Bewitched by Salem

I have always latched onto stories of history that deal with the human element, ao of course the Salem witch trials burned into my young mind many years ago.  In history books that discuss bloodlines, politics, and machinery updates and war dates page after page after page, the persecution of witches stands out from the norm.  Unlike the chapter discussing pagan rituals versus the growing power of the Church, Salem epitomizes the historical conflict whereby superstition and hysteria reigned over an already difficult life in a new world, when evil truly conquered good as fear overtook reality.  Salem will forever be famously infamous for its 19 court ordered hangings (and 1 execution via being "prest to death" slowly under heavy rocks) of accused witches, guilty only of failing to confess to the crime.  Beyond the history, intermingled with the legends, are theories involving greed, desperation, envy, politics, religion, and even mycology (delusions induced by the toxins in a mould affecting the grain supply)...how much more intrigue could I ask for?

And so on my last trip to Boston, knowing it would be off season by possibly my last chance to view Salem with my own eyes, I was determined to make my way there.  Ironically, this was much easier to do than I expected.  I took the subway from my hotel to the North Station stop, paid $13.50 for a return trip to Salem on the commuter rail, and chugged along for about 40 minutes down the tracks to Salem.  A sleepy little New England town.

Commuter rail stop in Salem, Massachusetts

Salem appears harmless today, in our world of light and information.  But if I picture myself alongside it's still waters, rickety shacks, and spooky trees in the darkness of the colonial life in 1692, I could get a little creeped out by stories of witches and demons.

The burying point in Salem

In the summer I can picture the money flowing through all of the little sights around town.  The Witch House, The Witch Dungeon, The Griffin Theatre, The Witch Museum, Town Hall (which houses yet another witch museum), the house of Monsters, and even the Pirate Museum.  Fortunately for my pocketbook, all of these things were closed for the season, as were most of the curiosity shops.  While I managed to get a wonderful T-shirt for my sister (insert evil grin here), the only other thing I managed to buy was a coffee and Belgian Waffle at the awesome cafe across from what I can only call a witch supermarket, Hex.  Some of the only things open at 10am on a February weekday were the witchcraft stores.  The first one I went into was playing a Lifehouse song on the radio, so I deemed it not authentic.  Hex was just the right level to creep me out a little bit with all the voodoo dolls and all.  They were sadly lacking a cat, so I knew they weren't authentic either.

When in Rome...

This was after Feb 14...I can only assume Valentine's Voodoo dolls after Feb 15th, and that the gentlemen of Salem choose their Valentine's gifts wisely.

Inside the awesome cafe, the waitresses were wearing their best small town rebellion couture, demonstrated by one goth waitress and one in a 80's attire, oversize top with one shoulder out and legwarmers with a faded denim skirt and runners.  I left with a strange longing for 1990, and a smug satisfaction that my favorite old looks are still awesome, even if only in Salem.

Offers tours, but not in February

As in Boston, a red line marks the tourist path through Salem.  I followed it as far as I could wander, mostly taking pictures of the closed signs along the route.

The famous Witch Museum and Dungeon...closed of course

Which house?  The closed one of course.

Closed

Town Hall and Museum -- Closed

The only other thing roaming the streets of Salem was a squirrel.

Just a squirrel looking for nuts...and it found me

The Burying Point

Fortunately the burial ground is open during daylight hour.  This old cemetery is noted more for housing the judge of the witch trials than the witches themselves.  A second cemetery is located outside of town (in 1692 there was Salem Town and Salem Village, modern Salem is Salem Town).  And of course in the center of the burial grounds is the obligatory creepy old tree, twisted like the souls of its residents of the period no doubt.  Liked the tree so much you get it in both black and white at the beginning of the blog and color now.

