We have arrived in Washington, DC but will not be touring FBI headquarters on this visit. I don't think such tours interest Todd and I'm with him. We are yet to see the buildings we came to see but we are in a lovely hotel - Clinton's inaugural ball, etc - and the restaurant has a verandah overlooking a lovely garden - perfect for our G&T this afternoon. Just across the road. our dinner tonight was friendly and affordable - much like the tour, really.
I commented to Tess that our group was solid retired middle class. The UK tourists are impressively well traveled. No doctors, lawyers, dentists or politicians on junkets - few of them would travel this way I think but no reasonable person could complain about the accommodation or question the value for money. We have coal miners, machinists, surveyors, teachers, IT engineers - all sorts - and all lovely to chat to over a coffee or in the bus. I would be happy doing another. I'm not sure about Tess.
We left our comfortable hotel in Harrisburg about 25 minutes late due to a baggage handling issue which infuriated Todd but amused the minimum wage workers. What do they expect for the money they offer? Harvard grads??
Our first stop was at a fake Amish village but the tour was informative. Our guide Don's neighbours are both Amish and due to their lifestyle choice - farming dawn to dusk then f*%$ing all night without contraception - friendly and quiet but he had let his own home to a couple "Shunned" for attending Bible classes which he thought harsh. The Bishops don't like anyone in the congregation reading on their own! The Amish philosophy is a relic of the past and built on intolerance and hypocrisy. They won't use electricity but are happy for oil or gas powered compressors to drive a pneumatic line in their homes which allows for modern conveniences. They refuse education past Year 8 and so have to rely on "English" - their insult for all other people - to save them from illnesses. The poor women working in the pickle shop looked far from happy with their lot but they breed rapidly. I have no time for such hypocrites.
They do live in some lovely country though, part of the Pennsylvania Dutch area, so named because parochial US immigration officials misheard Deutschland and Deutsch for Dutch and so the poor migrants became known. We visited an old grist mill and simple family home and I took some photos of quaint vehicles and the time passed agreeably enough.
We're now watching "Independence Day". Actually, Tess is sleeping soundly and as it is 10.30pm and I have no wifi, I will soon be joining her. I might call it "going Amish":)
Tomorrow is a late start (8) and no bags. We tour the capital and then our tour ends. One more night in the Shoreham and then we move to the Washington Plaza to begin our independent tours of Washington and Boston. Before we know it, we'll be in New Orleans!
Ciao!
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I finally found how to Follow, Rob, so should be more in touch now
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