I have a big project coming up. It has been on my list for a long time. It is to make an illuminated manuscript just like they made in the Middle ages.

Here is an example. And this is a particular type of illuminated manuscript called a Book of Hours.

And I also am going to be making the paper myself. I am going to go to the root of the project as much as possible and keep it as pure as possible.

Well anyway, there is a museum here in America, The Walters museum in Baltimore, that I had visited during my adventure around America and I am on their email list.

I got a notice that they were opening up a new exhibition for a limited time. It is made up of 20 medieval illuminated books that are all 500 years old.

So I planned out a mini adventure to Baltimore. And I did some research and added some other sights into my trip. I took a six hour train ride to get there and I stood in a Motel six for four nights.

And I am a traveler. I have done a fair amount of it. So... the weather is always something I am very aware of. And aware that it will be different between where I live and my final destination.

But, I was caught totally by surprise to experience this:

When I left my Massachusetts home early in the morning the temperature was 47 degrees Fahrenheit so I was bundled up pretty good with a sweater, coat and woolen hat.

And when I arrived in Baltimore some ten hours later the temperature was 85 degrees! I am glad I packed a t-shirt in my backpack.

For three days and four nights I spent time in my doorway, or hanging on my balcony and I watched all the various people on the other side as they lived, hung around, smoked cigarettes, had their kids play and just lived their motel life. It was a fascinating experience in people watching. I took this picture when there were no people just to protect their anonymity.

A street in Baltimore

Spending three days and four nights in the city afforded me the time to walk around a lot and get a good feeling for the city.

And I discovered that there is a very vibrant arts community in the city. It is a bit gritty yet there is a whole lot going on in terms of arts and creativity. I was really surprised to see a number of small theatres and playhouses. And there is graffiti everywhere. But there is a certain amount of pride in he graffiti. It isn't random. It is deliberate and cultivated.

This is partially due to the amazing array and variety of universities and institutes including Johns Hopkins, the University of Maryland, the University of Baltimore, Loyola, the center of Architecture and Design, and more.

Like I had mentioned I spent my time in a Motel 6 and I ate most of my meals in a McDonald's right across the street. This home base gave me a really good insight into the local people and the daily life milieu of Baltimore. And there are aspects of the city that are gritty and very rough and tumble. There appears to be a sizeable homeless population.

Will's summary and thoughts about Baltimore:

I love Baltimore. It is a gritty and tough city. But it has an astonishing array of museums, theatres, universities and so much more. I spent three days walking the city from one end to the other and all around. I probably logged about 20 miles of walking so I got a good look at the milieu of Baltimore.

Here are some pictures I took walking around Baltimore.

The Train station

One of the various theatres in Baltimore (The Parkway)

Another theatre

(Inside the Parkway - They don't make theatres like this anymore)

The Basilica

The Belvedere hotel

Graffiti Alley

1. The Walters Museum - which included a whole bunch of wonderful things including the illuminated manuscripts, a 17 century Flemish chamber of wonders, and a great exhibition of Medieval arms and armor.

2. The Edgar Allan Poe House (And his grave site) -

3. The famous Graffiti Alley - This was an unexpected surprise for me.

4. The Basilica of the Assumption - It's a beautiful cathedral but I was very much surprised by the fact that it was not built in the gothic style.

5. The Peabody Library - They do not build libraries like this anymore.

6. Overview of Baltimore and my stay there - You are on this page right now.