Thursday 30 April 2015

schedule in disaray

Well it was supposed to be the Kennedy homes walk today however there was thunderstorms scheduled so this has been postponed until tomorrow.  I have however had a lovely day.  Headed off to the first site in the Kennedy addresses which is close to here being the Times Herald building where Jackie worked as a reporter before her marriage .  The building has clearly changed name now but at least I was on the correct corndr.  Would you believe when I was headed to the Whits House after this suddenly all these Police on their motorcycles closedmoff an intersection.  Well all these police came down the closed off part followed by all these cars and a huge van which I assumed was Prezident Obama.  However when I asked one of the Police there he said no it was the Japanese President which was reallu disappointing.  I explained I had come from Australia and it would be really good if Obama had time if he coukd also come down the drive.  Well he just gave me the strangest look and then just smiled and said well no mam I dont think he can do that.  So then I headed to the White House which is much smaller than you imagine.  Then headed to the Washington Memorial for a look.  Now I have been to Washington a couple of times and have never found the Lincoln Memorial and would you believe I just turned around and there it was.  I headed over to tat but what the guide book doe not tell you is that there are a lot of quite steep steps to get up.  Well I am huffing my up totally out of breath and would you believe a couple of those deary people who run up steps passed me.  I then h3aded to Arlington Cemetery and along the wzy stoppex for coffee and a muffin.  Now there are lots of helicopters fling around this part of Washington and thdy fky so low that while I was having my coffee I heard one behid me and actualk ducked my head.  Arlington must be the saddext place in Washington.  Of course the Kennedy gravesite was the most popular however people were taking selfies which did not seem quite appropriate.  I was walking around wondering about the xifferent sizes of the headstonez and would you believe a guide was telling his group that the small ones are the ones the government suppliez and the larger ones the families do.  I then headed to the American Museum of American History which was just unbelievable.  They have a Presidential exhibit which incudes a lot of the Inaugural gowns some dating back to mid 1880.  Apparently it is the done thing that these gowns are donated to this museum.  Unfortunately Jackie Kennedys gown was away for repairs.  I also saw an original Star spangled banner which is just huge.  It is the 150 year anniversary of the death of Lincoln and in the museum is the carriage he used to go to the Ford Theatre the night he was assassinated.  It was a spur of the moment decision to go to the theatre according to the sign next to the carriage.
Tomorrow off to the Kennedy homes tour anf Georgetown.  Washington is like a lot of US cities in that all the supermarkets and shopping is right out of the city.  Hopefully there will be both in Georgetown.  Also I have not seen any public telephones at all anywhere in Dc.

Oh apparently it is excursion time for the schools in the US and the favourite destination is Washington so there re lots and lots of s hool groups in Washington at the moment.

Wednesday 29 April 2015

Hello from washington

This will be a short note as the internet is uncertain.  Arrived in New York yesterday and stayed at the lovely Garden Inn and Suites for the night and off on the shuttle to JFK this morning for the 90 minute flight to Washington.  All went well yezterday apart from the arrival service I had booked arriving about 30 minutes late.  Another limo service that was waiting for their client felt that sorry for me that he said he would drive me to my hotel for nothing if my service did not arrive.  Well after 30 minutes  and three phone calls they arrived.  Honestly the free hotel was much realible than the 100 dollar one that I paid for.  Washington has been very warm today but there are rains forecast for tomorrow.  I have never given away so much money with this tipping.  I went to the CVS store today and the lovely assistant said that I could save money with one of their cards which I of course jumped at but the I had the horrible thought that I might have to tip her for that advice!  Off on my Kennedy homes walk tomorrow.
J