1. Day in Washington

Our goal on today's day in Washington was the second largest cemetery in the USA, called 'Arlington National Cemetery'. There, among others, John F. Kennedy, the deceased of PanAm flight 103 and the fallen of the First and Second World Wars and many more are buried. This cemetery exceeded all my expectations because it was simply gigantic. We spent about 2 hours in the cemetery and still didn't see everything. However, walking around in 32 degrees and bright sunshine without a single cloud was difficult. The cemetery consists of several hills and almost every hill had a special feature. One special feature, for example, was the changing of the guards in front of the grave of the first 'Unknown Soldiers'. It was a soldier who was supposed to be relieved by another soldier by an officer. This general made an announcement at the beginning that all 'spectators' should stand up and be quiet. Somehow, it became boring after 5 minutes and we continued walking. Directly behind the changing of the guards was the amphitheater, which means that if a head of state dies, the ceremony takes place there.

It was definitely impressive. The highlight of the cemetery was, of course, the view over the whole Washington, as well as the grave of John F. Kennedy.

Unfortunately, you can't see on the picture how huge the cemetery is and it's hard to imagine. It's about 250 hectares, which is almost 350 soccer fields!!! As already mentioned above, the grave of John F. Kennedy was also one of the highlights.

This is the grave of John F. Kennedy. Unfortunately, you can't see the eternal flame properly (in the middle, the circle). It also looks much smaller on the picture than it actually is. After visiting the cemetery, we were allowed to check into our apartment. We were all exhausted because we had driven through the night. After a short nap, I was able to Skype with my better half. I have to say, I'm incredibly grateful that Skype exists, it always makes me feel better and reduces my longing for a loved one. What made the day even more perfect was the idea of my mother to go back to Washington city and see something else. We parked right by the sea and immediately saw the 'Jefferson Memorial'.

Unfortunately, I can't post videos online, otherwise I would show you how amazing it looked when the planes from Washington airport took off and flew very close over the memorial. A little further into the city was the 'Washington Monument'. The sights were beautifully illuminated because the sun was setting.

What stood out in Washington were the many joggers and sporty Americans. Here, you can see very few well-nourished US citizens compared to, for example, New York (Brooklyn). It was really quiet and pleasant. However, it was already 7-8 pm. Tomorrow morning will show whether the city is still as quiet in the morning or whether it has become as stressful, with a lot of traffic and loud noises like New York. Tomorrow, we will definitely visit the 'White House' and other smaller attractions.