trials.  The Museum, although quaint and a bit theatrical, took you on a journey through history, looking at how the term "witch" has been and continues to be viewed and used today.  There was even a section on modern Paganism and the ways that Hollywood and the media have portrayed witches---it was actually very cool, I learned a lot.  And their gift shop had a number of books and resources, historical to Harry Potter, to satisfy any amount of curiosity one might have.  I fell in love with Salem that day.  The charm of the little clap board houses, the witchy feeling of the city center, the Halloween decorations in every window, every niche.  If I were to move up north, I would move to Salem.  I feel like life would be beautifully calm there.  That there would be lots of time for reflection, spiritual and emotional, and even when the cold winters cycled through and blanketed the town in white, there would be warmth and cheer and a cozy peace to the city.

One more thing before I wrap this up.  I can't talk about this trip without mentioning the one show we saw on this trip:  Sleep No More.  Based on Shakespeare's Macbeth, the innovative company Punchdrunk takes you on an immersive, interactive experience through a world that seems familiar but somehow skewed.  It was like looking at slides from an old family album that were stained with what you thought but hoped wasn't blood...strange, beautiful, exciting, terrifying, mesmerizing...I can't tell you anymore because it is different for everyone and needs to be experienced to be understood.  Changed my artistic life and vision.  If you ever get the chance to see one of this company's shows, or this one specifically (it is playing in New York now www.sleepnomore.com) DO IT.

Amazing trip.  One of my favorite to date.  Again sorry for no pictures, but hope the weblinks help!