Right after a few days off, here is the Virginia and Washington post. There’re good reasons for the delay, long days, technical problems to sort out in the evening and being a huge tourist, but the problem is I’ve now got rather a lot to say as the last four days have been some of the best of the trip.
Riding up the beautiful Potomac river last night with first the Washington monument, then the Capitol dome, then the whole sweep of the city opening out on the North bank, was really special. Getting to the Atlantic felt good, but this felt amazing, really grin from ear to ear amazing. As the last 15 miles was all along a bike path it also had an amazing sound track, a little classic rock heavy (Zeppelin, Dire Straits, Pink Floyd, etc) but pretty sure the genre was invented for moments like this.
The strange thing though is it was just another high point in a 3 day stretch of high points. Whilst sweating through the desert, swamps and mountains of the South and West Virginia, Richmond, crossing the Potomac, standing on the Mall, these things took on a rather mythical hugeness in my mind. And it’s not disappointed.
Northern North Carolina has got a charm, but I’m pretty sure all the buggering around and doing as little as possible, whilst relaxing, would drive you round the bend after a little bit. Crossing the Virginia border the change was almost instant. Seeing as Richmond was the Confederate capital it’s almost silly to say but it felt very different to the deep South. 
It’s a very tedious British tourist trait to try and compare everywhere in the world to back home (“oh look Camilla, doesn’t downtown Mogadishu remind you of Shaftesbury in summer,” that kind of nonsense), but Virginia really really does have echoes of home. Winding roads through woods and green fields in gently rolling countryside, squint and you really could be in the West Country.
Squinting of course will hide the fact the farm houses look different, but the concept is very much the same. Unlike a lot of the deep South which was often surprisingly heavily populated in rural areas, in a way we’re not used to back home, much of rural Virginia appears to set out in a far more familiar way. Whilst I’ve seen only one or two of the plantation palaces, mostly I’ve passed endless manor houses, especially in the Southern end of the state. And whilst some looked like they’d seen better days, there is clearly a little bit more cash sloshing around in Virginia, Especially as you get into Richmond and then Washington D.C.’s spheres.
Unfortunately the first night in Virginia I picked a motel in the rather unnerving end of Petersburg. And after a night behind a double looked door I was glad to get onto highway 1 North to Richmond.
Highway 1 is like heading through the cradle of American history. Every ridge has another sign to a battlefield of any of the 3 wars that have raged on the American mainland. It’s also a vast commercial highway, so you have the juxtaposition of the fascinating and the old amongst the U-Hauls, McDonalds, and every other franchise you can think of. Like historic sites you see tucked off the edges of motorways out of London.
Richmond was surprise. Given it’s place in American history there is no reason it should’ve been, but it was. Once North of the river the city is handsome looking place, with a lively and well maintained city centre, and the university area is charming. Unfortunately I’d set myself a goal of Fredericksburg a fair few miles North, so my visit was brief and I needed to crack on. Not least because the terrain has seriously ratcheted up a notch, and I now seem to be permanently heading up or down hill, as I push along the Fall Line.
Much of the ride North all the way to short of Washington has been lovely, rural B-roads winding up through hills and little villages of Central and Northern Virginia. As t was a weekend, I had company of other day cyclists, who’ve given me great local advice and generally provided me with company. Fredericksburg was a good stop over, and with the influence of Washington the options for food and accommodation are definitely improving.
After a good few hours in the country suburbs of Washington yesterday, there was a few stretches in manic suburbs, then 20 miles out from the city it all improved. I’m not sure what I thought Washington would be like, and I’d heard funny things on route. The reality has been wonderful.
Guess it will be no surprise to any of you who’ve been but this is a great city. The thought of city run by lawyers and focused souly of politics didn’t really appeal, but if you count the city all the way out to Mount Vernon, it’s a wonderful place.
I was knew I’d be impressed with the White House, the Mall and all all the obvious stuff, and I was, arriving in with the setting sun last night. What I had not expected was a quiet ride through a Marine Base (our military should be ashamed of their married quarters after seeing some of the stuff in there) and then on down the beautiful banks of the Potomac.There are many ways to arrive in Washington, and flying in down the river must be amazing, but cycling along the banks of the Potomac river with the sun mellowing and the city slowly coming into view in the distance was unbelievable after weeks on the road. Truly special.
My route brought me over the Arlington Memorial bridge and straight onto the Mall behind the Lincoln memorial. The reflecting pool may have been drained for repairs, but it’s still one of the happiest sights I can remember seeing. In fact I was so delirious even my in built vanity was overridden, so if you look carefully you can see delightful helmet hair in the picture in front of the Washington Memorial.
Unfortunately realized I wanted to stick around for a full day in Washington too late. The America Israel PAC convention on at the moment, and it is no exaggeration to say there are no hotel rooms in Washington tonight. I mean literally not one, it’s extraordinary, so to my serious frustration today has been a rather hassled day getting the computer sorted, washing done, and basically getting back out on the road.I did get a chance to swing by Barak’s gaff, and to see the colonial area of Georgetown, which whilst pretty I thought was less attractive than Alexandria just south in Virginia. Then it’s been back out on the bike 25 miles north to the suburb of Rockville, Maryland.
My mood on the whole matter is not improved by the fact I’m really feeling the lack os sleep now. The push up the East coast was pretty full on, and long days and issues to deal with in the evening, on top of the usual meant I really needed a good rest last night. Unfortunately I’d picked the hotel were the youth members of the AIPAC convention were staying. 
Whilst there’s no escaping the fact I’ve rarely seen a higher density of full blood geeks ever (which I guess is understandable; if you spend your university years going to political conventions there is an above average chance you’re huge nerd), man were they in the party zone. So compliments of dross pop and dancing upstairs and next door last night I’m still shattered.
Whilst on the topics of geeks and Washington, I don’t know if it’s a comparative thing after weeks in the south and west where definitions of masculinity and femininity are fairly one dimensional and rugged, Washington seemed to be a city of intellectuals. It’s not an unpleasant experience , just different. And finally I felt less pressure to pretend to locals, in cafes, that sitting in a swamp on a rusty boat fishing is my idea of a good time. Any way with the 25 miles locked down today and the sleep interruptions starting to bite, I’ve decided to go easy tomorrow and have just a 65 miler to just East of Baltimore ahead. Then, fingers crossed it’s Philly, Jersey and New York by Friday.
Route - New Bern - Petersburg - Richmond - Fredericksburg Mount Vernon - Washington D.C. - Rockville
Food
Afraid I really can’t face writing up a full food lowdown. Might just be luck of the drawn, but the food hasn’t been as good through Virginia as the rest of the South. Not to say it’s been bad, just not as good as some other places. Washington food was awesome though, not for the gourmet meals or high end dining but for two simple reasons; Nandos and Pret a Manger. I’ve tired of both chains back home, but geez did it taste good to have some home tastes for the first time in a while.