Twisted tree growing above some of the twisted souls that condemned 20 to die in Salem in 1692

The Witch Memorial is a quiet clearing of trees with some words inscribed in the ground and a nearby wall.  While the snow obscured much of it, this area has stone benches, each inscribed with the name of on of the executed, their date and method of execution.  In this small village, where over 200 were accused of witchcraft, those who confessed to be witches were spared, so long as they named others who should be accused and tried.  Those who stood up for truth an denied the claim spared other innocents, but paid the ultimate price.  As many as 8 members of this small community were hanged on a single day.  Some of their words, recorded in court, will hold fascination for centuries to come I expect.  Mary Bradley saying "I do plead not guilty.  I am wholly innocent of such wickedness," and being sentenced to hang for her honesty and integrity.  Martha Carrier's logic "I a wronged.  It is a shameful thing that you should mind these folks that are out of their wits," fell on deaf ears as she was condemned and executed.  Margaret Jacobs told the courts that "They told me that I would not confess I should be put down into the dungeon and be would be hanged, but if I would confess I should save my life."  She too was executed.  And poor Giles Corey who saw his wife hanged in the first round of executions refused a trial when his turn came, knowing there was no winning...and so they piled stones upon him until he was crushed.  It is still a powerful history to think on, and one that changed many legal principles in its wake.

The Witch Memorial (note the benches in the walls, one with each victim's name)

Aside from it's haunting history, Salem also has a shipping history, and its earliest upper class were involved in trade.  I wasn't expecting to come across this beautiful ship, but low and behold I found the USS Friendship peacefully docked on glimmering waters.  It turns out the Friendship was built in the wooden building by where she sits now, back in 1796.  She sailed to China 16 times, as well as Sumatra, Java, Madras, London, Hamburg, St. Petersburg, and Archangel among her many trips to buy sugar, coffee, and exotic spices for the colonies.  She was captured by the British in 1812.

The USS Friendship at her birthplace in Salem

She's a beaut!

On one final stop, I found an open attraction.  The House of Seven Gables.  Having absolutely no idea what this was, I quickly shelled out $12 for the privilege to run to catch up to a tour that had just started.  The house of seven gables was a period home of a wealthy merchant in which Nathaniel Hawthorne had been a frequent guest, and due to the unusual nature of a home with seven gables, it became the title of one of his books.  On the tour, we learned about the roof structure that comprises a gable, and trekked up hidden staircases which were added on after Hawthorne's time to delight tourists who were familiar with the mysterious movements of one of the characters through the house, which was described in great detail apparently.  Nathaniel Hawthorne grew up nearby, and his birth home was purchased by the historical society and placed on the same property when it was set for destruction.  It's current location hosts another spooky old tree, which was obviously not outside his window when he was younger or his writing would have been creepier.  I did not know that he grew up in Salem, it kind of makes "The Scarlet Letter," almost more interesting knowing that one of his ancestors was a judge in the Salem Witch Trials.

The House of Seven Gables

View from the merchant's house

The birth home of Nathaniel Hawthorme

One last tidbit of Salem information -- the TV series "Bewitched" was filmed here for 8 episodes in June 1970 while its normal studio was repaired after a fire.  A statue of Samantha stands in Salem today.

Samantha from Bewitched

So that was my quick journey into, and out of Salem.  I was afraid they would keep me, but I made it out OK!  Despite being off season, I was still bewitched by the history and the quaintness of this little town, and glad I made the trip out betwixt my other obligations.

Royal Naval Dockyards

Ah, Dockyard.  How shall I tackle the blog about Bermuda's Royal Naval Dockyards?  It is the most obvious site to blog about but also the most difficult because there is actually a lot going on there.  It is the first place most cruise ship passengers will see as they all disembark since Dockyard is now the only port for the large cruise ships.  The massive luxury liners of the moment cannot navigate the smaller channel to the Eastern Town of St. George's or into Hamilton, and so all now arrive into Dockyard (The Veedham docked in Hamilton in 2013 but does not seem to be scheduled in 2014 but has promised to come back in 2015).

If you are arriving from North America, you will probably be taken by the "old world charm" of the site, as I was when I first saw the Clocktower Mall.  The Royal Naval Dockyard is the largest fortress on the island, but certainly not the oldest.  Fort St. Catherine has been around since 1612.  Construction on the Royal Naval Dockyard began in 1809, by the British of course, in the years after American won its independence from them.  Bermuda's was a vital trade and military base.  The British military remained at Dockyard in Bermuda until about 1957.  The Clocktower mall may appear broken on one side, but in fact the South tower is a clock and the North Tower has only one arm because it is a tidal clock, which was set each day to mark high tide for sailors.

