Monday, 22 April 2019
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, USA
Well, dear reader, have some exciting news.
After 3,500 miles of driving through the United States.
Finally.
I drove up a…
Steep hill.
I know.
Exciting isn’t it.
Not only that.
I also drove along a…
Twisty country road.
It’s pure bliss.
Not a straight road in sight.
This is more like it.
Proper driving.
I know now why American cars don’t have good suspension. They don’t need it. They only tend to drive in straight lines.
The countryside area of Virginia, west of Washington, is so nice. Rolling, lush green countryside, country lanes, fields, farmland, dry stone walls, farms and white painted fences.
For the first time in America, I’m reminded of England. Forever England. Guess this is where the Washington elite live, given the size of the houses and the upmarket feel to the place. It’s all very…manicured.
To the west can see the Appalachian Mountains rising slightly above the general landscape. Finally, an American landscape that’s not pancake flat!
Arrive at the Best Western Gettysburg (https://www.gettysburgbestwestern.com/). Have had a 15 year aversion to Best Westerns since a grotty experience whilst working in Scotland.
The raffle prize at the local ice hockey club was a meal and overnight stay at the local Best Western. The joke was that the second prize was two nights at the local Best Western. Against my better judgement, am staying here ‘cos I only booked it this morning and it was one of the few decent places left and got rave reviews.
Am in need of laundry and think it’ll be the usual case of leaving a bag for housekeeping to collect and do.
But not in this hotel.
It’s do it yourself.
In the hotel guest laundry room.
For the princely sum of US$1.50 for a 30 minute wash, US$1 for powder and US$1.50 for 30 minute dryer, I can get all my washing done. Fortunately, it only needs a freshen up.
So.
There I am.
Of an evening.
Doing me laundry.
The last time I used a launderette was whilst living and working in Germany in the late 1990s. My colleague and I were based in the company flat for what was meant to be three months so never felt necessary to buy a washing machine. Our weekly trips to the local launderette were amusing at times. One of us once left a teabag in our shirt pocket (don’t ask!) with disastrous consequences. And who could forget washing a red towel with white work shirts. And blowing up the spin dryer because a pair of undies got caught in the rotating mechanism and jammed it up. Ah yes. Boys on tour. Colleague is reading this and laughing at his antics.
Oops, sorry, did I just suggest it was him and not me?
