Gettysburg

Like any other country, the United States also has a history, albeit a relatively short one. Still, there are always decisive moments. One of these happened over three days in July 1863 around a little town called Gettysburg. This was during the American civil war between the advancing Confederates and the defending Union forces. It was one of the most northern point reached by the Confederates.
The visit of Gettysburg starts with a presentation via a 360 degrees cyclorama painting (with sound) of the battle. Quite impressive, especially since it dates back more than a century. Then, it is time to drive through the battlefield. There are towers to have a view over the fields and the army's positions. Some places have terrible names, like Cemetery Ridge or Devil's Den. At each station, it is explained what the happened there and which side was holding the position. It gives an idea of the changes in fortune over the three days. Still I do not know how the Union managed to emerge as the winner. Was it the bravery of their troops? Was it the tactics and strategy? Was it the better knowledge of the area? Was it the better starting positions? It seemed rather that it was more the failure by the Confederates to win that settled the argument. Sometimes, losing a battle is losing the war...
I must say that driving through the fields and the forests, it gives a sense of the (small) space where the battle was fought. Every year, there is a reenactment of the battle. It must be quite impressive, but also very patriotic.
In the end, the number of casualties was very high on both sides. Around 8000 died and a far larger number was injured, captured or counted as missing. The number of tombstones dotting the drive through Gettysburg is testimony to this. The largest one is the one from Pennsylvania.

Baseball

Being in America, you also need to do American stuff (ok, not all of them...). A famous one is to attend a Baseball game. So there we go - with the metro - to the Nationals Park, the stadium of the Washington Nationals, the local baseball team.
The atmosphere is festive, there are families, everything is well organized. The view from our seats is great. The stadium has the characteristic shape suited for the game. Actually, it is not too difficult to understand the basics of the game - it is much simpler than cricket. And more boring... But we are there to enjoy the ambiance and the food ... ok, I should probably rephrase that.
Uncharacteristically, the Washington Nationals manage to win the game! And quite convincingly, 3-0 against the San Francisco Giants. The runs, including one home run, were scored in the second and fourth innings. The Nationals pitcher was very good. The Giants players were put out in all sorts of fashion. It was also funny to experience a stolen base.
The match lasted around 3 hours and finished at night. A nice evening out.

Rehoboth Beach

Early May provides a good opportunity to look out for nice summer spots. A beach on the Atlantic Ocean would be a great week-end get-away. So we headed to Rehoboth Beach, a little Delaware town, two hours drive from Washington.
The weather was not yet nice enough to go for a dip. The beach seems nice and broad. No comments on the food options... I also spotted a mini-golf and tennis courts. The highlight of the day was when I spotted a group of around twenty dolphins swimming close to the shore. Glad to see that my talents as an animal spotter apply not only in Africa but also in America. The whole crowd was then alerted. Unfortunately, the pictures are not so good, but you can trust me that this is the dorsal fin of a dolphin.

So let's come back in summer! I will keep you posted.