4th of July in Annapolis - A Window into our Past

 



4th of July in Annapolis. 



For many Americans, Annapolis is only known as the home of the United States Naval Academy.  

US Naval Academy
St John's College

But its historic significance is much broader and more mixed.  Toward the end of the Revolutionary War, the City also served as capital to the newly forming American nation when the Continental Congress met in Annapolis from November 26, 1783 to August 19, 1784. Here too, on January 14, 1784, the Treaty of Paris, ending the Revolutionary War, was ratified by Congress. It is home to St. John's, one of the oldest institutions of higher learning in the United States which was the successor institution of King William's School, a preparatory school founded in 1696; the current institution received a collegiate charter in 1784.  Annapolis is where French troops under Lafayette embarked to help our revolution succeed.  It is also where slave ships off-loaded their human cargo, including Kunta Kinte, "Roots" author Alex Haley's ancestor.  
        
Son's 1870 house and Capitol 
USNA Graduation
Annapolis is also where my two son's graduated from the USNA and one lives today.  Today you can still imagine what the revolutionary days were like in the old houses, cobblestone streets and downtown shops, St John's College, and the capital building.  Annapolis has a special vibe of tradition, community and intellectual zest.  It has the "Old Fox"

an old bookstore with, winding stairs, music, nooks and crannies and great coffee and eats. In Annapolis, one can remember our past and also jam with college students singing their own ballads with laments that to them seem fresh, but for me remind me of what I heard on my university campus in the 1970's.  Nights at the old downtown dock (just a block from my son's house) is a cacophony of crowds, bustling outdoor restaurants and street singers.  Maybe my next gig?  I could live here-at least for a while :) 
Downtown by the dock

 
Street fair-Am I back in Greece? House circa 1715









Location: Annapolis, MD, USA

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Sunrise Sunset - Marriage in Lynchburg, Virginia

Image
  Lynchburg, Virginia.  The place of marriage for my oldest son.  The first time all four of my children have gathered together in years. I was expecting Lynchburg to be a backwater, but was pleasantly surprised with what I experienced. The little turn-of-the-century downtown with classic front porches set in the hills above the James River exuded historic Americana.   But Lynchburg also has two of the most authentic Indian restaurants I've experienced outside India itself and a great jazzy pub.  Not bad for a dry county. You can ride the railroad to Lynchburg from Washington D.C. and I recommend you do especially in the fall.  For me a week of preparation with my son including yoga on the river and getting acquainted with the new family made this a very special time. As the ceremony progressed the scene from "Fiddler on the Roof" where they sang " Sunrise Sunset " came to mind. Take a listen.  
Read more

Glaciers and Yoga- Bettmeralp Round 2

Image
A three day weekend afforded me the opportunity to return to Bettmeralp Switzerland, and this time experience trekking over the Alps and down to the Aletsch glacier. It a word WOW! But this Italian phrase says it better. “Non ci sono parole per descrivere questa esperienza.” But I will try.  My challenging treks were punctuated with wonderful yoga and meditation sessions. The glacier is 14 miles long and over a 1/2 mile wide. The crevices are huge and are only traversed with ropes and crampons. Blow up the pictures  down by the glacier and find the people. It will give a little perspective. The glacier's grandeur can only be fully appreciated in person.   Beyond the glacier, the silence and solitude are so cathartic. Winston Churchill thought so as well. My picture  link has a foto of his cabin overlooking the glacier. Still my experience wasn’t all bliss.  I must admit the 2nd day was not only arduous, but challenged me to overcome a primal fear. I had chosen to take the
Read more

Mendocino Coast, Accordians & Ecclesiastes

Image
Hopped a flight to San Francisco to visit family near the Mendocino coast, close an open book, and attend the world famous Cotati Accordian Festival. The redwoods are so big, strong and SILENT. You feel their presence. Something to learn from this. I stayed in my Aunt Lil's old cabin. I drove up on a moonlit, foggy nite to the remote cabin. Such wonderful solitude to reflect or shoot a haunted movie. 👀🌙I shared a meravigliosa Italian meal with family. Great grandchildren to Aunt Lil. Dinner was a plethora of home grown vegetables and homemade gnocchi. Aunt Lil worries that the farm is running down. You can see it and is a vivid reminder that nothing on the earth stays the same. Visiting my 92 year old Aunt and her 89 year old "baby bro", I pondered the question again, what to do and where to live when one's working career is over? Their lives center around extended family, living in nature, and growing. Can that be enough? On this trip I closed one chapter in life.
Read more