Cambridge, Oxford, and the best Crab Cakes ever...

Our last few days in Cambridge were notable for the lovely company we encountered "on the wall" and the creation of our own exquisite crab cakes. We were able to purchase a pound of fresh backfin crab - harvested that very morning - which came with the J. M. Clayton Company's own recipe for making these savory treats. I am definitely not a big fan of shellfish in ANY form, but I was willing to try this...We followed the recipe with only the substitutions necessitated by our limited larder, gently sauteed them in olive oil, and sat down to the first scene above. Wayne was mortified when I brought up some ketchup - he said, "that's impossible, you can NOT use ketchup on crab cakes!". I explained that this was "just in case..." but the miracle happened - they were delightful! I did not need the ketchup at all and in fact would gladly make them again but only if we are able to obtain the delicious, fresh crabmeat that the Chesapeake is known for. Now having our own secret recipe for the best crabcakes in the world, we will be willing to share it with those by email request only. We met a tremendously nice family from the Annapolis area - Dan, Eleanor and Sandy Shanahan (grandma) and their 3 young sons and shared stories, beer, and barter items. I could not help but give these lovely ladies some earrings, for which they gave us what must have been the best steak I have ever eaten and a whole lot of it, not to mention fabulous vegetables from Sandy's own garden. For three nights we ate like kings (our own crab cakes and 2 nights of steak and veggies). This aspect of sailing cannot be beat. After speaking with Dan, we decided to make an overnight stop in Oxford, Maryland on the Tred Avon River. The lovely sunrise and harbor view with the tented racing boat are from Oxford. Although tiny and extremely sleepy, Oxford is a great overnight as the general store has all the provisions you could really need and everything is within easy walking distance. The "beach" - about 15 to 20 yards of soft sand - is a prime spot for picking up beach glass, and brave folks do swim in the water there. Oxford has a small but excellent museum, which featured an exhibit of scrimshaw art from throughout the region. It was fascinating and beautiful. There are convenient tennis courts, parks, and lovely tree-lined streets with typical Chesapeake restored houses. It was well worth the stop. The next day we continued south to Solomons Island, Maryland where we are presently. We spent the most absolutely delightful evening last night conversing with three true southern gentlemen from Richmond, Virgina aboard their 36 foot Beneteau. They introduced themselves as Billy, Bobby and Nelly (for William, Robert and Nelson). They invited us for a sip of Benedictine or a "perfect Manhattan" and conversation. It was an amazing conversation as Bobby is actually a PhD Economist now working in the private sector, Nelson is an architect and engineer, and Bill is actually Bill Broadus, the former Attorney General for the State of Virginia. These three extraordinary men met and became friends in prep school, and celebrate their ongoing friendship with a sailboat cruise every year they can. Bill is a magnificent orator with a mellifluous voice, deep and rumbly with that honeyed southern accent. It was so much fun to have the chance to just chat with these charming gents, and to appreciate the artful way Bill used his voice, presence, and encyclopedic vocabulary. Truly, the art of being a Southern Gentleman is still alive in these three. Now we are at anchor, surrounded by Quebequois on all sides. It gives me a great opportunity to practice my French, but these folks are all so young we were wondering how they could be on the same adventure. In fact, they ARE all travelling to the Bahamas just as we are, and intending to sail for the entire year. They explained, they all have no kids yet, and are merely "taking a year off". Makes me wonder what kind of great system the Canadiens have that they can do this. At any rate, we have yet to attend a Vera Bradley fundraising event for Breast Cancer on Friday, taste the tropical drinks at the world-famous Tiki Bar, and find a good place to watch football this weekend. Solomons is going to be a great place to spend a week.