LAST OF BALTIMORE

Last days in Baltimore. Yesterday the Constellation was moved for the first time in a long while. It was taken by tugboat tow down to Annapolis to participate in the 150th anniversary of something or other. The ship was restored here over the last decade or so, and has become a fixture in the harbor. They had the usual politicos giving speeches, schoolkids waiving flags, and volunteers trying to figure out how to release the lines and coordinate with the tugs. After a few false starts, they got a tug alongside the aft stern side, hooked a line to the stern and another to the side, and off they went. Slowly. After they backed her out, and got her straightened in the channel, it was off down the bay to the Chesapeake. The Baltimore fireboat had its water cannons going, another ship was firing cannon rounds, and it generally was a pretty neat sight. The dock where it sat looks mighty lonely. After actually doing some work in the hotel room, I took a water taxi down the harbor and out to Fort McHenry to do the Star Spangled Banner thing. There’s a lot more history involved in the battle there than I had realized. It pretty much turned the tide against the whole British campaign. Interesting to see that much of the fort is preserved just like it was in 1814. Much lore about Francis Scott Key and writing the poem (it wasn’t set to music until later). Picked Loni up at the end of the convention and we took the water taxi down to Fell’s point to a restaurant that I had scoped out yesterday. Turned out to be the find of the trip. An unadvertised place called John Stevens Ltd., right at the Fells Point Landing. Loni had seabass in a sauce-to-die-for, and I had almond crusted halibut that was wowser. We both rated that dinner as one of the all-timers. You’d never think the place was much from the outside, but they know fish! Today we had our first sleep-in (to 8:30). Really needed to recharge the batteries after five nights of about 4 hours sleep per. Did our packing, checked out, checked our bags, and took off on a walking tour of all the surrounding neighborhoods. Very neat old buildings, many about 200 years old. Took some photos which I’ll post with this. Had a late lunch-dinner at a French patisserie called Napoleons. Brie sandwiches and great fruit tarts. The sun came out for our water taxi trip back to the main landing to end a picture-perfect stay in Baltimore. I wasn’t keen on coming along, but I’m sure glad I did. This is a great city to visit. We’re waiting in the hotel lobby for the Super Shuttle to the airport. Hope we get a van with brakes.