A Capitol Affair

Please click on any image to enlarge. All photos by Topsy Turvy.

We had a great time in DC – the husband (Tim), his sister (Laurie) and I – and beautiful weather every day.

There was a fun meet-up with Stefan, of Architect Design (see his post about it here); a lot of walking; and a little bit of excitement.

The meet-up: Turns out Stefan lives close to the hotel where I was staying, but he and I got together for an afternoon cupcake at Dean & Deluca in Georgetown, near his office. What a lucky guy to work in such a beautiful part of town, just a block or so from the Potomac! And he couldn't have been sweeter – giving me tons of suggestions for things to see and do!

I chose the Chocolate Hazelnut, and Stefan opted for the Red Velvet.

The walking: Well, there are lots of monuments and historic buildings in DC, and museums and galleries and shopping, too! I can only say I was wishing I had brought along my Body Shop Cooling Peppermint foot lotion. If you've never tried these, I highly recommend the spray, lotion, scrub and soak.

The excitement: There happened to be a world banking conference going on, and since our hotel was a few blocks from the White House and the meeting, our street was blocked off with concrete barricades from our second day on. We weren't sure if we were supposed to feel better about the police presence, or concerned that we might be in a target area. (A Starbucks on the corner DID remain open to help ease our anxiety and we became quite friendly with some of the cops positioned at the barricades.)

Oh, and, that wasn't all the excitement! While walking to a museum, we witnessed a speeding motorcade leaving the White House, with two very important-looking, very long and shiny black limos surrounded by many very important-looking and very shiny black SUVs. In one of the SUVs, hanging halfway out an open window, was a man holding a very large gun! As you can imagine, this was a little unsettling! We never found out who was in the limos, but we could only imagine that it was someone ... well ... very important.

Some favorite spots:
Georgetown
During the week, it's a scenic, hilly stroll among chic stores in a neighborhood of pretty residential streets, shade trees and elegant old houses. However, when I returned to do some more serious shopping on Saturday, the crowds were a bit overwhelming. I did pop into Random Harvest for a peek, and also, an antiques shop called Cherry. I was very tempted there by a cute little horn stool and a very small, interesting-looking starburst mirror (without the actual mirror).

The National Gallery of Art
We only made it through the West Building, but we did see the wonderful da Vinci, below. Laurie comes to DC every year on business, and always stops by to visit Ginevra. Also memorable – a couple of Seurats and some Renoirs. I was also surprised by the brightness of the colors in Van Gogh's paintings.

Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci.

The sculpture garden at the National Gallery of Art
Outside the West Building, there is a large pool with fountains, surrounded by modern sculptures placed amidst a garden.

Most of the year, it's a great place to relax with a gelato. In the winter, there is an ice skating rink.

The café in the garden.

I loved Thinker On A Rock by Barry Flanagan, which features the bronze bunny that appears in many variations in the artist's work.

Sol LeWitt's Four-Sided Pyramid looks like stacked sugar cubes and becomes dynamic as you walk around it and the sun creates different shadows and shapes. See my last post for a very different view in winter.

Tiny pine cones in the garden.

The White House
Yes, the White House! And you can walk right up to the gates and fences at the edge of the lawns.

Rear view, from the South Lawn.

Front view, facing Pennsylvania Ave.

Side entrance, along Pennsylvania Ave.

Café du Parc
We had a lovely, leisurely lunch at this French bistro adjacent to the very grand Willard Hotel.

Just a few blocks from the White House, the outdoor café provides an ideal setting for people-watching and a view of Pershing Park across the street. It was also a great vantage point for counting the black Town Cars lined up two- and three-deep along Pennsylvania Ave., in front of the Willard. As guests departed the hotel, their drivers would whisk them away – then, other drivers would jockey for better positions.

Tim, above, at Café du Parc. After a great lunch, we were ready to hit the streets again.

Elsewhere around town ...

That's me, above left, with Laurie while Abe looks on.

The Eisenhower Building, next to the White House.

SunTrust Bank Building. I wish our Temple Terrace branch office looked like this.

The U.S. Botanic Gardens, on the National Mall.

A view of the Conservatory, from the Botanic Gardens.

The Renwick Gallery had a wonderful exhibition of glass art - a Lino Tagliapietra retrospective.

Not sure what this building is, but the decorated facade is outstanding.

We didn't get to eat here, but it's a Washington institution, and supposedly a great spot for celebrity sightings.


Somehow, the Washington Monument seemed to pop into view around every corner!

Washington DC is a great place to visit. I always felt comfortable, on the subway and on the bus (which I took alone to Georgetown). There is so much to do, and people are friendly. It strikes me as a combination of New England and the South, with that little buzz of excitement and international intrigue thrown in! I'll definitely be back!

Thanks cousin Randall and Harvey, for the wonderful farewell Mimosa and brunch at Nage! It was a fitting end to a great vacation.