Day 15 - Baltimore

Today is the 400th anniversary since the first African slaves arrived in the English controlled areas of what is now the USA. Christopher Columbus and the Portugese were the first to bring slaves to the New World in the early 1500s.

This morning we visited a farmers' market held under a freeway. The longest queue was for smoked roast beef which is sold by weight.

One of the wealthiest neighbourhoods of Baltimore is Locust Point. Fort McHenry is at the end of the Point. This is famous for being where in 1812 the Baltimore Harbor was defended against attack by the English Navy. It is also where the anthem Star-Spangled Banner was written about the Garrison Flag, now known as the Stars and Stripes.

These flags are flying from ordinary houses in Locust Point. We had very nice crab cakes for lunch at a neighbourhood bar called the Hull Street Blues Cafe.

Day 14 - Baltimore

Breakfast was included at our hotel, but there are lots of families with kids staying here so it wasn't peaceful. At the Italian Disco restaurant in Little Italy we ordered three "appetizers" for lunch - the vegetable and salad dishes were very nice, but the meatballs were served undercooked. When we complained we were told that is how the chef cooks them! They took that item off our bill.

Near the inner harbour area there are a couple of old power stations. One is now a museum and the other is a Barnes and Noble bookshop with the Hard Rock Cafe next door. These used to burn coal to produce steam to generate electricity. The towers are still in the bookshop. It was disconcerting to see an armed security guard in the bookshop.

In the Charles Village neighbourhood there are rows of brightly decorated houses known as painted ladies. This trend started in 1998 following a competion aimed at making the area more attractive, cleaner and safer.

Baltimore is a poor city with one quarter of the population living under the poverty level. About two thirds of the population is Black or African American. There is a very high crime rate, not just on the streets but among the highest levels of government. A former police commissioner was imprisoned for tax fraud, and the former mayor resigned this year after allegations of corruption were made concerning her benefiting from city contracts.

Day 13 - Harper's Ferry to Baltimore

The temperature dropped after a thunderstorm last night. We were fortunate to be at a restaurant and missed the downpour. On our walk home we saw two deer.

We then saw what I thought was a bird nest, but it is more likely a wasp nest.

This morning we were notified our train back to Washington was running 40 minutes late. Fortunately it made good time and we were able to catch the train to Baltimore. It was a quick cab ride in the rain to our hotel.

While waiting at Harpers Ferry Station this goods train passed through. It had four engines up front and was probably more than a mile long, carrying double decker containers.

Pennsylvania Station at Baltimore is another grand structure in the Beaux-Arts style with original fittings and an amazing ceiling.

Day 12 - Harpers Ferry

Harpers Ferry has been inundated by floodwaters more than a dozen times since white settlement. Three bridges have been washed away and 42 people died in the 1870 flood. Many of the buildings in the lower part of Harpers Ferry are now set up as museums or displays showing how the early shops and buildings would have looked in the 1800s. These are managed by the National Parks Service, but there are no staff supervising any of the exhibits. The record flood height is 36 feet.

In one building there were markers showing the height of the two 1996 floods, both of which were above our heads at 29 feet.

The nation's essential infrastructure is desperately in need of attention. We walked over the rusty bridge that spans the Potomac River. It carries several goods trains every day.

This creature was wandering around the ruins of the Chesapeake-Ohio Canal. It is about the size of a huge cat. We think it is related to the badger family but can't identify exactly what it is.

The Ledge House B & B is very spacious and comfortable. Our host Annie is originally from Northern Ireland. Unfortunately the historic property needs some attention. The view is special, but without a car it is a steep climb to get here and return from outings. However, it has one huge advantage over a boring hotel - this place has two cats but so far we have only seen Maria.

Day 11 - Washington to Harpers Ferry

Today we parked our suitcases at the Amtrak luggage storage facility at Union Station. We are carrying essentials for two days, plus those non essentials that wouldn't fit in our cases. I warned Anita that it was uphill to our B & B, but the reality didn't sink in till she saw these steps.

   

I added Harpers Ferry to our itinerary as it is not a large city, and is within walking  distance to an Amtrak station. The town was settled by Europeans in 1733 and has a significant history. An abolitionist named John Brown raided the armoury at Harpers Ferry, but he was caught and subsequently hanged. His actions are regarded as having triggered the civil war in 1861.

During the four years the war lasted Harpers Ferry was a key military position at the confluence of the Sheandoah and Potomac Rivers. It changed hands several times during the war, until General Lee surrendered in 1865 and was pardoned by President Lincoln.

Bridge over Potomac River - Appalachian Trail

Anita packing away her raincoat at Harpers Ferry historic station

 View down High Street

Beautifully restored house for sale

Georgetown

This is an attractive neighbourhood with historic houses, boutique shops and cobblestone streets. It was so hot we were offered a glass of water when we ventured into one of the shops.

There is a cat café where this totally relaxed moggy was sleeping against the shop window. These are the only cats we have seen so far in the USA.

Smithsonian American Arts Museum

This Smithsonian building is more dramatic than much of the artwork on display. It occupies the block between F and G Streets and 8th and 9th. There is a huge rectangular courtyard in the centre of the building. This has been covered by a wonderful self supporting double glazed roof, which allows the whole enclosed area to be air conditioned. It was lovely and cool sitting at the Courtyard Café.

The dark patch in the courtyard is an almost flat waterfall. The roof was designed by London architects, which I thought ironic given the building's purpose is to exhibit American art. The third floor architecture speaks for itself.

 

There was a special exhibition on Votes for Women. The painting of the four Justices of the Supreme Court was not part of the exhibition, but the Suffragettes made their appointment to the Court possible.