Salisbury, MD

Thursday

Leslie and I had just enough time to pack our bags and check out (the hotel people very kindly let us leave our bags in the office) and race downtown for a quick tour of Little Italy and the Inner Harbor. We took a water taxi around the harbor and got a nice view of all the restaurants and hotels and museums they have built up down there. Wish we had more time for those museums! We had some scrumptious desserts at Vaccarro's in Little Italy. The streets there would look like Europe except for all the cars and ugly street signs. Then we took the Metro/lightrail back to our hotel and caught the BayRunner Shuttle to Salisbury (about a 2 hour drive).

We were met in Salisbury by one of our instructors, Dr. Patty Dean. She drove us around the "scenic route" to view a little bit of Salisbury before we stopped to have dinner at the Market Street Cafe with our other professor, Dr. Ernie Bond. They are both very friendly, down-to-earth people with a love of books and talking. ;-)

Leslie and I had the pleasure of staying in The Carriage House, a very nice, on-campus accommodation like a little cottage. I wish our entire trip would be like that, but I know there will be times we'll be "roughing it" a little more.


Friday

We had class at Salisbury most of the day and met some of our fellow students (some will be joining us at the airport).

Afterwards, we drove out to Assateague Island for a view of the ocean and a glimpse of the Wild Ponies. Yes, they have wild ponies in Maryland! They were really something. Tame enough to get close to, but not enough to touch.

Then we drove through Ocean City, a very "beach boardwalk" kind of popular tourist place (very east coast feel) and had dinner at Macky's right on the water. Great sunset!


Saturday

Brief class this morning again. Met with one of our guest authors, Bernice Steinhardt, author of Memories of Survival. She tells of her mother's survival in Poland during the Nazi occupation. The beautiful embroidered illustrations were made by her mother before her death in 2001. I really enjoyed meeting and speaking with Bernice. Also, I got a signed copy of the book.

This afternoon, we are off to BWI airport and on to Iceland!!!