I’m on vacation now.

On my way to the Truck Safety Office Monday I walked over to the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam wall.

It was a cold, grey windy day which seemed somewhat appropriate while I wandered the wall.

In contrast, after our meeting with the FMCSA yesterday I dropped by the Library of Congress with it’s Italian inspired decor.

I had lunch at the American Indian museum which has a cafe that offers regional Native American food.

I had scarlet bean with roasted corn and tomato salad, crayfish fritters and a rosemary pine nut tort.  It was heavenly!

Today I went to the American Art Museum…

…where I looked at folk art, most of it inspired by religion, especially Adam and Eve, and most of which seemed to have southern state artists.  Then I looked at a collection of art that was produced in 1934 when President Roosevelt, believing that Americans needed art for inspiration, began a Public Art Project.  I really liked these pieces depicting life as it was in 1934.  People, farms, labor and just everyday scenes were brought to life, many in bright colors that belayed the difficult times Americans were dealing with during the depression.  Maybe we should do something like that again!

I had a lovely lunch today with a friend in Chinatown.

It was so nice to sit in a wonderful restaurant and talk.  Thanks for lunch!  You know who you are!  Then I walked the 9 blocks or so up Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House, just because.  Along the way I passed the Old Post Office and the Treasury Department decked out for Christmas.

I finally made it to the White House…

…and then wandered through a beautiful area of restored row houses.

Finally, feet tired, I headed for the Metro for the ride back to my hotel and a nap.

I’m having a good time exploring the city.  But I have to say the place I feel the most positive is when I’m on Capital Hill where the power is palatable and anything seems possible.  Tomorrow?  Maybe to Arlington, maybe to the Holocaust museum.  Maybe I’ll just sleep all day if the weather most of you are experiencing makes it over here.  We’ll see.