Washington DC

My next stop was Washington DC to visit another of my Uni flatmates - Katie and meet her very soon to be husband Kurt. Not sure Kurt knew what he was letting himself in for having only just moved in with Kate then having me turn up for a couple of weeks to catch up on all the gossip and wedding chat having not spoken properly in over a year!!

The Smithsonian Castle in Washington DC is the information centre for all the Smithsonian Museums - I visited a few of these the last time I was here but there are so many and they are quite big so still lots to do on this trip - and they are all free ;-)

The tomb of James Smithsonian the guy who left the money for these museums to be set up - funny thing is he never stepped foot in the US when he was alive his body was brought here from Italy some years after his death!!

The Hope Diamond on display in the Natural History Museum is allegedly cursed bringing bad luck to everyone who has owned it as legend has it that it was stolen from the eye of Hindu God Sculpture and is linked to a number of famous people through history.

Chom Poo Moo just keeps getting herself into dangerous situations!!

The White House - it isn't as big as you might expect!!

A demonstration outside the White House against the detainees in Guantanamo Bay.

How cute are these ducklings?????

A school brass band on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial.

Chom Poo Moo thinks she could easily sit in the Presidents chair!!

The view over the Reflection Pool and Washington Monument - this reminds me of the Clint Eastwood film 'In The Line of Fire' when C.E. watches Rene Russo walk away and tells himself if she looks back she likes him!! I know it is sad that I like to identify movie scenes from the places I visit - but you all know that anyway!!!

The Korean War Memorial.

The Washington Monument - probably one of DC's most famous landmarks.

Capitol Building - where congress and other legislative bodies do their damage....

Chom Poo Moo was feeling a little tired after all her sight seeing so thumbed a lift on this giant spider!!

Some more Rodin sculptures which were in the Sculpture Gardens - the one thing I always notice about his stuff is how giant the hands are.....

Some cute little chicks who I could hear crying as I walked past some trees.

But not to worry mum soon turned up and made sure I knew who was in charge...

Chom Poo Moo loved the Air and Space Museum - particularly joining in the experiments!!

I just wanted to know how they get all these planes/rockets etc into the Air & Space museum???

And Chom Poo Moo got very excited when she got to meet one of the astronauts.

My favourite part of the Air & Space Museum was an exhibition of photographs of Saturn.

The National Indian Museum was interesting with lots of history and up to date information on different tribes - the one I visited in New York is part of this one but much smaller.

They had the 2nd half of the Fritz Sholder exhibition - Vampire Kissing Angel - my favourite of his paintings.

I think it is quite funny that this portrait of a baby by Van Goph is worth millions - I wouldn't be happy if he drew my baby as a green blub!!

Glad technology has brought camera's down in size - this one wouldn't fit in my rucksack!!

I spent a few hours in the Holocaust Museum which although quite disturbing was interesting and I learnt a few things I didn't know - this tile wall was made by local school kids who are not allowed into the main exhibition due to the graphic nature of some of the displays.

The Ford Theatre where Abraham Lincoln was shot a few days before the end of the Civil War.

Peterson House opposite the theatre where Lincoln was taken and later died in this bed.

Arlington Cemetery - where service men and woman can be buried. A sad but peaceful place to walk around and see thousands of grave stones - many of young men and many more of unknown names.

Arlington House - this whole property belonged to Robert Lee before the outbreak of the Civil War - when he resigned from the US army to fight for the confederate and left his home it was taken over by the US military as a base and later the cemetery was started here. Though he is the only person who has ever fought against the USA who has a official memorial in his memory!!!

Changing of the Gaurd and a Wreath presentation at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

The Memorial Antheneum

This tree and book are dedicated to the journalists who have died during the numerous wars.

Kate and I managed to catch up with Alka, Anish, Ajay and Masi for lunch when they were passing through DC which was good.

Kurt says goodbye and escaping for his health before Kate's first Bachelorette Party (AKA Hen Night) The formal one being in the Caribean in a few weeks a couple of nights before the wedding (oh yes I will be there too!!).

Me and Kate at the start of the night.

As always these things start off calm and sensible....

And a few bottles of Champagne later things start to get interesting - Kate laughs at the presents the girls brought for her.

And then the fun begins......

How many people can you squeeze in one cab (9 when you use the boot!!).

Kate and Scott in the pub.

And of course it isn't a Hen Night (unofficial or not) without the bride being made to get her photo's taken with lots of boys - preferably very cute one's :-) It was a fun night and I am looking forward to doing it all again in a couple of weeks.

Next morning Kate and I headed down to Georgetown - the old part of DC - we considered going for cupcakes - but this was the queue - Kate's hangover and my tiredness were not up for waiting in this line!! Who queue's for cupcakes???

But we did go for a nice walk along the canal and grabbed some lunch before heading home to take it easy :-)

This is my second visit to Washington to visit Kate - the last time I came we had a long chat about things which ultimately led to me taking my career break and doing this trip. It was great to be able to spend some time here again have a proper catch up and with her and of course get to know Kurt before their wedding.

