D.C. Day 1

Washington DC (see the picture)
Gangplank Marina

We got off to a bang on our first day. Eschewing the bus, we walked up to the national mall and to the National Archive. After that, we ate lunch in the National Sculpure Garden (I should omit the prefix national. Everything here is national.) Then we visited the National Art Gallery, and the Smithstonian Castle before walking back to the boat. Both of us have sore feet and sore backs.

We sure got to see lots of amazing things though. While everyone else in the Archive raced for the Declaration and the Constitution, we spotted The Magna Carta. The real thing! That has to be the single most important document in all of history.

Before the day was out, we saw countless lovely art objects, and even a charred piece of The Hindenburg. Even though we're not students of art nor real fans of art, one can't help but be impressed by the beauty.

I even learned how to pronounce Hiroshima the right way. We met a Japanese man asking for directions. He said, hersch oma, whereas we Americans were taught that it was pronunced here oh she ma.

Pat and Ray on Reflections just pulled in to the marina. Its fun to have friends around.




Left to right top to bottom:

• The Magna Carta
• A WWII War Bond poster
• Even the water fountains in the Archive building are beautiful
• The sculpture garden
• Chinese Porcelain
  
• Asian gold on rock goblet from ancient Afganistan
• My what a famous portrait. This is the real one.
• Libby hugs the art
• Some of the houseboats at the marina