Royal Naval Dockyard

Dockyard, from another angle, another time

Tourists and locals alike have a lot to do while in Dockyard.  Most of my guests find this to be their one of their favorite experiences on the island.  I always make sure to take them to Dockyard Glassworks and the Bermuda Rum Cake Company.  In this building, one can watch a live glassblowing display, as artisans make animal ornaments, dishes, vases, and more which is really quite interesting.  In addition to what you might expect, they also make colorful jewellery, awesome Christmas decorations (who doesn't want a Christmas ornament with a little gecko sitting on top), and practical glassware.  The Bermuda Rum Cake Company has some free samples -- but only if you are of legal drinking age (for good reason).  Most times people find something at this stop that they absolutely must take home.

The Glassworks artists at work

A little further around the corner and you will find Snorkel Park and the mini golf range.  This area has been developed with the cruise ship passengers in mind, and so is usually too busy for my liking, but it is a fabulous area within walking distance from the ships for shore excursions.  Continuing beyond that you will find the Frog and Onion, a very nice old pub atmosphere with dark wood, candelabras, and it is also Bermuda's only brewery is you wish to sample some local ales.  They also comes in Schooner size.

Dinner at the charming Frog and Onion during Barb's visit

Dev domonstrating the difference between a pint and a schooner

The Dockyards Art Center and the Craft Market have many things to take home, including pink sand jewellery, silver crafted longtails and moongates, banana leaf angels (some of those are on the family Christmas trees at home, I love them), and many other local crafts.  One can also buy delicious pepper jams in various flavours like "Storm Force" or "Hurricane Force."  Or, you could pick up one of my photos if you reeeally wanted to.  My friends Dev and Sue also currently have some of theirs available for sale there.  I always love to stop at the Pastry Shop for a chocolate croissant, and I noticed on my last visit to Dockyard that the shop is doing so well that they have expanded into a little cafe and bar on the upper level on the building that they are in.  The mall has lots of little knick knacks for the visitors, and most cannot resist a purchase at E.R. Aubrey, a local jeweller producing gemstones like the Bermuda Lucky Stone and the Ocean Mist very pretty stones made for the Bermuda market as I understand it.

Dockyard's eco-lawnmowers below the commissioner's house

The real point of Dockyard though, is the museum.  A steal of a deal, the $10 admission get you into the museum, which encompasses what was "The Keep" of the Fort.  The Keep in an old Fort was the area in which the military could make a final stand.  It is usually surrounded by a moat, high and thick walls, a lot of artillery, and everything the soldiers would need to hold off an enemy until reinforcements arrived.  Weapons storage, kitchens, water storage, and in this case, the Commissioner's House was enclosed in the keep.  The museum does a good job of providing information about Bermuda's history, with each building being a different display.  Racing ships in one, sunken treasure from the reef wrecks in another, the military history from the 1600's to the present, the role of Bermuda in WWI and II, and slavery in the Commissioner's House.

The Olson's found this a fun place for the family to go

I also had a great time

Plenty of good places to stuff a baby for photo opportunities

View from the Commissioner's front door

Beyond the walls of the Keep lays a huge historical site

My sisters (one by choice, crazy girl) on the wall above the prisoner's cells...and a little cave

Also housed in the Keep is Dophin Quest Bermuda, and included in the price of admission to the museum one can view the dolphins and watch free shows.  You can also make the experience a little more personal.  I know a lot of people are concerned about animals in enclosures, it was also my first question.  I had the opportunity to volunteer with Dolphin Quest when the dolphins were calving a few years back, and spent many nights sitting at the side of their pools, watching them play, swim, counting their breaths and watching for contractions (the benefit of shift work is that I could go out after my shift ended at midnight and stay til 4am, just me, a staff member, and the dolphins).  What I saw were happy, interactive, and engaged animals...both at day and night.  I never felt that they were anything other than happy.  And one of my best days on the island was the day I got to go and swim with some of the new mom's, and watch their babies learn...there is such thing as a clumsy dolphin.

