Last days in Washington

With HFS, or Holiday Fatigue Syndrome beginning to set in, our last few days in Washington have been done at a slow slow pace. We have discovered that it is really only possible to see one Washington museum per day (with a few other sights thrown in), to do them justice and before the brain goes into overload.

However, I can now reel off a number of key dates in American history, sing the last line of the National Anthem, and I know that the original Constitution of 1787 contained seven articles and that the Bill of Rights makes up the first 10 amendments. I also know that there were 13 States, who signed the constitution, but I can only name 10 of them. A full investigation for the other three will have been completed by the time this blog is posted.

But I digress again. Back in Washington on Friday, yet another sunny day reigns – no pun intended. I know that you are tired of hearing about our good weather. “They’ll get some really, really bad weather, soon. You mark my words”, I hear you thinking. Actually, I am thinking this too. It is too good to be true.

So, Friday morning started with a full cooked breakfast in Takoma Park, to the North of Washington, with Denis and Kay (remember Minneapolis and Lake Superior? Come on now. Keep Alert), just a few blocks from where they lived in the 1990s. What better way can there be to start a day in preparation for a guided introduction and trip up the Old Post Office Tower, followed by a quick trip around the National Archives.


Did I say “Quick”? “Quick” was the plan. Apart from a “quick” walk down to the gates of the White House, to have our lunch and do some photographic posing and then back, we left the Archives several hours later. The museums are so well done and so interesting. Whether I will really remember any of it in six months time is doubtful, but at the time, facts as well as impressions flow into the mind.

There really is some amusing material. The original of a letter from a school boy to Ronald Reagan, asking for Federal Assistance, after his mother had declared his bedroom to be a “Disaster Zone”, together with the President’s reply, which is mixture of the factual and humorous and ended up with “Please send my best regards to your mother”.


Saturday morning saw us with a similarly naive plan, this time for a “quick” (this word again) visit to Mount Vernon (home of George Washington), and then to go over to Annapolis. We spent over five hours there, and then managed to get to Annapolis (Capital of Maryland, in case you were wondering), for a stroll around the town and then to meet my good colleague from Deutsche, Charlie Dwyer and his wife, Annalisa, for dinner.


Does anyone know who the sculpture represents? This is situated near the sea front at Annapolis. Please send your answers to me, together with a self addressed adhesive email. Answer to be revealed in a later blog. No prizes, I’m afraid.

Then back to Baltimore and ready for Reveille at 05.00 on Sunday to catch the early flight to Boston....and here we are.