DAY 60 - 63: Washington DC

Washington - what can I say? It is a beautiful city with wide boulevards and large, chunky buildings and lots of columns. Lots and lots of columns! Feel like I don't have to bother visiting Greece after this as I might have had my fill of columns. :)

The nice thing about Washington is that it is so walkable. You do not need the bus or the train to get to almost everything!
Another nice thing is that the museums and art galleries along the mall are FREE, you can visit all day long for not a penny. And if you get tired from being on your feet, then you can go to the huge grassed area and sit under a tree, eat ice cream or street food from one of the many carts, watch people playing games (don't know where they get the energy... I was so hot!) or just watch the world go by.
And there are so many memorials, huge memorials... the Washington Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Jefferson Memorial, the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam War Memorial, the WWII Memorial, the Martin Luther King Jnr Memorial, etc, etc. etc.
And beautiful buildings. Buildings like the State Capitol, the Library of Congress, the White House, the Smithsonian Castle... I love old buildings, can spend hours just walking and admiring them. (I know, you may think I am a very boring person.... well, I think playing video games is boring... so there! We all have our foibles.)

Early morning at the White House. Was wondering if I could go on a tour... turns out you have to apply about a year in advance. Fair enough, I guess they have to check their no-fly lists and your criminal record and whether you are paying your taxes and maybe your dental records. :) Meh... not that interested in their choice of curtain fabric.... just thought it would be nice to see the oval office.

I believe Melania has moved in.... eventually!

I saw some squirrels that were actually pitch black

The Washington State Capitol

I obviously love this building.... :) 

The Capitol building is at the top of a hill. at the foot of the hill there is a pond before you reach the mall. At the end of the mall you see the Washington Memorial. It was a sunny weekend day.... many people were out, playing on the grassed areas, eating ice cream, walking, visiting the free museums and art galleries.

The ducks need help in and out of the pond

The Library of Congress

Fountain at the Library of Congress

Looking back towards the Capitol building

The Washington Memorial. 

It can be seen from quite a distance.

The Lincoln Memorial. I am sure EVERYBODY sits down on those steps.... after walking all the way and then up all those stairs, ya just gotta sit!

Abe Lincoln - It's massive!

The Korean War Memorial

The Vietnam War Memorial

The WW2 Memorial

People sit around the WW2 Memorial. You are not allowed to "wade" but it seems to be ok to just quietly sit and have your tired feet in the water.

Many beautiful old buildings all over Washington.

And so many columns! Everywhere!

A shopping ally

Beautiful plaques depicting the life of US Marines

NZ as part of a huge map of the world. My lipstick where home is!

A US marine with his knapsack

This modern sculpture I actually did like.

The Betty Rubenstein Grand Salon is this huge room that is covered (all the walls and the ceiling) in plywood that is cut into intricate patterns. People had written messages on the plywood..... so I took out a pen and did the same. AND THEN I saw a note saying to please NOT write on the walls but to write on one of the supplied pieces of plywood and then stick them into the gaps! Weeeeellllll.. I already did the "writenings"... So my dears, your names are on a wall at the Museum of Modern Art in Washington DC. It's on the left-hand wall as you walk in, just in case you do make it here one day!

Another lovely piece at the Museum of Modern Art.

Modern Art - meh.... I could take it or leave it...

Does anyone else see a dinosaur? With wings?

Jackson Pollock's famous mural.... not my thing I am afraid.

Now we're talking. The Museum of Fine Arts

Van Gogh - Self Portrait. This photo does not do it justice. There is something about the eyes, that really gets to you.

Some large pieces of art are displayed outside in the gardens

This one is an optical illusion.

I will do a separate post with just art.... don't want to bore those who are not interested :)

I also tried to find some of the places mentioned in the Alex Cross Series (James Patterson)!

The J Edgar Hoover Building - the FBI Headquarters! I asked if I could go on a tour (which started in half an hour) and was told I needed to contact my Member of Congress to organise it if I wanted to go on a tour! :)

5th Street Washington where Alex Cross lives with his kids and Nana Mama

Johns Hopkins, where Alex Cross did his degree in Psychology

Spent a morning on a walking tour in George Town, just a short, $1 bus ride away.

Bridge over the Potomac

The guide on the right is a law student who works part time at Haagendas. That's a job I would love!

An old canal with walkways on both sides. Where the mules/ horses pulling the boats along the canal walked, is now where people go for walks or a run. The canal was in use for over a hundred years.

 Georgetown is a quaint, expensive place with lots of eateries

A very pretty town indeed

The house where JFK and Jackie lived before moving to the White House.

The Catholic church where JFK and his family went to services while living in Georgetown

The University of Georgetown

The Georgetown Waterfront is beautiful. 

While sitting here, I noticed two creepy guys with cameras hiding behind a tree, literally giggling!!!! Then I noticed a picnic blanket with a bottle of champagne and flowers on the grass. I was still wondering what that was about when this Indian guy and his girlfriend showed up. He went down on one knee and PROPOSED!! That's when I realised what the two "creeps" were doing and also when about 20 other Indian people, obviously family and friends, appeared from behind surrounding trees to congratulate them!

The Potomac

Tootsies in the Potomac

I did not want to leave.....

Early Sunday morning on the metro to the Pentagon Memorial

These wings point either towards the Pentagon building or away from it. The ones pointing away have the names of those killed inside the building. The ones pointing towards the building, display the names of the passengers on the plane that was flown into the Pentagon. You can clearly see where the plane struck the building. No photos of the actual building, not allowed.

The Danish Boys Choir performing at the Church of the Epiphany

I really enjoyed my time in Washington. Could have stayed another day or two....