Maryland

It's day number two in Maryland and all is going well. I am here for a two week training course for work and then a week of fun with my In-Laws.

Yesterday I flew into BWI (Baltimore/Washington International Airport) and then I had a great evening with Chris and Dennis. We ate an amazing dinner at The Irish Inn at Glen Echo. We laughed over finding the restaurant under the "American" food-search option in the GPS and the fact that I told them I would eat just about anything, except for grits, which was recommended by our waiter. Dennis had their White Bean Stew, Chris had their Pork Chop, and I had their Lollipop Lamb Chops - Y-U-M-! The restaurant's atmosphere was inviting and the decor was charming. One particular painting had a great saying; tonight, I did an internet search and found out that it is an Irish Blessing. I'm not one for spiritual quotes, but I've taken a liking to this one:

May the road rise to meet you,
May the wind be always at your back,
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
The rains fall soft upon your fields and,
Until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

Tonight my co-worker, Brent, and I ate at Jaleo, an authentic Spanish tapas restaurant in Bethesda. We spent a little bit of per diem and these are a few of the tapas we ate:

Codorniz con salsa de romero y alioli con miel
[Grilled quail with rosemary sauce and honey alioli];

Pollo al ajillo con salsa verde
[Grilled marinated chicken served with a parsley purée and garlic sauce];

Tortilla de patatas
[Spanish omelet with potatoes and onions]; and

Manzanas con hinojo y queso Manchego
[Sliced apples and fennel with Manchego cheese, walnuts and sherry dressing].

Stay tuned for more...