We didn't have a good start to the day - the Tia Maria bottle had leaked in the under-sink cupboard (a real "ant attraction") & so we started the day sweeping out the van & washing the floor - well, Bob did; I was busy with other chores. He is considering drinking more in future, in order to avoid the alcohol going to waste - that's the newest excuse I've heard!
As we were leaving the caravan park, Bob backed into a lamp post that he hadn't noticed in his mirror (every vehicle has a blind spot). Oh dear, a broken indicator light & some minor damage to the rear light casing! We drove to the Visitor & Information Centre, quite near to where we were staying, & found out about attractions to visit &, most importantly, where to get a replacement indicator bulb which, fortunately, Bob was able to fix himself. We parked in a beautiful tree-lined street whilst he carried out repairs. We noticed that Canberra is a city of trees - every road is lined with different types of trees, which is lovely.
Eventually, we arrived at the Australian War Memorial, which was high on our list of places to visit. It is a wonderful memorial with landscaped gardens, stunning sound & light shows, galleries, a Pool of Reflection with an Eternal Flame, a Hall of Memory, Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, Roll of Honour & a daily closing ceremony which commemorates someone who has died serving his or her country.
It would take many hours to see all that the Memorial has to offer - we were there for four hours & found it fascinating, informative & extremely well presented. It showed conflict with startling clarity &, at the same time, brought home to us the tragedy & futility of war. Many school children were also spending time at the Memorial & we could only hope that it would show something of the debt we all owe to those who died for our freedom.
Bob was particularly impressed by the way in which "War in the Air" was presented - the sound & light shows were most dramatic. I admired many of the paintings by war-time artists, as well as the wonderful Changi Quilt made by women who were interned by the Japanese (we heard the women's camp choir singing whilst the quilt was being displayed, which was very moving).
The closing ceremony was very poignant as Private John Saunders, who fought in the Korean War & whose body was never recovered, was remembered & honoured. A lone piper played a lament, followed by a bugler who played the Last Post. Members of Private Saunders' family were present & several people, including children from the various schools that were visiting, laid wreaths.
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