Hi Mommy,
I barely have time to unpack my stuff and settle down when we are off travelling again! Today we arrive at the airport. We are all so excited!
Are we there yet? Are we there yet?
After we arrive, we are all very hungry. We go to a place called Nando's Peri Peri Chicken. It's Portuguese style African grilled chicken. I am not sure what that means... only that it tastes delicious but a bit spicy.
For dessert, we got some nata pastry. It has egg custard in it.
Then, we arrive at the Union Station train station. Opened in 1907 it was a very busy transportation terminal until trains ceased to be the major mode of transportation. After some disuse, the station was reopened with shops inside and today is again one of the busiest place in Washington. We come here to join a bus tour of the monuments.
Our first stop is the Jefferson Memorial. Thomas Jefferson is
an American Founding Father and the third President of the United States.
In the background you can see the Washington Monument.
This is the statue of Jefferson. On the wall are excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, written in 1776.
Next we visit the Roosevelt Memorial. Roosevelt can be said to be the most popular American president because he served president for four terms, a total of 12 years (he died 5 months after his third re-election)!
Hmm, I guess Roosevelt is really popular!! We couldn't get close to take a nice picture!
We took a picture with the statue of his dog, Fala.
This statue represents a man listening to Fireside Chat, a series of broadcast where the president talked to the American people, reassuring them during the war and the Great Depression.
On the wall is etched part of a speech he gave during WW2:
"I have seen war. I have seen war on land and sea. I have seen blood running from the wounded. I have seen men coughing out their gassed lungs. I have seen the dead in the mud. I have seen cities destroyed. I have seen 200 limping, exhausted men come out of line—the survivors of a regiment of 1,000 that went forward 48 hours before. I have seen children starving. I have seen the agony of mothers and wives. I hate war."
Hmm, I think he sounds like a nice president. I would vote for him too!
This statue is a relatively recent addition to the memorial park. It shows Roosevelt in a wheelchair. His disability was not publicized during his life, but after his death people put up this statue to show that a person is not limited by disability.
We then visit Lincoln Memorial, built to honor the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. The memorial has been the site of many famous speeches, including Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
On the wall is The Gettysburg Address, delivered by Lincoln during the American Civil War and considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. It begins with the phrase "Four score and seven years ago."
Last we visit the Vietnam War Memorial. It's too dark to take pictures.
This is the directory listing the names of those who fought in the war.
