Sunday, Baltimore

Have spent a lovely day here:


Baltimore's Inner Harbor: The Constellation, the World Trade Center, Harborplace and one of the ubiquitous gulls.


The Constellation from the steps of Harborplace. That's part of the National Aquarium in the lower left.


Looking toward the stern with the Maryland Science Center, a church and another tall ship in the background.


The view overhead from beneath the mainmast on a beautiful day.


Some of the cannons, though the one they still fire is on the quarterdeck.


The captain's sleeping cabin off the great cabin.


Everyone else's "sleeping cabin," such as it is.


Scaring the tourists at Harborplace with a shot.


Across the harbor at dusk: the aquarium and the power plant.

The threatened thunderstorm did not arrive, the temperature was near 60, and the harbor was relatively quiet, perhaps because of the accident yesterday. We walked a few blocks to the Constellation from the parking lot near the Science Center, around the Inner Harbor where an Andean band was playing -- we could hear them the entire time we were on the ship, nearly two hours. We did the pre-recorded walk-through tour, but because we had kids with us, we could go on the Powder Monkey tour as well, which meant lots of hands-on stuff -- turning the capstan, getting into hammocks, etc. My younger son got somewhat rambunctious, as he wasn't allowed to haul at one point, and the "Master at Arms" gave him a resounding lecture on what would have happened to him in the Navy; he behaved much better after that, heh.

It was absolutely perfect weather to be on the ship, warmer below the waterline than on the gun deck, and afterwards we walked around a bit and watched the paddleboats in the shape of sea monsters before going to Harborplace for dinner (seafood of course -- I had salmon, hubby had crab cake, younger son had popcorn shrimp, older son had a burger to be ornery; we all shared crab soup and coconut shrimp). I read H.M.S. Surprise in the car and finally get the "you have debauched my sloth" line -- hee! Though the vampire bat discussion may be my favorite thing in all the books so far.

I suppose I had better see whether any Trek news has erupted in my absence...