20110818 – Thursday

Up at 0330, putter around. Sunshine Shuttle picked us up earlier than 0430 (the promised time) and we enjoyed a very quiet ride to ECP, our Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport (whew!).

The Southwest Airlines check-in people came in at 0500. We checked one largish bag and took one carryon each aboard. Took the front seats on the port side. The ride up to BWI was comfortable, as far as I know (I slept some).

We endured the interminable ride to the rental car building off-airport. We picked up our little Corrolla and, using GPS, went up I-95, then around Baltimore on the 695 beltway to I-83 to Susan and Bryant's place. Traffic was the usual DC/Baltimore wacky assortment. Weather is 73*, cloudy with rain in the forecast.

Hugs and coffee and talk, then out for lunch to an Irish pub on York Road. Very nice. Dolores had a crabcake sandwich that she pronounced “good”. I had a messy sandwich of shrimp in a cheese layer with thousand island dressing – good, but it required several paper towels.

Back to the apt for naps all around, then conversation and cat-play. After a bit, Susan had to go to work at the bookshop, which gives me time to do this note. She left us the apt key so we can go out to dinner. We know a ribs-and-seafood place close by where Dolores can get more crab.

(later)

We did dinner at the Corner Stable. D had her half-rack and crabcake. She rates the crabcake as “superior” and loved the ribs. I had fish-and-chips since I wasn't all that hungry. Our waitress was a cute little student who wants to move to Florida – we had a bunch of fun with her.

Then we went to Susan's shop and wandered through it. We'll have to come back in October to get things for Christmas. We stopped at the Food Lion supermarket on the way home to get a few things for breakfast.

Susan is back home, so we're just taking it easy and gabbing.

20110819 – Friday

Up at a leisurely hour, coffee and light breakfast, lots of talk.

We decided to pilgramage to Lancaster, PA for the market there (and the ride).

The market has been in the center of downtown Lancaster for nigh 200 years. It's vendors arrive early in the morning and bring all sorts of meats, cheeses, jars of pickles and jams and jellies, and produce. In addition there are several places that do sandwiches, wraps, and things to eat.

We wandered the place, then split up to get what we wanted to buy and re-convened at a table to eat what we found. We wound up with a bulging tote bag and another smaller bag of goodies.

Then we wandered back to Susan's via little local roads in SE Pennsylvania and NE Maryland. Nice rolling hills and interesting things to look at. At home, I started this and everyone is relaxing.

(later)

So we went to Fazzani's, a little neighborhood place that's BYOB for a casual dinner. D had crab soup followed by crab lasagna, to keep up the crab streak. I had salad and an Italian calzone, Susan a salad caprese and spinach calzone. We brought home the leavings, along with a tiramisu for later; also the remains of the pino grigio.

Relaxing and reading.

20110820 – Baltimore

After closing out last night, friends from our Manassas days called and proposed meeting. We thought about downtown Baltimore, but they have the streets torn up in preparation for a Gran Prix race. We compromised on the Wine Kitchen in Leesburg, VA and will make a “ride” of it. Apple bread from the market with juice and coffee for breakfast.

D is against Interstate driving around here; calls it “terrible”. So we went westward over hill and dale on local roads till we came onto I-70 at Mt Airy, MD. Then out to Frederick and south on US-15 to Leesburg. US-15 hasn't changed a bit in the seven years we've been gone ; still a mess.

Susan looked up the address of the Wine Kitchen to put into the GPS and noticed that the muncipal garage behind the Kitchen is free on Saturdays, so we parked there and walked. We went in and claimed a table; our friends for three-and-a-half decades came in 10 minutes later.

The Wine Kitchen's forte is wine sampling and food sampling. Most of us tried “flights” of wine as tasting samples; we passed them back and forth when we found one especially good. We ordered different foods with the intention of passing them around between ourselves. All of the little dishes were very good. Link: http://thewinekitchen.com/

We also got two small popsicle-like sorbets; one was cucumber-chili flavored and the other was fruit-thyme flavored. In each case, the first flavor was predominant for the first ten seconds or so, then the secondary flavor came on very strongly. I've no idea how they do that, and they weren't telling.

Coffee and desserts (also unique and tasty) followed. We bought two bottles of the wine we liked most to take home.

Throughout all this, of course, we talked and compared photos and talked about future cruises and friends and so forth. They'll be on a cruise later in the year from Puerto Rico to Manaus, Brazil, way up the Amazon, at the same time we'll be off on one in Portugal and Spain.

Finally, we split up with promises to meet in November and do it again.

The ride home was more or less the opposite of the ride to Leesburg. It was a nice day, mostly sunny with temperatures in the mid-80's. Very enjoyable.

Now we're back at Susan's relaxing. We'll do fancy hamburgers with salads when we get hungry.

Tomorrow, the plan is to do church, then do laundry, and head for the airport to head for the UK.

20110821 Baltimore

Up at a leisurely time, then coffee. Dropped D off at church while I went to Kohl's to look for a sweater. No luck.

Picked up D and returned to Susan's to get her, then went to “An Poitin Still” (a faux-Irish place) for brunch. We ate well and chatted. Then we returned to the apt.

We laundered the things we've worn here, did computer stuff, napped (me), and read.

Finally, we just had to leave for BWI airport. The Baltimore beltway traffic wasn't too bad, nor was rental car check-in. The shuttle dropped us off at the International terminal, which was deserted except for a gaggle of soldiers and airmen who are apparently waiting for a plan to go to Europe and beyond.

We had a drink and chatted with other travelers we found in the lounge until the British Airways counter opened. We checked in. In chatting with the check-in person, we heard that American has passed off some passengers to our flight which will fill it up. But we have no worries in that we paid for Premium Economy seating; we'll have enough room to be comfortable and a good window-aisle pair of seats.

So we took a walk around our side of the terminal and returned. We passed through the security check-point (full body scan x-ray machine) and pulled up good seats in the passenger area, where we could see airport activity. We are looking directly at the air cargo and charters area. World has three DC-10's sitting here, one cargo and two passenger. Fed-Ex has a DC-10 and a 767 loading. There's a plane that looks like and up-graded 707 with ATI markings and only a few windows at the rear – don't know what that is. UPS has a 767 waiting to load.

The sun just dipped behind a set of clouds coming in from the west. It's 1950, and our 767 is due to arrive now. Guess I'll put this away and resume later.

(later) We took off a little late, with a delay due to a close thunderstorm. Once in the air, we headed northeast. The crew served wine & drinks, then dinner (which was all right for airline food). Turned out the lights – continued tomorrow.