The Witching Hours

After our morning of museuming, GK and I were famished, so we went off in search of lunch.  We hadn't gotten too far before we stumbled upon the Peabody Essex's Garden Restaurant.  We actually entered the restaurant via its  lovely Asian-inspired garden that borders the street and sat outside, but you can go in through the museum as well and sit inside if you prefer or if the weather isn't cooperating.

We started off with some wine and the fruit and cheese plate.  It just seems like more of a holiday when you can have wine with lunch, doesn't it?

For our mains, we both wanted something seasonal and light after gorging ourselves on the cheese, so GK chose the Roasted Beet and Feta starter while I had the soup of the day, butternut squash with bits of apple and brown rice.

The soup was good, but the flavor combination of the beets and feta was better.  With most museum restaurants, I feel like the food is often overpriced and underwhelming, but luckily this wasn't the case here and I would definitely recommend stopping by the Garden Restaurant if you've worked up an appetite after viewing the PEM's exhibits.  GK and I finished our wine and soaked up some sun until GK suggested that we explore more of Salem before I got too cheeky....

Soon, we had made it to the Burying Point, the oldest graveyard in Salem, dating back to 1637.  We spent some time wandering among the gravestones, looking at the macabre motifs carved onto them, enjoying the solemn, spooky atmosphere, and wondering about the lives of the people who were commemorated there long ago.

 

After leaving the Burying Point and walking around a bit more, GK and I decided to that we needed something sweet to shake off the solemn mood that the graveyard had evoked, so we went off in search of dessert.  Eventually, we stumbled upon Maria's Sweet Somethings, a chocolate and ice cream shop, full of delightfully kitschy witch paraphernalia.  GK and I both went for sundaes and we both ordered smalls, foolishly thinking that they wouldn't be that big. You can imagine my surprise and delight when I was handed this peanut butter monstrosity:

GK's caramel concoction was just as epic, but we made short work of them, like the true professionals that we are.

 

After we had finished our sundaes, we had a little over an hour left in Salem before we wanted to make the trip back to Boston, and we both wanted to hit up another historical site.  Luckily, in Maria's Sweet Somethings, GK had picked up a pamphlet for The Witch House.  Neither one of us had heard of it before, but as it is the only structure left standing in Salem that has direct connections to the Witch Trials, we decided to give it a go.  

The Witch House was the home of the Jonathan Corwin, a Salem judge who presided over some of the witch trials and even listened to some early testimony in his home.  The house is an interesting example of a historic home from the 17th century, and its displays give information on the witch trials, Corwin's life and family, and customs, medicine, and superstition in New England during this time period.  

The Witch House is a great stop on your Salem tour, especially if you only have a small amount of time to kill and you're more in the mood for something authentic and historic, rather than something of the cheesy witch-themed variety.  We went through the entire house in about an hour, and while they do offer guided tours, we opted for the less expensive self-guided tour and still feel like we learned a lot and didn't miss out on anything.

After leaving the Witch House, GK and I made our way back to Boston, feeling refreshed by our day out of the city and our step back in time, and in a decidedly more Halloween-ish mood.

  

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