Washington, where Lincoln contemplates in a Greek-inspired temple. The throng inside does not impinge on the feeling of sacredness engendered by the dim light; the inscriptions of his speeches; his giant, raised presence and the viewer’s knowledge of his deeds. He gazes over the splendid WWII memorial – all water and stone and silent names and frolicking Americans – towards Washington Monument and the Capitol. With his white and shade and flowing marble, one can’t help but experience him as a deity.
Washington, where the history of art and the history of earth leap between museums and twin in the most fascinating ways. The ferredoxin molecule in the National Museum of Natural History dances and gleams like the Caldor mobiles in the National Gallery of Art.
Skeletons throw shadows on walls.
This funky mineral has the gleam of a Brancusi sculpture.
The minuteness of humans is made apparent.
Fossilised tree trunks are akin to close-ups of paintings.
Many of the thousands of minerals on display resemble abstract art.
Then, there are the gems and jewellery which are genuine works of art.
Art and nature both have major evolutionary milestones – think cell division and the creation of tools to stamp designs onto clay, the move of animals from sea to land, the understanding of perspective. Some epochs have more popular appeal than others. Not much happens in the ‘Earliest Traces of Life’ section…
but visitors head in droves to the dinosaurs.
There is a similar disparity in the medieval art and Impressionists rooms.
Washington, where the seat of one of the mightiest offence forces on the planet appears as simply a long, insipid brown building with lots of windows.
Washington, where I stumbled upon the reproduction of Julia Child’s kitchen in The National Museum of American History (I felt the usual absurd thrill of seeing something in the flesh which I had first seen on the screen – the movie Julie & Julia.).
I tried to recall where Julie left the stick of butter to honour (and perhaps appease) Julia. There didn’t seem to be anywhere wide enough for butter to balance. Ask yourself this aloud and quickly: “Where would a bit of butter balance if a bit of butter was a stick of butter and not a bitter butter?” I decided that an American ‘stick’ must be very narrow – as the name suggests – and that it may have perched on the window sill.
In that museum, there is a fantastic room of inventions which includes a display about Thomas Edison. Mechanical types would like poking around in the early engines etc. I gave it best after communing with Mr Lightbulb Man. On the other end of the spectrum, the museum contains dresses from the First Ladies’ Inauguration Balls down the years, as well as some of the crockery they chose for the White House. Fortunately, initiatives of some of these women are also discussed.
Washington, where, unknowingly, one may drink at a bar surrounded by FBI agents.
Washington, where giant pandas hold unintentional court with flocks of visitors. They consume bamboo with an unusual mixture of far-gazing contentment and complete focus. Their hands are endearingly human-like despite being covered in thick black fur and actually looking more like a Muppet’s than a person’s. I think it’s the child-like way they hold the bamboo as they strip off pieces.
Washington, where the suburbs are lush with trees and gardens and squirrels sport on the lawns. Vines hang over the freeway walls and, from the plane, one sees a knobbly carpet of green in all directions.
Washington, where you ask someone for help and they keep an eye on you, or pop you under their wing: the old couple from out of town who helped me in the subway then checked again later and offered to accompany me to change train lines; the young woman who explained the various U.S. coins and laughed with me about the unrelatedness of size and value; the bus driver who told me when I needed to get off and what direction to walk; the old lady who chatted to me on the bus about her home suburb; the man strolling to the zoo who called to me down the streets and gesticulated when I looked like turning the wrong way; the biker who posed a packet of rolled oats on his bike and took it in his stride when I referred to the packet as ‘he’; the stationmaster who, as I worriedly babbled about the moneyed-up train travel card I had accidentally demagnetised, looked at me and said, “I could listen to you all day,” and meant, not that he didn’t believe me, but that he enjoyed my accent.
Washington where information, experiences and kindness are free.
Great post! One of the cities that I’d love to visit in spring when those cherry blossoms are at their prettiest. My husband was there many years ago for a conference and told me that one fun thing to do is to see the museums. Someday…..
I would like to see the cherry blossoms too. I wonder if we would find them as compelling as tulips, Malou?
Ha, ha, ha! Those cherry blossoms have their own charm, distinct and apart from the tulips. 😉
I would like to see in real life the clouds of delicacy I have see in photographs from Japan.
Washington is one of the cities that deserves much time. Welcome to the US!
Thank you, Frank. I am so aware that I am in the land of many of the bloggers I read and you are all out there somewhere.
LOL … and I’m about a 10 hour of so drive west.
I am actually in Colorado right now. Loving the air and sun.
Whoa … big change from DC … but it’s wonderful! … next stop?
Home (England) next.
Enjoy your remain time and safe travels home.
Thanks, Frank. As the bumper sticker says, Life is good.
Washington where you meet your dear friends Annie and Steve in a Lebanese restaurant and you spend such a nice dinner together….
Oh yes, yes! Friends and food… Friends and anything actually.
Great photos! My daughter who just completed 7th grade took a school trip to D.C. last week. She had a great time too.
I was gladdened to see so many groups of school children from littlies to high school (seniors?) in all the museums I went into.
Wow! I can’t keep up with you, girl! Globetrotting, camera toting porridge fan with bloggers to feed. I loved this post – really informative and I loved the pics of the tree trunk and the painting. Just WOW. THe kindness of the local people must have been wonderful- it’s getting rare in this day and age.
I really appreciate your support, MM. Life is a whirl at the moment. I am very fortunate. I have another great tree coming up too.
Glad you had a good experience in my nation’s capital. I love Washington’s museums. There’s just never enough time for them.
There’s so many more that I would love to have seen. Days and days worth of stuff.