Money down the drain

26 October - My stolen purse contained $550 US & $225 Canadian and my insurance only pays a maximum of $250 on cash. That was the top level of insurance too with no excess. Not happy but what can I do. I can't dwell on it or I'll cry again and I've already cried a river. For the first time I have seriously considered calling it quits and returning home but that just makes the bad guys the winners. Have to try and move on emotionally but it's hard.

Well - to put things in perspective we went to Arlington National Cemetery today. It was a wet day but a little humid and the trees at the cemetery were wearing their best clothes.  I'm still amazed at the colours on display. The cemetery was mind boggling. Every time we crested another rise there was another field covered in white gravestones. I should maybe have felt a feeling of pride that so many died for their beliefs and to keep the world a safer place but my already despondent mood increased and I could only think what a waste of lives. So many were just young men and women - still babies in their mothers minds. We watched the laying of wreaths at the grave of the Unknown Soldier - very moving.

Robert Kennedy and Edward Kennedy both requested plain wooden crosses at their graves and they got special dispensation to have them - they are the only ones like it in the cemetery.

JFK and Jackie Kennedy are buried side by side under an eternal flame with two children - one who was stillborn and another that died only a few months before JFK was assassinated - just a few weeks old.

Every which way you looked  there were just more and more gravestones like below - so sad. Seemed like acres of gravestones.

After lots of driving and trying to park we went to visit another President at the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. Unfortunately the pool has sprung a leak and they are digging it up and rebuilding it so I have added a Google shot to show what it will again be on completion.

The statue of Mr Lincoln was very impressive.

Me and Abe

Left Washington mid afternoon and drove into Virginia. The traffic was bumper to bumper for miles and we only travelled a relatively short distance for the time we spent on the road. We're having a cheap night tonight - camped at an all night Walmart in Front Royal Virginia and currently doing this blog in the Starbucks next door - free Wi-Fi. Need to re coup some dollars :)  I am pretty much over crowds and aggressive drivers and am looking forward to finding a field where I can do a 360 and not see a soul and then yell my head off. I'm sure I'll feel better after that.

Miles # 83.6 (134.5 kms)                    Bugs#947      OLD $3.00