Washington DC

Monday 18th May 2009

Early in the morning arrival in DC and faced with the puzzle of which metro ticket to buy. That aside, we got to Cheverly station and took the complimentary shuttle service to the hotel. Hotel was great, DIY waffles at breakfast and all.

Thomas Jefferson Building. The architecture is in the Italian Renaissance Style. The sculptures of the babies by Martiny represent the various fields of knowledge. The murals and symbolisms were very intriguing.

The library was an embodiment of universal virtue, knowledge and philosophy that made the place glow- from the reading room to the hall of professions to the Minerva of Peace..

Thomas Jefferson building is part of the LOC which is the largest library in the world. It is massive in its collection of information and images. The library has a very clever system that allows visitors to download information onto their personal passport so that they can view it later from the website. Pictured above is the front of this library with Neptune Fountain. Obscured from view on the top part of the dome of the Thomas Jefferson building is a golden torch.

Visiting the Capitol. The Capitol consists of the a north wing (r) and south wing (l)housing the Senate Chamber and the House of Representatives respectively. Unfortunately, no pictures were allowed to be taken there. On top of the rotunda is the Statue of Freedom.

Apothuses of Washington's Ascension. The 13 Maidens represent the 13 colonies. Below it a banner showing 400 years of history from landing of Columbus to the declaration of independence. These masterpieces, especially the banner in monotone, were looking very 3D when they were in fact 2D paintings. The artist had mastered this deceptively cool art using paints of black, brown and white. The Capitol contained many statues many of which were in this Ceremonial Room-Martin Luther King, Lincoln.

The above was used as the House of Representatives from 1807. There is a particular spot here known as the whisper spot where the acoustics have been engineered such that the whole room can hear the person speaking there. The statue above where the snake represents wisdom and the eagle I'm not too sure. Anyway, now this room is known as the Statuory Hall. Every state was to send 2 statues in ,bronze or marble, of deceased prominent people and many were placed here.

The Crypt is the symbolic Centre, which was meant to be a tomb for Washington but it was completed after Washington's Death. The 14 standstone columns support the weight of the dome above. And more statues here, of which one of them was of Lincoln (done by the same person who sculpted Mount Rushmore).

Supreme Court. We visited twice, missing some law debate thing and their regularly scheduled tours. The building was so white and bright that it hurt my eyes in the bright sunlight.

White House. Looking really much smaller than I had imagined. And the man was out of office, possibly still at University of Notre Dame where he was conferred an Honorary Degree at their Commencement Ceremony.

Christmas Tree and the Washington Monument.

Sunset and people playing baseball (or is it softball) everywhere.