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ATTRACTIONS — USA:
Washington Monument, Baltimore
History of the Washington Monument, Baltimore
The Washington Monument is probably Baltimore’s most famous landmarks
and thus a must-see for all tourists. In 1809 a proposition was made that
Baltimore mark this great hero Washington but it was a long, arduous and
expensive process. It was only two years later that the monies were raised
and Robert Mills’ design won the architectural competition in 1815
to construct the building. Significantly for Americans, it was on July
4th of that year that the cornerstone was laid for the building. It took
a further 14 years for the remainder of this phenomenal building to reach
completion. Interestingly, this monument was constructed some five decades
before its counterpart in Washington DC!
How the Washington Monument appears in Baltimore
If you are taking a stroll down North Charles or Monument Street, there
you will see it. In fact, you do not even need to be on one of the streets
to enjoy a view of this phenomenal monument since this 178 foot Doric
column is not something you can exactly miss. Make sure you are wearing
your walking shoes if you want to get a really good look at it in its
entirety since it has 228 steps. But it is worth the track as once you
get to the top the view of the city is breathtaking and historically educational
at the same time. It just isn’t the same if you don’t walk
it; a bit like going to the Eiffel Tower and not getting to the top by
foot. It is all part of the experience.
Inside the Washington Monument
Once you are inside, you will find a museum, a plan column, and on top
of it, like the top of a wedding cake, a stature of Washington. There
is an iron fence around the base which was added in 1838, comprising some
of the symbolism that was removed from the column due to financial restrictions.
Today visitors can enjoy the restored sanctuary, a gift shop, a modern
museum and for those who want a real taste of history, the (computerized)
chiming of the bells. The art museum is fascinating for all those interested
in art, sociology or politics as it has displays housing these components.
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| The Playgroup | | Janey Fraser | | With an opportunity to prove herself, Gemma can't wait to take over Puddleducks Playgroup. But the new head of the infant school, Joe Balls, soon tempers her enjoyment. Meanwhile, Nancy is in turmoil. Her only son has just started at the playgroup and her husband has taken a temporary posting to Vietnam. There never was much hope of conceiving her much-wanted second child so what is she to do now? A tumultuous term lies ahead for all. |  | |
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| Gone Girl | | Gillian Flynn | Who are you? What have we done to each other? These are the questions Nick Dunne finds himself asking on the morning of his 5th wedding anniversary when his wife Amy disappears. The police suspect Nick. Even his sister is unsure. Under mounting pressure from the police and the media—as well as Amy’s fiercely doting parents—the town golden boy parades an endless series of lies, deceits, and inappropriate behavior.
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| Dead Men | | Richard Pierce | Birdie Bowers, an infamously secretive painter, is a woman given a dead man’s name by her obsessed parents. Her namesake was one of Scott’s companions on his fated expedition to the Antarctic. Almost a hundred years after his death, she is determined to discover what really happened to him accompanied by Adam, a bored computer geek, who falls in love with her. But Scott’s tent is now under 30 metres of ice.
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| The kite Runner | | Khaled Hosseini | | In his debut novel, The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini accomplishes what very few contemporary novelists are able to do: provide an educational and eye-opening account of a country's political turmoil - Afghanistan - while also developing characters whose heartbreaking struggles and emotional triumphs resonate with the reader. |  | |
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