There is only so much one can do, even on wheels, in a city
like Washington DC. Our hotel was a
delight. The concierge and doormen
helped us neophytes into our days. Metro
security endlessly guided us in the right direction.
Though we arrived to see museums and found ourselves swept
away by wonderful people, we still saw innumerable institutions. Neo-Classical architecture by any name or era
is still Neo-Classical architecture.
Most of these institutions we visited were decked out in ersatz
classical drama. Some of the more modern
buildings were just pretentious, while the IM Pei building was shrouded in
scaffholding. There was Victorianna in all its glory, as
well as Romanesque scattered among the Greek and Roman. We enjoyed every bit of it.
Once we recovered from our B-757 flight in, we saw the city
by tour bus, by foot, by wheel, and with friends. We traveled the mall, out to Arlington, by
taxi, and deep underground by Metro.
Often I was excited.
Sometimes I was wary and slowed down by the ever present security. Often put off too. The Capitol security had it all over the triple-check
plus dog of the white house, and both of these put the museums to shame. 9/11 truly changed our national capitol
forever.
Always we struggled to find the Metro elevators, to figure
out which way we were going, and I only got to many of our destinations because
of G’s doggedness. I asked why the
elevators were so hard to find, and I was told that violence and muggings
caused the agency to remove the signs from the Metro elevators. There
was even one, unmarked, in a CVS building.
Always they were a block from the main escalators.
There were monuments we could get to, and there were those
that were too crowded. The serenity of
the Lincoln Memorial went right over my head when I got closer, for instance.
We did get to the Changing of the Guard at the Memorial for
the Unknown Soldiers of WWI, WWII, Korea, and the Vietnam wars.
Here the Supreme Court Building receiving repairs from the
earthquake.
There were structures with a little more modernity. The National History Museum stretches forever
with tall expanses of marble to indicate columns. The American Indian Museum, while marvelous
and informative inside, resembles a many storied lump of clay outside on the
mall.
Always enjoy your photos. Missed them - glad to be back :)
ReplyDeleteWow, I'm totally blown away by your knowledge of what you were seeing and how accomplished you are at narrating it along with the wonderful pictures. I'm looking forward to many more days of this.
ReplyDeleteGreat photos and commentary! Keep them coming, Mage!
ReplyDeleteThe Tomb of the Unknown is so difficult for me.
ReplyDeleteSeems odd that the elevators are unmarked...the people who are looking for them are not the ones who are mugging the visitors...but I guess someone thinks it was a good idea. I enjoyed the photos...and so glad you had such a good time. I sure hope DC doesn't sustain damage from the hurricane.
ReplyDeleteI recognize a few of those places. Seen Whistler's Peacocks several times and love the old red brick Victorian stuff all over the city. Dianne
ReplyDeleteYour staying power is amazing. whatever you are having - I'll have it too:)
ReplyDeleteThanks for these pics, please keep em coming. It's a lovely stroll down memory land for me. I'm glad you enjoyed our nation's capitol.
ReplyDelete