Sunday, 6 July 2014

Washington DC - Day 2

Sunday, July 6

We are calling Washington DC the city of sirens. Our hotel, sadly, does not have double glazing and every emergency service here starts their siren the moment they leave base and don't switch it off until after the emergency is over so the cumulative effect is one of continual sirens. Needless to say, tonight, when the sirens seemed very close, we didn't take a lot of notice until we realized that they seemed to be wailing right outside our window and hadn't diminished at all. We looked out of our street-front, 9th floor window and saw a huge, long fire truck directly below, five or six police cars blocking off the road, an ambulance, and the area swarming with emergency personnel. More fire trucks and police vans continued to arrive. Clearly something was happening nearby so we took up positions at the window to watch and surmise what might be happening. There didn't appear to be any smoke. We could see reflections in glass windows up a lane way diagonally opposite, a vehicle with red flashing lights. We realized that one of the buildings on the side of the laneway was a Nordstrom department store. Finally a man was escorted from the lane in handcuffs and soon after, another person was wheeled out on a gurney from the Nordstrom side to an ambulance. As we still had to go out for dinner, we asked the hotel concierge on our way out what had been going on. He was googling local news stations but had not found anything. Other guests had told him that a man had abandoned his vehicle nearby and run to a car park over the lane way next to Nordstroms. We still have no idea what happened but it gave us an eerie feeling of how easy it would be to get caught up in some sort of disturbance when you are in big cities like Washington.

Some of the goings-on outside our hotel (taken from our window)
Now, back to the rest of the day. The English Grand Prix was broadcast live from 8.30am this morning and, as Al has a real soft spot for the Silverstone track in England having spent time there back in the 70's when his friend, Rhett Parker used to race Formula Fords, he was keen to watch this particular race. I had no complaints and was more than happy to roll over for another hour and a half's snooze - a luxury for both of us! Because it was a late start, we hurried showers, etc, so that we could get underway.
Outside The White House
We headed down L Street to 18th Street (Washington is so easy to get around - laid out in a grid with horizontal streets with alphabetical names and vertical ones with numbered names) in the general direction of The White House. The sun was hot but there was a pleasant breeze. The forecast was for 87F and no rain. Washington has some fantastic buildings representing all eras of its history and all beautifully maintained with great gardens and set on lovely, clean streets. The overall impression is very good. As it was the last day of the July 4 holiday weekend, many Americans had obviously decided to visit the Capitol so there were lots of people out and about, but all in holiday mode.

I was surprised that The White House was not visible until we got right in front of it. Capitol Hill and the Washington Monument stand out but you really have to look for The White House. Visits inside The White House are possible and, in fact, welcomed but must be made through your local senator well in advance. Instead, we visited The White House Visitors Centre (currently in temporary premises while the main one is being "rehabilitated". We chuckled at this terminology in lieu of "renovated" - it sounded as though it was really in a bad way!). The Visitors Centre runs a continual DVD on a tour of the interior of The White House including State Rooms, Offices and the President's living quarters. Michelle Obama hosted the DVD tour and I was fascinated at the many details including the different dinner sets ordered by different First Ladies, the different things they had purchased and left behind or even handmade, like the crocheted bedspread made by Mrs Coolidge. The desk, so famous in the photo of JFK with John Jnr crawling out from under his dad's feet, was a gift from Queen Victoria and has been used by every President since - all 22 of them.

On the way to the Visitors Centre, we saw the National Christmas Tree, the most perfect shaped Fir tree, that is decorated every Christmas for the people of Washington DC to enjoy, along with the President and his family, as it stands directly in line with the Oval Room in The White House.

Noelle with the Washington Memorial obelisk in the background
Al at the Washington Monument with the WWII and Lincoln Memorials in the background

(also a plane coming in to land at nearby Reagan Airport)

We could clearly see the obelisk Washington Monument as we left the Visitors Centre, so we headed for it - along with many others. It is circled with lots of flagpoles all flying the Stars & Stripes, a very impressive sight. Once at the obelisk, the views over DC were fabulous and the WW II Memorial was clearly visible with the Lincoln Memorial beyond it. We made our way towards the WW II Memorial but stopped along the way in some shade for a breather. The sun was really taking its toll. The WW II Memorial was very impressive and featured an arched gateway at either end of a pool, one commemorating the Pacific Campaign and the other for the Atlantic. Along the sides were rectangular columns, one for every State in the Union. Not much further on, the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial was located featuring a statue of three American soldiers of varying ethnicity as well as a long black marble wall engraved with the names of all who lost their lives in, and as a result of, the Vietnam conflict. It was very touching, perhaps because this conflict was in our own lifetimes and affected people we know and knew.

Al with the WWII Memorial and Lincoln Memorial behind
The WWII Memorial
Part of the Vietnam War Veterans Memorial

By far the most impressive of the buildings and monuments we saw today was the Lincoln Memorial featuring a huge statue of Lincoln, brilliantly carved and on either side wall of the building the statue is housed in, is engraved his 2nd Inaugural Speech on one side and The Gettysburgh Address on the other.

Al at the Lincoln Memorial
Al with the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool behind
By now we were hot and tired so decided to head for home to make our plans for tomorrow and to have a bite to eat. It was while getting ready to go out for dinner that the disturbance over the road took place. Maybe later News broadcasts will make mention of what went on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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