Me and Bailey (photo by Dolphin Quest)

What always surprises me about the Royal Naval Dockyards is how large the site actually is.  Outside of everything I have mentioned, there is a lot of space available for use.  Building after building after building waiting to be reclaimed.  Some are currently being refurbished for reopening, and it is one thing I will be sad to miss once I am gone, as the site is absolutely fascinating to me and I would love to see inside some of those buildings when they open.  If you are visiting Bermuda, come to Dockyard early and plan to spend a whole day here.  They also have a weekly market, and many special events over the summer.  And don't forget the dolphins, the experience is quite soulful and worth every penny.

Some of the many buildings not in use

 Overall, there is much to see and do in Dockyard, and as time goes by I think it will get busier and bigger.  It is an absolute must for all visitors to the island, and a treat for us locals.

The Road Not Taken

My Road Less Traveled One Day

"Two Roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both,
And be one traveller long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth."

-- Robert Frost


We all know the poem.  I HOPE we all know the poem, and about the dilemma in paths, and the outcome.  Robert Frost had it rough.  I have 20.6 square miles, 5 years, and a scooter.  I get to take all the paths before I go.  It would drive me nuts to leave the island for good and see some photo in National Geographic of the world's most pristine beauty, and realize it was in my backyard and I missed it.  If that happens, I at least want to be the photographer.

As it happens, there is a road that I usually avoid because the derelict building on the corner gives me the creeps.  It's where the road curves just before the police station in Somerset, an area where I once thought to myself "I would hate to get stranded here late at night."  It is also, the precise location where I heard pieces falling off my old bike, Little Red, after dark one evening while driving to the movie theatre out in Dockyard.  As scary as that seemed at the time (in retrospect I was a little overly anxious for nothing), it did earn me some "street cred," because when I told two colleagues on Monday morning that I had dropped a tranny in Somerset, they later confided that in their Australian and Kiwi use of the terms they truly did not take that to mean a problem with the transmission of my bike, but rather thought for several days that I was the type to go around provoking and winning physical altercations with transvestites.  The easy part about my blog is that I don't have to make anything up, although sometimes I am remiss to admit that.

Anyway, if you don't follow the main road around the curve, but go straight past the dilapidated building, the first thing that you will come across is Cambridge Beaches, a nice hotel that I have only ever visited via sea aboard the Cactus.  I did not go on the ground to take any photos, but drove a little further around the bend an that there is a Somerset Long Bay Park (we also have a Warwick Long Bay).

Somerset Long Bay Park

This is another spot with a lot of grounds and a lot of open quiet space to enjoy.  This beach is in between Cambridge Beaches and Nine Beaches Resort, and right at the edge of the park in the photo above.

A gorgeous palette of pastels...and I cannot hide that my camera needs a good cleaning.

9 Beaches is currently closed for renovations.  A 55 Million Dollar renovation according to the website, but set to open in 2015.  The 9 Beaches concept is a good one.  They call these units "executive tents."  The structures are built on stilts, soft sided, but have all the amenities of indoor living, and yes that includes indoor plumbing.  The rare complaint that I saw on Trip Advisor from past guests was that the sound of the ocean was too loud to fall asleep to.

9 Beaches

The area was so beautiful that it was hard to pick which photo was my favorite.  But the series of photos is absolutely one of my new favorites.  The water had some greens as well as blues in this area, and reminded me of one of my favorite old songs by "The Cure," in which Robert Smith woefully sings "and so we watched the sun fall off the edge of the deep green sea..." lyrics I always loved as I had never thought of the sea as being anything other than blue growing up in Saskatchewan.

Adrift at Daniel's Head Road

Breathtaking Bermuda

And just as an added bonus, I found what I can only describe as another "duck sanctuary."  I parked the bike to look around and, believe it or not, a car pulled up behind me and the woman driving stepped out and said "Do you like ducks?"  I was wondering if she had read my blog, but then she pulled out a loaf of bread and they came out of the woodwork, plus a couple of geese.  There was this really interesting little duck in the mix...check this guy out as the last photo of the day.  This little pond and surrounding area by Daniel's Head Road is funded by the Bermuda Audubon Society.

