Sore stumps

Not quite so much walking today, but still a good amount in the heat – just to give my stumps (formerly my feet) a bit more of a workout.  In case they needed it.  Dearne again gave us a map with the highlights listed and dropped us into downtown DC, this time outside the Capitol building. We were reasonably early (around 9am) but the queue was already long to get tickets for the canned tour, and given that neither of us had any interest in standing in the sun for ages (it was already bloody hot), we made do with photos of the outside.  Apparently the tour is pretty limited now after 9/11, so although it would have been nice to see inside, I think I’ll survive…

Realising that most of the museums etc didn’t open til 10, we  checked out the Smithsonian castle and gardens, which is pretty attractive from the outside – and really not attractive at all on the inside.

We ordered a bucket of coffee each (apparently 16oz is the ‘small’ version.  Maybe because you can’t quite fit your entire head into the cup, I’m not sure.), endured the disinterested service and drab surroundings, then headed back to the Botanic Gardens for some respite from the heat (most of it is under cover and in some cases even air-conditioned).  And I have to say, I was very impressed – and not just because I’d managed to lower my core body temperature from somewhere around boiling point.  The gardens were broken up into different areas – endangered species, deserts, jungle, medicinal etc – and were well laid out, informative and surprisingly interesting, even for someone like me whose interest in plant life hasn’t extended much beyond trying not to kill things in pots (and usually failing) in the past.

Food was next on the agenda, so we found our way to Union Station  (hint: look out for American flags the size of football fields and you’re possibly in the right place…though there’s no guarantee, they sure do love their flags over here).  Pretty stunning architecture on the inside – unlike it’s clientele in the food court, who weren’t stunning in the slightest.  Nowhere is consumption in the US more conspicuous to me than in food courts – hundreds upon hundreds of overweight people chowing their way through more calories at lunchtime than many people in third world countries get in a week.  Taking the moral high ground (ahem), we went for burgers, fries and a shake at a diner – eating at the counter, of course, for the real taste of Americana.  Well, the taste was actually pretty good, but of course we left feeling very bloated.  And we only had one portion of fries between us.  I certainly couldn’t eat like that on a regular basis…

Back to the museum area again, past the Capitol Building, Library of Congress and Supreme Court, for the final stop of the day – the Air  and Space Museum, apparently one of the most popular in the city.  And it was pretty interesting, I guess, with loads of fun stuff like V2 rockets, the nose cone from Apollo 11, space suits from the first moon landing, etc etc.  Unfortunately by this stage we were both dead on our feet – a fact made quite evident when we sat down in the Planetarium thingie to enjoy the movie showing on a massive domed ceiling … and promptly fell asleep for most of the show.  Whoops.  That was obviously our cue to leave, so we beat our way past the hordes of people in matching t-shirts (presumably on a school trip, or else making a horrendous fashion statement…) and met Dearne at the entrance.

Back home for a couple of hours, then out again to pick up Andrew from the airport (he works out of town for most of the week).  The boys got a haircut and went for a couple of beers, then we met up with the girls for dinner at a Thai place conveniently located next door to the pub.  Who would have thought?  The theory was that we were going to listen to a free concert in the square alongside, but by the time we sat down there were only a couple of songs left.  Oh well.  Covers of Cyndi Lauper weren’t necessarily my thing anyway…

Dinner was pretty good, then home and bed … ahhh, blessed sleep …

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