Em and Jon’s Wedding

We’re married! We had such a great time - thank you to everybody who helped make it happen, and to all of you who helped us celebrate.

We drove from Buffalo to Niagara which was a relatively short journey. Or rather it should have been. Jon + TomTom + loony drivers = confusion and a certain amount of driving round in circles which also included several journeys through the same toll….

At this point I should mention the appalling driving skills of our American friends. If they are not tailgating you, they undertake, over take, cut you up and cross over four lanes at the last minute to get off at an exit. Many times this is while they are yapping away with their mobile phone clamped to their ear and on one occasion doing the above whilst opening a map across the steering wheel. It’s amazing that there is no consistency in the law regarding seat belts and the wearing of (it probably impinges on an American’s right to die in a car accident - see 69th amendment). I should also say that we Brits are probably no better, it just seems more scary when you’re driving on the ‘wrong side of the road’!

Niagara Falls was beautiful. The day was really sunny (in fact it was boiling hot - 29C) so we saw countless rainbows. Jon thought it was amazing particularly the gorgeous colour of the water - a deep bluey green. I have been to Niagara before and couldn’t believe how much it had changed . Last time it seemed more run down and tacky. Now it’s more modern, with more hotels and a casino. The horseshoe falls belong to the Canadians and are definitely the best. In fact going over the Rainbow Bridge to Canada from America is well worth the $3 toll and the grilling from a stern looking Canadian customs chap, because they definitely have the best view. They also have some fabulous tacky gift shops, but sadly no Origins. Ed - we have a very special gift for you from Niagara…

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The drive from Niagara to Syracuse was uneventful. Bugger all to look at on the way so we tried to spot as many different state licence plates, which was better than I-spy.

The drive from Washington to Buffalo was a long one (about 450 miles), but it was worth it. I really wanted to see Arlington Cemetery and we just did not have the energy yesterday to walk over the Potomac into Virginia to see it. We managed to get there eventually, although I don’t think they mean you to get there via the north car park of the Pentagon…. So we made a detour on our way to Buffalo and it was worth it for the Womens’ Memorial museum and, of course to see the eternal flame on the grave of JFK.

The whole cemetery is very well organised and looks very like the American cemetery in Madingley, but much bigger. We were impressed with one gravestone which stated that Harold Harriman had served in WWII, Korea and Vietnam. He died in 2005 almost certainly with a chest full of medals. With the memorials of yesterday and today, it really made us wonder about the futility of war - what’s the bloody point!

As we drove away from Arlington, we drove parallel to the Spout Run. This is a small stream in Arlington County, Virginia, which flows on a northeastern course paralleling the Spout Run Parkway through a gorge and empties into the Potomac River opposite the Three Sisters. With the exception of the adjacent parkway, Spout Run is surrounded predominantly by forests. And it is beautiful, but we couldn’t stop because the traffic was going so fast we would never have got out of the turn-out (in other words a lay-by).

After briefly driving through Virginia, we then drove through a big portion of Pennsylvannia and oh what beautiful countryside. Rolling hills interspersed with hedges and clapboard house (usually white) built in the Dutch style are dotted across the landscape. We could live here as well. We didn’t really stop other than for rest breaks, but we wished we’d had time to. In fact we could do with another month, or more here. We got to Buffalo and were dead chuffed as we had a coupon for a deal for the Holiday Inn clipped a room saver magazine. When I picked it up I said that we probably wouldn’t find the hotel as our GPS is not always clear and there are a lot of roadworks which mess it up. We turned off the interstate and blow me there was the Holiday Inn. It was crap, but it was somewhere to have a shower and sleep. And we got it for a cheaper price so we didn’t care.

Favourite bumper sticker: Don’t steal: This Government doesn’t like competition.

Brilliant!

PS: this was my photo of the reflecting pool from yesterday…