Space Duck (aka Wood Duck or Aix sponsa, the red eyes are a masculine feature in this fellow)

A Trip Down Memory Lane

They always say the fun is in the journey rather than the destination.  Today I decided to share a few photos that I stopped to snap while on the way to somewhere else.  This first two photos are a before and after from some housing developments on the West End, aka out by Dockyard (which I would kind of think of as the North End, but it is not so).  The building below is pretty beat up, and presumably unoccupied.  But as recently as last year some of its neighbours looked to be in the same shape, but showed obvious signs of habitation...things like laundry lines and chairs on the patios.

Change is everywhere in the West End right now

It was a pleasant surprise to see something new popping up in their stead.  For those of you looking for the sea glass beach...turn left when you hit these new homes.

I was drawn to these new pastel homes, they style looking more American than Bermudian to my untrained eye

I also stopped to take this picture of a quiet river scene.

On the banks of the Bermudian River...not

This is a tough shot to get in Bermuda because there are no rivers in Bermuda.  In fact, we have no freshwater source at all except rainfall.  All the water that we drink and shower with is collected in a cistern beneath our homes.  If there is a water table in Bermuda, it's only got salt water.  But, this little ocean inlet looks a lot like a pretty river, and was one of those rewards for pulling over and backtracking when a flash of unfamiliar hit my periphery while zooming down the road on my scooter at the legal 35 km per hour.

There is a little gatehouse on the bridge entering Dockyard.  I stopped to photograph it, and when looking through the bars could see a white cross on the rocks beyond it.  Another quiet roadside memorial to someone's beloved.

The Gatehouse

There is also a stately home in this area which I always presumed was left over from the naval presence at Dockyard.  It is close to but not within the confines of the old Fort, but the structure reminds me of the Commissioner's House.  I was surprised to drive up the little path to this spot and simply find it to be a private residence with a beautiful view.

Old style homes with a view

The view that comes with the house

I also cannot count the amount of times I have driven past this next little spot and never stopped. When I finally did I had to laugh, as the name is clearly marked and it is a rather notorious little spot that I have been to before...but by sea rather than by land.  This would be the site of a rather famous annual event known as "The Non-Mariner's Race," which takes place at the end of the annual Cup Match Holiday (we take 2 days off for Bermuda's Emancipation Day and the ends of the island become rivals for the 2 day Cricket Match).  Due to the rivalry, try to avoid wearing red, blue, or blue and blue or blue and red, as any combination will be interpreted as support of one of the teams by everyone local that you meet during the day.  Any other time of the year these colors are fine, but the last weekend of July/first weekend of August, it's easier to just wear pink or something.  The Non-Mariner's Race is a short race of home made vessels that are most definitely not seaworthy, which is part of the fun.  Rafts, blow up toys, lawnmower powered crafts, etc will all be entered.  Most spectators look on from boats, as a good percent of the island population sails or motors into the area and "ties up" with other boats turning this area into a very large and disparate floating raft of ships and bodies.  This annual, quasi controlled chaos takes place near Mangrove Bay.

I dug through some old digital snapshots looking for a photo of this event, and ended up taking a stroll down memory lane as I came across a couple of pictures taken from the race 2010.  A lot has changed, as it does in an Ex-Pat community.  I am the only one on board that day that is still in Bermuda today.  Our vessel was "The Cactus" with Captain Clarke, the Newfie Rogue of the Bermuda Seas.  Can you pick him out of the photo below?  I wonder if he dresses the same in Vancouver now.

Life is tough in Bermuda

More of the boats can be seen behind Lisa's portrait.  Lisa's work has taken her to Colorado and now Boston.

Lisa with the Non-Mariner's Armada behind her

Selfie of Cherie, Lou and me.  Both are on the mainland now.

Overboard at Mangrove Bay...we never know where this one will turn up next but one of the last pictures I saw on facebook was titled, "The Sheik of Qatar".  They were kidding.  Well, mostly.

But fast forward 3.5 years to a nice spring day and Mangrove Bay looks a bit more tranquil.

I wonder what type of tree this is?  Please don't tell me mangrove...

And these are the treasures of my spare time as of late.  Hope you enjoyed them.