Greeted by a cloud-filled sky we started our day, once again, on the school bus. This time Salem was our destination.  After a bumpy but brief ride we arrived earlier than anticipated. With some extra time on our hands, we scattered around Salem to enjoy the autumn atmosphere and drink the first (or perhaps second) coffee of the day. 

  

  

Following a dramatic show at the Salem Witch Museum and its teeny-tiny additional exhibition, we visited the memorial of the nineteen innocent victims executed during the witchcraft hysteria in 1692.  It is safe to say that we were not the only ones visiting Salem today, since the town is particularly popular during the approaching Halloween festivities. 

At around noon we all spread to explore the witch shops, haunting houses, restaurants and as you can see, the pillory. Almost any building you`ll find in downtown Salem is a store selling objects related to witches. Be it T-shirts, jumpers, costumes, tarot cards, spell books, herbs, wolf fur and even preserved spiders and snakes. There are dozens of people offering anything from seances to aura determinations. Many visitors were dressed as stereo-typical witches/wizards. Wearing pointy hats, lilac belts and leather boots. So much so that I almost felt that Halloween had arrived early this year. 

After our ride back and an early arrival at RMHS we headed in diverse directions. I went to a large retail shop. Snooping around in the isles of these enormous stores is amazing. There is an abundance of different products unavailable in Switzerland and the sizes keep blowing my mind. In the evening my host-mother prepared a mock Thanksgiving dinner after I`d told her we do not celebrate it at home. I really appreciate the gesture and could end the day on a fulfilling rich note. 

  

Johanna C.