A monumental city

I love Washington DC and its proliferation of monuments and memorials. I’d had a fleeting visit once before and this time had a whopping two days to reacquaint myself as I made my way south to Florida.

My hostel was centrally located and my feet were ready to do some serious walking. (In fact too much walking in not entirely appropriate footwear gave me a blister which required medical intervention a few days later.)

These are just a few visual snippets of the many things I saw.

One of the most stunning memorials is the combination of the Lincoln Memorial with the reflecting pool in front. Symmetry is another strong feature of the city and the way the Washington Monument lines up here is a prime example of this.

The Korean War Veterans Memorial is impressive, constructed with much thought and symbolism. It includes this low wall of names from the 22 contributing nations.

The Vietnam memorial was at the top of my list to see. Unfortunately half of the wall was under wraps, undergoing a spruce up or something. But you could still appreciate the size and significance of it. I left the poppy that Dad had given me.

The World War II memorial is appreciably massive. This again is just a small portion.

I walked around the beautiful Arlington Cemetery. As well as the changing of the honour guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns, I sought out the grave of John F Kennedy.

Looking forward to a planned return visit in 2013!