I cannot tell a lie!

Yesterday evening we drove to the Crab Shed, by St, Michaels Harbour. Its a really picturesque spot overlooking the sea and a focal point for crab-mad connoisseurs. Of course, we don't fit the bill in this respect, but 'when in Rome'! We engaged with the waitress, a charming local girl, who advised that for novices like us, Snow Crab was the one to go for. However, witnessing giant plates of crustacean being delivered to the adjacent table, complete with bags and wooden mallets, convinced us to opt for a less technical option! We ordered giant lump crab salad ....... delicious and no mallet required! As we sat munching crab and gazing into the harbour we watched as clouds grew grey and the water transformed from 'mill pond' to 'heaving mass'! We overheard say that whilst the restaurant was still open, it would probably close soon, if the storm threat crystallised. That did it for us! Having cleared our plates, we set off for the car and retreated to the motel, stopping only to pick-up and ice lolly, at which point rain appeared. However, to be truthful,the full fury of a storm wasn't realised and we enjoyed a great night's sleep! This morning, the air was cooler, but it was clear that we had a muggy one ahead.We retraced our steps tos Washington, managing to steer our way round a series of 360-degree loops in its highway system, and docked at Mount Vernon ..... George Washingtons estate, just outside the historic town of Alexandria.

It oviously receives many visitors and today was no exception. But we joined the masses and enjoyed a meander through the grounds and Washington's fully restored home ....... well worth the visit. We spent the early part of the afternoon driving the hudred or so miles south to Richmond VA, once the the capital of the States. The I95S was busy and outside it was in the nineties, but we arrived at the Omni Hotel at around 3:00pm ..... the Omni is quite flash and close to all the attractions, but like all such establishments, everything is kerrrr-ching! Wifi has to be paid for, cars have to valet-parked, and its impossible to get hold of a luggage cart without there being a Bell-hop attached! (Fortunately, I managed to guess the code for opening the safety deposit box, thereby avoiding at least one charge ..... and we have a good view!!

(The guest mini bar menu showed the price of a bottle of Beefeater Gin to be $140 ..... not many drunkes around here!) A good day and another Sirrus XM 60's piece of music by the Animals to round it off.