It has been lovely to catch up with some of my friends whilst in the US - I have been taking things a bit slower than I had been earlier in my travels which I was ready for. As much as I love seeing everywhere it is tiring moving on every few days.

Later today I am catching a flight down to Fort Lauderdale for a few days before hitting Miami then the Carribean - will be there for about a month or so as visiting a few islands and catching up with some more friends and of course going to Kate and Kurt's wedding. After that I have no idea yet - I am watching the Swine Flu (one of the reasons I'm not planning anything too far in advance) and will just see what happens and where I can get flights to from the islands!!!

No sure what internet access I will have over the next month so don't worry if no update for a bit - remember I am meeting people who should notice if I don't turn up ;-)

Hope that the sunshine is coming out for you guys at home (or wherever you are).

Jack xx

Philadelphia

A monument on the waterfront in Philadelphia in memory of the Quakers who arrived here in the 1680's to escape persecution from the Church in England.

Benjamin Franklin's grave - the only non President to appear on a US ($100) Bank Note - if you ever get that question right on Who Wants to be A Millionaire - think you at least owe me dinner (or a plane ticket depending on how much you win!!)

The first American Flat was thought to have been made here at Betsy Ross House - 13 stars & 13 stripes for the then 13 states of the Union.

Because the Quakers didn't believe in naming streets after people when they established Philadelphia those running West/East were called after trees/food etc - I even saw one called Elbow St!!! The North/South running streets are numbered though 'First' Street is 'Front' Street as again the Quakers believed only God was First.

I was lucky enough to catch the Cherry Trees in blossom - very pretty - and they only blossom for a couple of weeks.
Elfreths Alley which was built in 1775 and is America's oldest continuously residential street.

Chom Poo Moo enjoys meeting some of Philadelphia's colourful characters.

Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed on 4th July 1776.

The Liberty Bell which was brought over from England in 1751 to Philadelphia - the original USA Capital City - mainly became a national icon during the Civil War when anti-Slave groups (and later woman's right groups) used it in publications to promote their cause (hence the name of course!!) . The big crack in the bell was made deliberately in event to stop a hairline fracture circling along the bell - didn't quite go to plan though!!

The Jellybean People display at the Liberty Museum - don't want to count those things!! Quite an imaginative way to highlight the message of equality to kids - that though all different colours on the outside all jellybeans are the same....

An old Fire Engine at the Fire Brigade Museum.

There were some funny badges for the different fire crews.

And I liked this stained glass window.

Isaiah Zager over the last 30 years has recycled various items to cover over 40,000 square feet of Philadelphia with tiled Mosaics - these one's are at the 'Magic Gardens' which locals fought to keep after the local government wanted to sell the land for development.

I couldn't come to Phillie without trying one of the famous Philly Cheese Steaks and where else to do that than at Pat's place where in the 1930's 2 Italian brothers created them. You can tell Phillie's favourite Cheese Steak restaurants as there are big queue's outside them and as you can see from the board there is only one way to order them - I was warned that if you don't do it right they will just leave you standing there and move onto the next customer - enough motivation for me to make sure at least one person in the US understood me!!

My sort of message.....

After my visit to the Fire Museum I spotted lots of these plaques on the houses in Phillie - they show which insurance company you were with in event of fire only fire engines from this company would attend a fire at your house - there was lots of dirty tricks played - blocking of roads/smashed hydrants/violence - to stop fire engines reaching fires in an attempt to gain more control and of course money!!

Lots of nice old buildings here as well.

The Philadelphia Art Museum - most famous for the steps that Sylvestor Stallone ran up in the original Rocky movie before punching the air (are you now humming the theme tune??) - very funny to stand here and watch loads of people re-enact that scene from the movie.

And once they have their breathe back they have to go get their photo taken with Rocky himself :-)

The "Gates of Hell' & 'Thinking Man' at the Rodin Museum.

Some quirky artists & street entertainers along the streets.

The Eastern State Penitentiary built in the 1820's this place had running water before the White House - when it was first opened prisoners were taken to their cell with a hood over their heads and never saw another person during their whole sentence - fed through hatches/exercised in a small yard of their cell and hooded if they ever had to leave.......

Chom Poo Moo didn't like the thought of this life style so decided to mastermind her own escape...

Things had eased off a little by the time Al Capone served his sentence here for illegal possession of a firearm - though the police & courts were trying to be tough on him he seemed to have a pretty easy time on the inside!!

The sun came out so I went for a walk around Fairmount Park and was entertained watching groups of people Disco Skate....

Baseball certainly seemed the game the locals loved.....

Some road worker had a sense of humour and had drawn this little dead guy on the road next to the zebra crossing lines!!!

Sunset over Phillie.

Think the photo's about cover my few days in Philedelphia - the sun came out which made it really nice to wander round the city Lots of history here and it's a fairly laid back & pretty city.

Travels continue to go well - no disasters or illnesses (avoiding Pig Flu!) and no gossip for you....so am going to head off and get myself to bed.

Will be back soon.....

Jack xx