Week 3, part two

WW2 memorial

We decided to tour the memorials by night, when the temperature was cooler and the crowds smaller. Despite the influx of biting insects, seeing the Washington monuments by night was a great way to see the city lit up, and in a more tranquil setting than during the day.

WW2 memorial/ Washington monument

The WW2 monument is incredible, it has a pool, fountains, a pillar for every U.S State and territory. Two sides completed with columns and wreaths, representing the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean. One the floor, symbols like the American eagle, the Latin, E pluribus unum ("Out of many, one") decorate the tiled floor.

WW1 monument

Lincoln memorial exterior



Lincoln memorial interior

The monuments that struck me the most were either World War Two, or the Lincoln Memorial, which conjured up odd memories of both Martin Luther King Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, and Forrest Gump, in equal measure. To me American history genuinely appears as a combination of moments which determined the course of the modern world, and famous parodies mocking such moments which are almost as famous. As someone here reminded me, the entertainment industry is America’s biggest export, and so they make a point of doing it well.

We also visited the Korean, Vietnam, WW1, and Albert Einstein memorials.

Vocabulary learnt;

Panhandling - begging