What a pleasure it was on Saturday last to participate in the European Union’s open houses at several embassies in Washington, D.C. My husband Bob Felter and I enjoyed calling at the German Embassy on Reservoir Road, where we gathered up commercial and tourism information, toured the gardens, ate bratwurst and met the German ambassador. Visitors also enjoyed free chocolates, various wines, other sausages and pastries – yum! In addition we were allowed to see the first floor of the ambassador’s private residence, where high ceilings, elegant dining facilities and a library are located.

After two busy hours we ventured to the French Embassy, also on Reservoir Road, where we gathered up more travel information and learned what battles the French military DID win (there is that standard joke about the French losing so many battles, but they do have victories, guys). More wine was available, of course, but since I was driving, I didn’t imbibe.

Lastly we found our way to the House of Sweden, near K and 29 th streets N.W.,where we visited the embassy roof for a dramatic view of the Potomac River, Georgetown and the Kennedy Center before touring the exhibit on Swedish culture. Who designed the first Coke bottle? The Swedes. They’ve always been known for cutting edge design, and the exhibit was top drawer, as the English say. We also viewed “The Red Houses” exhibit, which is open to the public through June 8. Red houses and buildings are an “inherent part of the Swedish cultural heritage and cultural landscape.” Falu red paint is used everywhere, from aristocratic castles of the 1600s to manor houses and churches in the 1700s, farms and barns in the 1800s and then on working class homes and summer houses of the 1900s. Today you’ll find this classic red paint on museums and modern houses.

A book has been published entitled “The red houses,” with photos of windmills, bridges, castles, barns, stables, transformer stations, oh well, on and on. You’ll enjoy seeing how the red paint is incorporated everywhere in this Scandinavian country with only three major cities.

“Google” www.eurunion.org and see what other activities are going on related to the embassies this month. There also is a publication called “Embassy Events” which charges a reasonable fee for 6 issues during the year and keeps you informed on activities open to the public.

With temperatures hovering in the 80s, we descended on the nearby Washington Harbor on the Potomac River, found a cool restaurant and scarfed up a delicious salad for an early dinner before returning to Annapolis and the Annapolis Symphony’s closing concert of the season. The Harbour Center is located near the Whitehurst Freeway, just south of the Wisconsin Avenue- K Street intersection. Odd architecture, with delightfully cool fountains, but obviously a favorite neighbor hangout for all.

Keep an eye out for a bit of traffic Sunday morning, hopefully before the rain returns, when St. John’s College will host its 216 th commencement ceremony on the front lawn at 10:30 a.m. The speaker will be Bruce Cole , chairman of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Cole was previously a distinguished professor of art history and professor of comparative literature at Indiana University in Bloomington.

Since he joined NEH in 2005, he’s started “We the People,” an initiative to encourage the teaching, study, and understanding of American history and culture. It includes summer workshops at our country’s historic landmarks to enhance teachers’ knowledge of American history. There’s also a program to distribute classic children’s books to libraries and schools in the country.

Graduating from St. John’s are Annapolis residents Gregory Ross Singer and Aurora Date Rivendale and West River resident Sterling Alexander Schlegel . Receiving a master’s degree will be John Talbot Manvel Jr. of Annapolis and Miriam Shulamit Jacobs of Severna Park.

The annual “Maryland Seafood Festival may be gone for this year, but a crab soup cook-off between area restaurants will still be held this September, if the O’Neills of Admiral Heights have anything to do with it.

The Ultimate Crab Soup Cook-Off will be held Sept. 6 at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Karma O’Neill , who was president of the Seafood Festival between 2004 and 2006, and her husband, Sean, entertainment chairman for seven years, have revived one of the most popular parts of the festival. Besides the cook-off, there will be entertainment, activities for children, other food for sale, and displays and vendors associated with “green” efforts.

Admission into the crab soup cook-off tent, where there will be samples of the soups in the contest, is $10. There is no charge for the rest of the event.

Sean also is president of the Admiral Heights Improvement Association, living near Weems Creek, and is totally conscious about the problems in the creek. It has experienced the damage caused by storm-water runoff, algae blooms, and fish kills.

Proceeds will be donated to the Weems Creek Conservancy, the Admiral Heights Improvement Association’s Weems Creek watershed revitalization efforts, and a local soup kitchen. For information, call Karma at 410-268-5813 or visit www.admiralheights.org .