We haven't any images from the first two-thirds of today. This is probably a good thing. Having collected our hire car this morning, we set off for the 17 mile drive to Salem at just gone 11:00am in good spirits. We've driven on the right in Crete, Tahiti, and Croatia before, so what can go possibly go wrong? It should take us 20-30 minutes by all accounts. It took us just over two hours. Suffice to say, David found driving on the other side of the road a tad confusing. We missed Route 1A and sailed north on Interstate 93. Realising we had gone too far, we took the next available Off Ramp and drove into Melrose, a rather pleasant residential suburb full of weather board houses. Very nice. We stopped and got some directions from the friendly locals. We attempted to follow these to the letter but still found ourselves heading back into Boston over a Toll Bridge. We then plummeted under Boston and finished up coming out of an endless tunnel in Mission Hill where we had walked around the day before. This was a lucky break. There were bits we recognised. We turned right and right again and, eventually, we were relieved to be driving past the same hotel we had picked the car up from about an hour and fifteen minutes beforehand. Girding our loins we set off for Route 1A again. We missed it again but managed to turn back into the city rather than head north on the Interstate 93 at least. We circulated Boston Common three times (as you do) searching for the start of Route 1A. Trouble was, there was a diversion for roadworks (ah, so that was why we had missed it the first time - and the second time, come to that). After much bonding and teamwork (code for shouting and gesticulating), we eventually found Route 1A. It was plain sailing then. Just stick to the inside lane and try not to turn off at the wrong junction. Simple, if stressful. Found Salem. Found the Tourist Info. Found our hotel. Parked up. Decided we wouldn't be driving the ruddy hire car for at least another two days, thank you very much. Nowt wrong with walking, we always say. We like walking. It doesn't help that our Toyota Prius has an interior like the Starship Enterprise. What's wrong with clocks and dials? Why does everything have to be digital nowadays? The fuel display is a series of green bar graphs which, while may be fascinating to some, are a disraction the driver could do without when trying to navigate around New England for the very first time. The gearstick is tiny and is mounted in the centre of the dash. You wiggle it about and trust that it's in the correct gear. Where's the cowin' handbrake? There isn't one, it's a ruddy extra footbrake! We have a lie down in the room for an hour or so and then venture outside. It's about 3:00pm. Gawd.
No wonder Howard is bewitched by Salem.
There's nowhere better than a nice airy museum lobby to relax in when yer bonce is still spinning from driving around on the wrong side of the road in ever decreasing circles. Plenty of places to sit down and gather yer thoughts. Buy a cup of tea. Have a cake. That sort of thing. This is the Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, by the way.
This is plain weird. Construct a house out of wood and slate. Protect it from the elements with greaseproof paper until you can afford to paint/preserve it. We ask you. We need our bed.
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