Just in case the 06.30 alarm hadn't worked, the enormous A380 passing 200 feet overhead, while queueing for the shuttle bus, did! We are off to Washington DC and New England. Unlike Angelka, in my 30 years of visiting The States, I've never been to DC (District of Columbia) and we both want to experience the New England "Fall", as the leaves change their colours to create a beautiful palette.
It looks no different from other US cities from the arrival at the airport and shuttle downtown. I've got my nose in a novel that I've given myself 3 days to read (635 pages) for the book club! However, once at the hotel, in a bohemian area called DuPont Circle, things are starting to get interesting. We've a lot planned for the next three days so head for the Metro. The underground system is uniform, all stations have an identical layout, it's reasonably cheap, under used and covers the city centre well. Popping up in the centre of town you immediately recognise that this city is unique in America. Wide, tree lined boulevards, buildings of substance, culture and history that transcends more than one century. It's quiet as we visit the National Archive, housing the constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and other archives that charter US history to date. It sits in the middle of Pennsylvania Avenue, which runs cross town from no.1, Capitol Hill to 1600, The White House. Great sunny weather makes our walk around town a pleasure. A quick trip to Union Station, a grand building similar to the railway station in NYC,, before heading back via the Metro to the hotel, great cocktails and then dinner, al fresco and bed, all by 8.30pm!
The city was planned by a Frenchman! There is a mall, landscaped gardens and lakes. Off the mall are countless museums and monuments while the area has been used for most of the countries inaugurations and demonstrations, including Martin Luther King's famous "I have a dream...." speech 50 years ago.
The White House is smaller than you expect, however, perfectly formed! It's great to get a scale to icons, a lifetime's image put in an order! Surrounded by substantial, old buildings of great import, Treasury etc, you can jog around the most important square mile in the world. The walk down Pennsylvania Avenue takes 30 minutes to The Capitol building, home to the two houses of the Senate and Representatives. There are just over 100 senators, two per state, elected for 6 year terms while 400+ congressmen, numbers based on population per state, are elected for 2. In devisive party politics the Senate is Democrat controlled, the House of Representatives, Republicans and little gets done as the two play political brinkmanship scoring ideological points ignoring the good of the electorate, and subsequently, the world economy!
The Library of Congress is the most beautiful interior of a building I've visited in American. A stunning reading room makes you want to immerse yourself in words and The Jefferson Library one of the most complete 18th century locations. I'm impressed!
We head across the street to the Capitol Building for a tour. An immense centre of history detailing presidencys, Supreme Law and today's challenges. The House of Representatives are sitting to discuss the public deficit. American cannot pay its debt come Monday evening, shutting every building we are visiting, however, the Repulicans are trying to get Obamacare, where those without have rights to free, or subsidised medical support, thrown out to acquiesce! Needless to say, it doesn't get done as they push the anti still further!
We then strolled down the mall, two miles from the Capitol building, via Washington's Monument to Lincoln's Memorial. The monument is an obilisque, French at it again, and Lincoln sits in repose, a huge sculpture surrounded by his significant oratory. Apparently, the sculptor's son was deaf and Lincoln's hands sit on his knee denoting A and L in sign language! Around this bottom end of the Mall we have the Vietnam memorial, detailing the names of all who died in date order, it's tragic to see the 5 names and faces that died for their country 44 years previously, to the day. The Korean memorial is a fascinating collection of sculptures and then, the most recent memorial, that for Martin Luther King Junior, a sculpture out of stone surrounded by his iconic words, he really was a philosopher, rather than politician. We've walked miles in 10 hours, warm weather and are in need of sustenance. Dinner was an over rated, under performing celebrity chef by the name of Nora, more Batty, in my opinion!
Another crisp, cloudless blue sky, farmers markets and another metro ride to town. We visit Ford Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated. No less shocking than Kennedy but, without the grotesque moving images that add to the shock. At the time, America was at civil war and the Confederate sympathiser harmed the Union dramatically. From there to Arlington Cemetary to see the Kennedy's, all of them, grave. Quite a macabre synergy for a Sunday morning! Having visited the "leafy knoll" in Dallas, you do feel more part of it and in two months the world will reflect on 50 years ago today! Another short walk and it's the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, with an hourly change of guard, and then the famous Marine Memorial, which you'd recognise, as the six marines raising the US flag on Iwo Gima, it's a sculpture of a true life picture from the second World War.
I am very struck by Washington, it is unique, different and, for a city of great power and politics, very laid back and cosmopolitain. It seems less branded, more independent, more substantial and built to last. It doesn't have the classic city skyline and I think the space, it's layout provides, sets its pace.
In the afternoon we do the three biggest museums, all close to one another along the Mall. The American History Museum, from transportation to design, Dorothy's red shoes used in the Wizard of Oz, and the original Star Spangled Banner, to the Natural History Museum which features all the usual .. ology stuff plus the Hope Diamond, one of the biggest, rarest in the world, and finally, the Air and Space Museum. To see things like the actual Spirit of St Louis, the first transatlantic plane, the Apollo 11 capsule that returned to earth after the moon landing, and many other pioneering exhibits on one place is energising, to say the least. All museums are free which is a great tribute to municipal funding, about to become world news!
We spent an hour or so in Georgetown, a very funky neighbourhood, a Dulux colour chart of town houses and close boarded cottages, a great retail street, restaurants and a parallel canal. There's also a University so there's a great mix of ages, egos and fashion. Everything from boy racers with souped up trucks to OAP's with a twinkle. It's Octoberfest in the hotel bar, there's NFL on the TV, (Rory's hapless Raiders lose to the local team, The Redskins) the day is done!
Our final day; another beginning with sunny, blue sky headed for 70F. We visit The Pentagon, the 5 sided armed forces and intelligence hub on the outskirts of town. 23,000 people work here within 17.5 miles of corridors over 7 floors. It has a small town infrastructure from banks, post offices, chocolatiers to fast food outlets, 30,000 cups of coffee sold daily, 4000 Subway sandwiches... I was paying attention at the back! You are guided for 1.5 miles by a serviceman walking backwards, past countless exhibitions, none of which you can stand still at, to read. The only port of call is the 9/11 chapel, once more, the enormity of what happened strikes you. There is a memorial park that is beautifully done, innovative design, individual recognition and imagery that is a fitting reminder. It is on the outskirts, at the point of impact, at the angle of impact, 43 degrees. Ironically, the whole building lies beneath a flight path into the domestic airport, it is strange to watch planes. coming in to land, wondering...!
Our final port of call is the Supreme Court which is housed in a magnificent edifice just over from the Capitol building. It's unusual that you can go and sit in the highest court in the land and have a curator come and explain its layout, function and anecdotes. As with every other building that you can visit and tour, it's free. Ironically, as I write the following day, they are all now shut indefinitely while the politicians bicker about political ideals, instead of doing business for their public. Perhaps this squabble best shows what Washington has in common with other political capitals. In the creation of power it has marvellous buildings and prestige and yet, modern politics is disenfranchising us from the democratic process, to the extent, we could, pretty much, care less!
It is a wonderful city, you cannot know America without having visited, it is quite unique and I find myself being a lot less dismissive of America because of it!