Transcending in Concord

Today the three of us took the communter train out to Concord to meet up with Sarah. Pilgrim Girl met Sarah through blogging. And when Sarah heard that a visit was pending, she graciously invited us up to Concord for a tour.

First, we stopped by her house, which is just steps from the station, for a bit of a chat and something to quench our throats. Her home is full of books, bright colors, and comfort.

Then it was off to the local deli/specialty cheese shop to pick up lunch. Nichan ended up getting a specially made sandwich from the sandwich specialist who was here for her last day ... Italian deli with all kinds of goodness. It made my mouth water just to hear it, so I ordered the same. Other delicacies that we picked up, some triple cream brie, local goat's milk with cranberries, crackers, chili-flavoured raw chocolate, olives, and stuffed eggplant.

Sarah drove us out to Walden Pond (really more of a lake, but "pond" seems much quainter) to consume out feast. Had a bit of a kuffufle getting in ... a violent, mechanized dispenser that rudely shot out the parking permit at the ground. Sarah uttered the fabulous line of the day, "What would Thoreau think?"

The day was just lovely. Filtered shunshine that warmed us gently, although not enough that I would even consider swimming the length like the ten or so people that we saw during our picnic. The leaves were jsut starting to turn a magnificent shade of crimson on a few select branches. And steps from which we were able to lounge on as we chatted and contemplated the breeze making patterns on the water.

The we walked over to the recreation of Walden's little house. Small, one roomed place. Large enough for a fireplace, a bed, a desk, and not much else. Not the he would have needed much interior space, what with the woods and the lake to draw him out. And, given the fact that he had laundry done and meals delivered by family, it doesn't seem to have been too hard.

And, a short visit to the gift shop. Thoreau was so imminently quotable ... there are so many phrases that I recognize as his, and yet I don't think I've ever read one of his works cover to cover. Something to put on my to-do list. Found a set of woodblock note cards to bring to Georgia Peach and Wry-an. And we got to talking with the guy at the counter. Historian, and re-ennacter, which means that he has costumes! Pilgrimgirl may have winced, but I thought it was great. And, found out that Thoreau pronounced his name "tho'ro " (as in, The writer did a thorough job of explaining the situation.), and not "tho-ro'" as I accustomed to hearing it. Around that time period, there was a great anti-French bias, and he was trying to distance himself from any connection to those marvelous purveyors of fashion and cheese.

Sarah then drove us to
The Old Manse. We wandered around the foregrounds, taking in the garden that Emerson had planted as a wedding gift for Nathaniel and Sophia Hawthorne, and luxuriating in the beautiful wonder of sunlight filtering through dense tree leaves. When we went to purchasee our tickets for the house tour, the gentleman at the desk advised us that Emerson house was open later than Orchard house, and that we would still have time to visit both if we wanted. And yes, PG, Sarah and I resoloutely did. So, we left Nichan to peaceably wander the grounds, and made our way down the road.

Orchard House was the Alcott family home from 1858-1877. It was here that the Alcotts mingled with the other American transcendentalists such as Thoreau, Emerson, Fuller and Hawthorne. As we toured through the house, I wondered what it must have been like to grow up in such company. Louisa May Alcott's father was a teacher and educator, even if he was not very proficient at providing financially for his family. Her mother was the first paid social worker in Massachusetts. And she held company with some of the most progressive and intelligent people of her day. LMA wrote Little Women while she lived at Orchard House. There are recovered thermal prints of visitors that May (Amy in the book) painted on the walls, and little paintings that she decorated the window sills with. There is indeed a writing couch with the mood pillow that the family used as a barometer of Louisa's approachability. And the parlour where the Alcott girls staged their numerous plays.

And yet, there are differences. There was no one solitary Teddy, he being a composite of many male friends. LMA never married, but was heavily encouraged by her publisher to have Jo marry in the book. May did marry, but it was overseas, and she sent her daughter to Louisa to raise before she (May) passed away. Seems as if Louisa was much more ascerbic and harsh than Jo, but that only makes her seem more real. Louisa served as a nurse for two months during the Civil War, but was forced to quit due to worsening health . She was never the same, but reportedly never regretted the experience. Need to find a good biography so that I can find out more about this fascinating woman.

Back at the Manse, we joined in the tour. What a charming, lived-in house. Weeks later, what I remember most are the scrawled messages and poetry lines that Sophia Hawthorne inscribed with her diamond ring. All in all, it was charming. Afterwards, we just sat on the lawn and under the tree, breathing in the peaceful atmosphere, and luxuriating in the beauty of tree-leaf filtered sunlight. Somehow standing makes me more tired than walking.

Sarah then took us to an organic market. She bought a peck of honey crisp apples, and we munched, and watched dusk descend over the farm. So peaceful and restful. Then it was time to leave. Sarah drove us to Alewife, where we picked up the T.

Back in Boston, I picked up my laptop (huzzah!), then joined Pilgrim Girl and Nichan at Pomodoro. I was in the mood for Italian, and this bistrino seemed to fit the bill. However, it seems as if some people have had really bad experiences there. Hmmm. Well, it might not be for everyone ... payment is cash only, it's quite small and intimate, and the restroom is across the street. But even with all of that, I liked it. The food was tasty and interesting, and it was quite and mellow, with a clear view into the kitchen. We finished the night with cups of gelato down the street.