MARYLAND and VIRGINIA (English version)

Maryland and Virginia, April 25^thuntil April 28^th2018

When we wake up, it’s raining, but fortunately last night’s thunderstorm is gone. This is not the weather to be outside so we stay in our room and use the time to do our administration, I am translating while Dick publishes. That’s why we don’t leave our hotel till half past 12. Meanwhile the rain stopped but the sky is grey and cloudy. It’s 54 degrees but not really cold, we only need a jacket.

View on Baltimore Harbour

We drive to the harbor to ask Pride or we can deliver our RV tomorrow. Katrina, the one who takes care of the shipping, is not present so we drive to downtown Baltimore. When we arrive at Barnes & Noble (finally I find a new 18 month planner) I phone with Pride.

I am very tense as Katrina says she has nothing of the shipment of our RV but fortunately, after some searching, she finds a file with our name. Tomorrow we can deliver our RV. We walk along the inner harbor of Baltimore. There are few tourists and all the boutiques, just like a year ago, are still covered behind plastic, and eat at Five Guys. As always there is so much food that we have to walk around to digest. Fortunately, there are some caches in the neighborhood. It brings us to the highest roof on two parking garages from where we can look over Baltimore before driving back to our hotel. The rest of the evening, we read and talk. Thursday April 26^th, the sun shines and the sky is blue. I set the alarm clock at 6.15 am but we wake up at 6 am, so at 7 am we drive to the port in Dundalk. Dick with the rental car and I drive our RV. It is strange because this year Dick did the majority of our driving, 34500 miles. We’re lucky because, despite the road works just before the toll bridge, the traffic jam is at the other side of I-695.

Paperwork at Pride Agency

Of course we arrive too early at Pride, its 7.45 am but when we arrive at the office, already 2 couples are waiting. Pride opens at 9 am so we have all the time to talk to each other. The four will start their 6 month’s trip today, we leave. After the necessary paperwork and payment (we’re forgotten that we had to pay in cash and hardly have the money) we walk to the RV. TWIC service arrives moments later and escort Dick and the RV to the port. Unfortunately I am not allowed to come with and wait outside in the parking lot. No punishment because the sun is shining and in the lee of the parked cars it’s nice and warm. I even roll back my pants and sleeves. Dick returns after two hours, normally it’s shorter. Not because there were problems with the paperwork or the RV, but because there was no place to park the RV. It took a long time to find a place. The paperwork took less time. Dick has to replace the door handle (we took it away) so a policeman can have a look inside the shower and the bed. After one glance he says it’s in OK and again Dick can close the connecting door.

Lighthouse Havre de Grace

It’s now 11.30 am and we decide not to drive to Delaware. After our last Sonic milkshake we drive to the old town of Belair, MD where we walk around and then we enjoy the Chesapeake Bay in Havre de Grace, MD. At the bay is a beautiful lighthouse, built in 1827 where 4 generations of lighthouse keepers took care. In 1920 it’s equipped with an automated system and stayed in service until 1975.

The sun is shining but because of the wind it’s not warmer than 63 degrees. End of the afternoon we are back in our hotel room where we still enjoy the sun in our room. We eat the leftover Chinese food, drink our last glass of wine and read on in our thrilling books. Friday April 27^ththe sky is covered, no sun is shining and it rains when we wake up at 7 am. While having breakfast, we do our last laundry and I skype with auntie Ank for more than an hour. Once the laundry is done we pack our bags and at 11 am we leave our great hotel in Linthicum with two bags of each 32 pounds and two backpacks of each 18 pounds.

Putting on compression Socks

In Columbus, MD, we stop at REI, where we look around. I find beautiful bright yellow compression legs. They are not only beautiful in color (at least I like it) but are also on rollback. For a long time I want these for the plane, I will try them tonight.

Of course we also go to Walmart for the last time, have toast with cheese in our car for lunch and drive to Dulles International Airport. At 4 pm we arrive at the car rental, where we leave our Hyundai Tucson and moments later we are on the bus to the airport. There we only have to wait 10 minutes before we check in at Iceland Air. Unfortunately we are unable to get two chairs next to each other. Yesterday the computer also refused us to have two chairs. Now we sit 9 rows apart.

Last meal in The Kitchen by Puck Wolfgang

After the security checks we go to a restaurant where we have great food and at 8 pm we already board the aircraft. Thanks to the fact that Dick is placed between a couple (they give him the aisle chair) one of my fellow passengers wants to exchange seats

Buy Nolvadex UK

, so during our 5 hour flight to Iceland we sit next to each other.

We’re glad we had a great meal at the airport as Iceland Air doesn’t serve (free) food and only once brings one soda. The movies are good and thrilling so we have not much sleep, only 2 ½ hours, before we land at Reykjavik.

Welcome at Schiphol International Airport

On the airport we have time to drink a coffee and visit the restrooms before we board the next flight, bringing us three hours later in Amsterdam.

Hannah and Auntie Ank are waiting for us. After drinking coffee together and talking, we take the train back home and arrive at 3.30 pm. Our house is still there thanks to the good care of Danielle. It’s strange to be back home but it feels good.

Now back home we have time to look after some facts.