Reliving the past: Gettysburg (7 July)

We spent last night in Gettysburg and when arriving there were surprised by the masses of tourists and the numerous people in Civil War costume. We had not realised that the long 4th of July weekend was such a BIG deal here. In addition to that, this year commemorated the 155th advent of the Battle of Gettysburg, a major turning point in the American Civil War.

Unfortunately, this meant that it was hard to find a motel and, although we counted ourselves lucky to find one right in the city, we were astounded at the cost and disgusted by the condition of the room. Still, the lively, festive atmosphere was quite enjoyable. We met the two ladies in the picture at the fantastic Gettysburg Museum, where we encountered an amazing exhibition documenting the famous battle. There was also an excellent movie and a brilliant cyclorama which made the terrible 3 days of fighting an almost personal experience.

After visiting the museum we walked up to the ridge where General Mead had his camp. This provided an overview of one area of the battle and you could really picture how awful the advance of the Confederate soldiers across open fields and the horrifying number of casualties must have been.

  We left Gettysburg and continued on our way westwards, spending the night in Somerset, where we opted for a hotel room. This proved to be a wise choice: cheaper than the motels (!), roomier with more amenities and free breakfast.

While driving through the beautiful, thickly forested hills of Pennsylvania, it was hard to imagine how 155 years ago thousands of young men fought and died here. Abraham Lincoln's assurance that these men have not died in vain, but rather ensured a new freedom for all races in the United States is hard to believe, when the "battle" for equal rights still seems to be ongoing.