January 2017 Web

We travelled by public transport throughout our holiday and it was
during our journeys that we were able to learn what the locals felt
about the then forthcoming presidential election. One man told
us, “Americans are stupid, but they are not that stupid (to vote for
Trump)”. Little did he know what would happen three weeks
later...
On then, by train to New York, a four-hour journey taking us along
the coast, through the countryside, and then near the city of
Philadelphia. The colours of the trees test one’s vocabulary to try
to do justice to the various shades of yellow, gold, pink, orange,
red and brown.
New York, of course, is a city of skyscrapers. Central Park is an
oasis in Manhattan where one can take a carriage ride, cycle, roller
skate, or simply walk and enjoy the views and the autumn foliage.
In the area known as Strawberry Fields, there is a memorial stone
dedicated to John Lennon, who was shot nearby as he left his
home in the Dakota Building in December 1980. Often there will
be a Beatles’ fan, sitting on one of the benches there, strumming
a guitar and singing one of the fab four’s many hits.
Four days later and it was time to move on to Washington. The
train journey was not as interesting as the previous one, mainly
travelling through towns and built up areas. After several hours,
we arrived at the splendid Union Station with its imposing
entrance and magnificent roof. The weather was unseasonably
warm and touching 90 degrees Fahrenheit, apparently beating all
previous records for an October day.
Washington is, of course, the capital of the United States so there
was plenty to see; the White House, the Capitol, the Lincoln
Memorial, Washington Monument and Arlington National
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