Next,
Lincoln kindly drove us all the way down to their other home
Maryland. Frederick is another colonial town, that grew at an
important crossroads: the main roads still lined with 18th
century houses, mostly in a rich deep red brick, which gives the
centre a very attractive feel. It acts as a focus for a wide area and
is busy in the evenings, with many bars and restaurants, which we
sampled. There is also a well maintained linear park running through
the town alongside its river, Carroll Creek.
Lincoln
and James' townhouse has been carefully restored and once again we
had a comfortable stay. They have only been here a few years but
seem to be well in with the local scene. On the Sunday they took us
to their friends' 'Dark and Stormy' party centred around Stormy
Daniels' interview on CNN, the latest episode in the soap opera that
is Donald Trump. Some very friendly people there welcomed us into
their home and circle.
On
a glorious, sunny day in Washington DC we walked for miles around the
Mall, taking in the ceremonial heart of the nation: Congress, the
Smithsonian museums, the White House and the Lincoln memorial. It
was poignant to think about the high principles of the great founders
of the nation, and compare them with what goes on in these buildings
today.
Lincoln
also took us to the battlefield site at Antietam, which gave us a
good insight into the events of the Civil War. Beautiful countryside
now on another brilliantly sunny day, but it suffered the worst loss
of any US battle in a single day – over 22,000 dead on both sides – in
a crude, bloody and brutal fight, which was ultimately indecisive in
the war. Nearby is the Gettysburg field where Abraham Lincoln,
the 16th president, on the verge of victory, praised those who fought so that his
nation “shall have a new birth of freedom – and that government
of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from
the earth.” A pity that so many politicians today – and not only
in the US – offer hatred and fear of the other, rather than
inclusiveness and hope.
Our
great thanks to our Lincoln for ferrying us around and to him and James
for their continual hospitality.
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