After wallowing at Grezzo on Friday night I honestly didn't want to do much for a couple of days. I was happy. I was feeling sated and could have curled up in the sun like a Cobra, and let my body digest a fantastic meal for at least a day before heading back to Westerville.
Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one in the car. Least you forget, Keely was with me, and as the beaches of the South China Sea and the Buddhist Temples of Central Viet Nam might pull at my heart ... Salem calls Keely like a swallow returning to Capistrano.
So, off we go in search of the official Witch of Massachusetts, Laurie Cabot.
If you haven't heard of Laurie, you're not a crazed Halloween fanatic like my wife. I have bats hanging from the fireplace tools in the living room. Elves peak out from the railing leading to the second floor. Our bedroom looks like a horror house (but that's another issue!)
I doubt that there's a reader that hasn't heard of the Salem Witch Trials. Sometimes I think that what happened in Salem isn't much different than what "W" has tried to do to the Gay and Lesbian Community in the U.S., without the hangings...wait a minute....
Moving on before I get myself into even more trouble.
Our hotel in Danvers was even closer to Salem than Grezzo. After about 15 minutes we found a free parking lot just off the main street, and went in search of our first "Wiccan" shop.
A lot of people hear the words "Wiccan" or "Witch" and immediately think of Satanism. Thank you Hollywood and the holy rollers of America for spreading this misconception. In my opinion Witches, and those who practice Wicca were the founders of what is now called the Green Movement in America.
Wiccan's are people who believe that we share the planet with the planet. All life is connected, and we are stewards.
Witches don't do harm, not even to themselves. They can be found in all walks of life. Who knows, you might even work for a Witch (be nice now!).
We didn't start out looking for Ms. Cabot's shop, "The Cat, The Crow, and The Crown", but followed Keely's usual pattern of visiting every nook and cranny of each shop, while I hunted either a bookstore, a coffee shop, or a nice sunny spot where I could "people watch".
I got lucky and found a great little coffee shop called the Gulu-Gulu Cafe that serves wonderful coffees and beer. What more can a man ask for? I sat reveling in a huge cup of flavored coffee, listening to some really off-the-wall music, relaxing in an eclectic atmosphere....and then the cell phone rang.
We continued on our journey in search of the Official Salem Witch, hopping from shop to shop. My next stop was a book store where everything was 50% off, and books were literally stacked to the ceiling. I'm not kidding. I think I heard books go flying at least 5 times while I was there, and I know that two of the avalanches were due to me!
We finally made it to the wharf shops where "The Cat, The Crow, and The Crown", is located sometime around 12:30 PM or so. In my usual fashion, I had seen everything I wanted to see in about 10 minutes, while Keely hadn't finished the first shelf of goodies. So I went outside and found another bench to sit on and smell the sea air. I didn't realize at the time, but there was a method to her madness.
Like a Komodo Dragon in search of a meal, Keely was waiting to meet Laurie Cabot. She knew that Laurie was giving a reading and should be done on the hour. My wife, who hates to talk on the phone, became a paparazzo out to get a picture of Mariah Carey's wedding!
At about 15 minutes after the hour my cell phone rang, and Keely asked me to come back into the store to take her picture with the Official Salem Witch, Laurie Cabot. My quiet wife, had just
spent the last 15 minutes with Ms. Cabot, and got her to agree to a picture with her, despite signs all over the store which said "NO CAMERAS OR VIDEOS". Will wonders never cease!Our trip might have ended at that point but we still had two restaurants we had planned on eating at. The first was the "Organic Garden Cafe" in Beverly, MA. This is probably the oldest raw restaurant on the East Coast that I know of, and "Grasshopper Restaurant", a cooked, but vegan, Vietnamese restaurant in Allston, MA. (You should know how we are about Vietnamese food by now!
I could rush through these meals, and the last three days of this trip, but I've changed my mind.
Stay tuned for Part IV of IV. I promise there's only four parts to this series...maybe...who knows....
Watch for "THE FINALE (Without Epilogue)" coming this weekend!
1 comment:
Why, you've put a spell on me with the writings about Salem. I was there about 5 years ago and didn't have the opportunity to poke around and find Ms. Cabot....how cool was that? I, too, am Halloween obsessed. Sounds like Keely & I have similar holiday decorating tastes, as well as our love for amazing food!
Penni
Post a Comment