We finished off in Washington DC by visiting the Capitol building and then walking down to the Reflecting Pool, the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington monument. Sadly the Orange King has decided the reflecting pool needs to be painted blue! After 103 years of being a notable piece of architecture in DC, admired and maintained by millions of people, it is apparently not good enough and needs to be painted dark blue (the colour of the blue on the US flag)…meaning it won’t reflect 🙄. So, it has been drained and another black 2m high steel fence has erected all around it. Extreme arrogance and immense stupidity.

We recovered ourselves and walked on in to George Town, which is a lovely older part of DC to explore.

We left DC the next day and headed on to Norfolk, VA, to visit our friends Pervaneh and Tim. Pervaneh suggested we take the scenic route, so we did. We stopped for lunch in Salisbury (one of about 100 Salisbury’s around the area 😂, mostly spelt correctly) and met a lovely couple running a small bistro. She was intrigued to find out what we thought of her scones. Conclusion, more of a rock bun than a scone but lovely all the same 🙂. We then drove the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. 17 miles of mainly bridge with two stretches of tunnel, which allows shipping and larger marine life (whales) to pass through, spanning right across the bay. Exciting to drive over/under 🙂.

Pervaneh and I (Si) worked together at CA. Tim is in the army and was posted to Norfolk almost 3 years ago, so they have been there ever since. It was a total joy to be able to spend time with them, be shown around the area, drink lovely margaritas 🍸 and be able to use a Kettle, or “Water heater in the world of Americans, to make a real cup of tea 🫖. Sadly Nato decided to start an exercise the day we got there so poor Tim had to go into the base for 3am each day and work a 12hr shift 🥱.

As we write we are now in Charlotte NC, stopping over at the home of NASCAR before heading to Atlanta to stay with another friend, Don. Off to look at the Speedway tomorrow before we leave.