Great Day at the Peabody Essex Museum

From left to right:
Back row: Mary Beth, Bill, Ian, Erika T., Betsy, Erika A., Paula, Nicole
Front row: Beata, Jill

On Saturday, April 3, a group of about a dozen BSLUGs convened in Salem, Mass. at the Peabody Essex Museum, to take a guided tour of the exhibit, "Fiery Pool: The Maya and the Mythic Sea". The exhibit, which runs through mid-July, had only been open a week. It's a very impressive, small exhibit in a beautiful space, complete with facinating interactive learning installations. Our tour guide was fine, in spite of the fact she seemed to not notice that we weren't school children. Many of the pieces on exhibit, dating from the 4th-11th centuries, were perfectly preserved, having been buried for hundreds of years. Painted vessels and sculpted panels depicted scenes with mythical aquatic creatures emerging from the bubbling sea.

Hungry, we emerged into the bright, sunny daylight, squinting our way to the Gulu Gulu Cafe where we found the perfect table for all of us. It felt a bit like being back in Santa Cruz, the weather being perfect, the doors of this funky cafe were wide open to the ocean breeze. Great beer, delicious sandwiches, and wonderful company - what more could you want on a beautiful Saturday afternoon!