Wow what a time we had in Massachusetts for Joanie’s wedding! We spent most of our week in the North Shore area (Ipswich, Essex, Manchester, Danvers, Peabody, Salem, etc.)
After getting settled at the Comfort Inn in Danvers, we drove around looking for a GMC dealer to get an oil change. After that we headed off to a bookstore for Chris and I found out where we should eat. If you are ever in the mood for the best New England Clam Chowder go to Legal Sea Foods ( multiple locations). Their clam chowder has been served at 7 presidential inaugurations. Their motto is, “If it’s not fresh, it’s not Legal” Ha Ha. Anyway it’s chock full of clams, potatoes, veggies and flavor. Not too creamy, too thick, just right. I also had the fried clams there. They were very juicy and popped in my mouth. I won’t even bore you with the other places we went to that didn’t live up to their advertising.
On Thursday night after the rehearsal we all went to Periwinkles for dinner. If you’ve ever read Glamour magazine (and I’m sure most of you haven’t) there is always a page where readers send in a photo of themselves in some exotic locale with the current issue of the magazine. Whoever gets their picture printed in the next issue wins a subscription. Anyway, look what I found under the sink in the men’s bathroom at Periwinkle’s restaurant. 
Ok the obvious question is, “What were you doing in the men’s bathroom?” The women’s restroom was occupied and the restaurant was closing so I used it so there.
The next day we had lunch at the Singing Beach Club in Mancester by the Sea. After lunch we all went walking on the beach.
Saturday was the wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony in a small episcopalian church in Ipswich. The reverend says that the episcopalians are very inviting and more open than the catholic church and they let anyone who wanted to take communion come up and get it. If I was marketing the episcopalian church I would say, “It’s Catholicism Lite, all the ceremony with only half the guilt!”
After the ceremony we headed off to the reception where we all ate way too much. There were butler passed hors d’oeuvres and antipasti for appetizers. An open bar all evening. For dinner we had a pasta action station. There was an amazing pumpkin spice ravioli with pomegranate served there. Mmmmm. Then there was beef, chicken, two kinds of salad, starch, etc. Joan’s cake was beautiful. She stuck with a very simply decorated cake and added fresh flowers.
Oh yeah the next day was Nando’s birthday (groom) so we had two different kinds of cake served and then there were chocolates for everyone at each place setting. Joan you’re too much!
Oh yeah I forgot to tell you that the Crane Estate in Ipswich is where the Witches of Eastwick was filmed. Huge estate grounds and a castle! The Crane family made its money in toilets. They’re plumbing tycoons silly! The estate in a trust and is loaned out to lovely people like Joan and Nando.
We only spent a half a day in Boston and half of that was trying to get off the freeway and find our exit for Boston Commons (the oldest park in America) From Boston Commons we followed the Freedom Trail to many historic buildings around the time of the Revolution. We had lunch at the Green Dragon Pub. It’s one of the oldest restaurants in the city. 
