Lifestyle of Learning 2016 Edition: Volume Three Part Three

Still in Baltimore we took a bus down the road, saw this memorial to George Washington...

and went to the Walters Art Museum.  It is a collection amassed largely by a father and his son.  Their website describes it in this manner, "The Walters Art Museum is one of only a few museums in the world to present a panorama of art from the third millennium B.C. to the early twentieth century."  And it seems to be true, the breadth of their collection is astounding, inspiring.

We saw European porcelains, including some that had been at Versailles, French and Dutch art, natural curiosities, arms and armor, Renaissance and Baroque art, artifacts from the ancient world - Roman, Greek and Egyptian.  The middle ages were also represented with Islamic art, Early Byzantine and Gothic pieces, Ethiopian Christian pieces; there were altar pieces, stained glass windows, Crusaders pilgrim badges, manuscripts, and so much more.   

There was a break for a game of chess...

and a mad dash (another twenty minute walk) back to the train station to catch the final train to D.C.  Then back on the metro and another twenty minute walk to get back to Christian's apartment.

After a final push to finish the move and returning the internet equipment and such  we went to a hotel near Dulles Airport.  We had a great dinner, great conversation, lots of brotherly joking and finally, the next morning we had to say goodbye to Christian.  Via shuttle I took him to the airport, got him checked in then sent him off with lots of love.  Bishop and I then got on the road and reversed course.  Although snow remained in place where it had been piled... 

...the drive home was sunny and bright.  We occupied our time by listening to lectures on Puritans vs Witches and Patriots vs Tories, we had more conversations on ethics and medical technology.  We talked about the speed of light (typically 186,000 miles per second but has been slowed down to 38 mph by scientists who shot a laser through extremely cold sodium atoms), tachyons, and space travel.  We watched the results of the South Carolina primary and the Nevada caucuses come in and discussed politics.


In the meantime, Maceo was home alone.  On Monday and Tuesday he finished up rehearsal for Aladdin Jr.  On Wednesday he performed for the preview audience and officially opened the production on Thursday.  Including the preview performance he had seven shows while I was gone.  He hung out with friends, played football, read some of Fortress of Solitude, helped friends do some moving, did an interview with a local news station and, I am certain, explored many other things independently while I was gone.

So, Christian's new adventure has begun and he is in Korea now.  Bishop and I have arrived home safely and we all brace ourselves for a whirlwind of a week before us.  We will continue to explore the world around us, attempting to engage in it fully and learning all the while!