Day 4 - Wednesday 18th May

Today we decided to go to Norfolk - not to get mustard or a bootiful turkey but to see Nauticus, the maritime museum in Norfolk, Virginia. Norfolk is a major naval base and shipbuilding port (quite a few US aircraft carriers were built here). Nauticus is also the final resting place for the USS Wisconsin, "America's last battleship" (although, officially, she is in a sort of suspended animation, able to be revived and put into service if need be - indeed, as was done for the first Gulf War).

We arrived just before opening time at 10, and were soon handing over our $12 - seemed a bit dear but we eventually agreed it was the best value we'd had in a long time! Just as in the supermarkets, there was a greeter who made us very welcome and reccommended the tour itinerary we should follow - essentially, go to the top and work your way down. This we duly did.

The exhibits were mainly concerned with Wisconsin and other battleships but there was also a good spread about the oceanographic service - all fascinating. The tour of Wisconsin itself gave an insight int how up to 2900 men lived and fought on board - it must have been crowded as hell! In return for being on duty 24/7, the executive officer did get quite a plush little suite! We also saw Tomahawk cruise missile launchers - how innoccuous an object could project such damage.
After lunch in the cafeteria at Nauticus, we returned to the last little bit to finish off - the Hampton Roads Naval Museum. Last little bit? We hadn't allowed for meeting Jim, one of the docents! He was an ex-Navy man who now volunteered at the museum who simply asked "where are you from?". That was it - what Jim didn't know about any of the history being exhibited - there were tmes one felt like saying "leave me alone" but, fortunately, we didn't and we continued to learn more and more (I'm not sure Jim would have left us alone, anyway!). A great way to finish the visit.

Then we walked into downtown Norfolk to visit St Paul's church, whose claim to fame was its British cannon ball lodged in the wall. A plain little Episcopalian church with box pews and galleries (and an organ built in England). It transpired it had another, more recent claim to fame - the funeral of General Douglas MacArthur was held there.

This links with our final point of call in Norfolk for today - the MacArthur Memorial. Housed in what had been City Hall, it did what it said on the tin. It was all very well done but, strangely, a bit "weird" - bad enough that it was quite self-congratulatory but, to cap it all, he was interred there along with his wife. Mmmmmh!

Still, we kept out of the rain! Yet another thunderstorm!

Then back to the beach to have dinner and beers at 11th Street.