That's All Folks!

  We've come to the end. Almost three months on the road in search of warm weather, fun and history in a country that's rapidly destroying itself. The warm weather? Not so much. Fun? Mostly. The rest? Sad. Here's what we saw in our second week here in Washington.

  We moved into new digs Monday, sharing a small flat with two bull terriers. They're sweethearts when they're not being a pair of jerks. The black and white female, Naia, is the more aggressive of the two and we have to be wary of her when we walk them as her nature is to defend her people. Neo, the male, is dumb as a post. He's warm and friendly and the only thing he behaves aggressively towards is dinner.

  Our accommodations are only three blocks from our last assignment so, once again, conveniently located to the Metro, thus, a short train ride to everything we wanted to see. In fact, over the last two weeks we've managed to ride every train line in DC. It's clean, inexpensive, timely and uncrowded. I wish we had a system like this in Toronto.

  We started our week at the National Postal Museum. Like everything Smithsonian, it's free. In fact, we didn't have to pay anything for any of the sights we saw here, other than transit fares. The NPM is a fascinating place and I'm sure it's on no one's list when they come here. It covers the entire history of mail delivery and stamps and it's housed in a beautiful building. Worth a visit.

  Tuesday was a perfect day for a stroll so we did just that, heading out to the Tidal Basin to tour the monuments and see if the cherry blossoms were out. They weren't, and it turns out they won't be until after we left. It's been too cold. Yeah, we know.

  Remember the obelisk guy? This is where he got his start. It's got a reflecting pool too, although you can't see it here. It's bigger than the ones in Texas. Don't tell them. They think everything's bigger there.

  The Tidal Basin is home to the Jefferson, FDR and Martin Luther King monuments. Along with the Lincoln Monument these represent the best of America. What America is supposed to be, anyway.

  The one that left the biggest impression on me was the one memorializing Franklin Delano Roosevelt. You just have to read the quotes carved into the stone to understand what "service" meant for those who were fortunate to have wealth.

  Unlike today, where billionaires are concerned only with amassing ever greater sums in order to exert more control over our society, people like Franklin and Eleanor concentrated on using their power to make the world a better place. I know I'm sermonizing but it galls me to no end to see how the media have normalized the disaster that is Trump and all present-day politics. I find it comforting to look back to a time when people worked together to achieve common goals.

  A recent addition is the one dedicated to MLK.

  Again, it attests to lost ideals. Here we are in a time where DEI is the focus of the MAGA-heads. Of course, it's not the old Equal Opportunity program of the 1970's where businesses had quotas to fill regardless of qualification. But, because Agent Orange and his followers live in the past they see DEI as the same thing, rather than a desire to hire qualified people regardless of whatever characteristics they may have that are different from our own. Essentially, DEI's objective is to treat everyone as if you're unbiased. Not stupid. I guess that disqualifies the dumb hordes who swallow this crap.

  Wednesday was going to be a golf day but, because it was the first summer-like day, all the courses were jammed. Instead, it called for another long walk in the sun. This time we headed to Arlington Cemetery. We like cemeteries. They're interesting, full of history and many oddities. They check all our boxes.

  Arlington is special. First, it's a military institution. There are over 400,000 soldiers buried in its 639 acres.

  It's situated on the old Robert E. Lee plantation which his family abandoned at the outbreak of the Civil War when he joined the Confederate forces. The family home, Arlington House, sits atop the hill overlooking the entire property and all of DC. It's a beautiful place with spectacular views and so much history.

  And, of course, this:

  And this:

  When you see the Kennedy graves you think of "service" once again. I was six years old when JFK was killed so I remember very little, although watching the funeral on TV sticks out. By the time his brother was shot I was just beginning my fascination with American history and the theories around the JFK assassination. At Bobby's funeral, youngest brother Teddy was giving the eulogy and he tearfully recalled a quote of his dead brother's:

"Some men see things as they are and say why. I dream things that never were and say why not."

  To this day, Robert Kennedy is a hero to me. The best president the United States never had. The hill where these men are buried is a powerful place. But Arlington, primarily, is dedicated to the military and, as we wandered we were constantly reminded of sacrifice and honour. Like a memorial recognizing Americans who died fighting for Canada.

  And then we stumbled upon the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

  Regardless of your beliefs about war it's hard not to feel this is a special place. It demands respect and the army provides that in the best way possible. We stood at attention throughout the entire ceremony and felt honoured to do so. It was a fitting way to end our day there.

  Now, I've tried to give you a feeling for the atmosphere here in Washington, amidst a great upheaval. There is resistance here but it's not yet grown to a point where it will force changes in attitude. We see reminders of it everywhere, like this poster on a lamppost:

  Or this, on an Adirondack chair in Dupont Circle:

  Or this sticker on a subway handrail:

  It's there. It's coming. People are starting to understand what's at stake. We'll leave here tomorrow but I suspect things are just starting to get interesting.

  Thursday turned into another great walking day so we decided to get our 20,000 steps in walking Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue. What a cool stroll. If you haven't done this before put it on your list for your next visit if only to see the statues and sculptures.

  Near the Indian Embassy...

  The British and South African embassies face each other across the street. I don't know if it was intentional but two of their most famous citizens salute each other in a kind of call and response.

And, of course, outside the British Embassy...

I guess that's where you go when you need to make a secure call.

  After a lot of walking we headed back to Dupont Circle to grab some lunch and lie in the sun for a bit. A nice end to the day.

  Friday was the reason we'd sought out other house sits when our initial Washington sit was cancelled. We had tickets to see Sister Act at Ford's Theater, where Abraham Lincoln was shot. There's something about being in places where significant chapters in history were written. Ford's Theater is like that.

  Interesting place. The play? Meh. The movie was better. Across the street is the house where Abe was taken afterwards and where he died the next day.

This tower inside the visitor center represents all the books that have been written about him.

  I suspect there will one day be another such tower dedicated to all the books that have been written about Donald Trump. Unfortunately. We finished our day with a tour of the National Portrait Gallery. There's nothing spectacular about this place although it does contain some noteworthy works.

  The rest is a lot of propaganda and artists whose work you can see at the NGA without having to look at Trump.

  Yesterday was our last day of exploring so we took in the Capitol Building and the Library of Congress. If you want to see the best expression of what America should be then these are the best places to visit.

  Of course, the Capitol is the seat of government and the museum there will educate you on all the mechanisms that allow power to be exercised. Ideally. There's no mention of lobby groups, earmarks, bribery or executive orders. There's an interactive exhibit that challenges you to pass a new law. I was successful because I knew compromise was essential. However, at no point did a lobbyist try to bribe me with a pantsload of cash. Some realism is called for here.

  It is, however, an amazing architectural achievement. When Washington was being built these structures were designed in to intimidate visiting dignitaries and they succeed beautifully.

  From there we moseyed across the street to what was originally known as Jefferson's Library. What a way to finish off our tour of the myriad sights this city offers. Another architectural masterwork.

  Yes, there's a library here, and what better way to introduce you to a library than with the Gutenberg Bible.

  This one was printed on vellum and is one of only three still in existence. They also have the only existing Waldseemuller map from 1507 which depicts the entire known world.

  This closeup shows how Amerigo Vespucci's trip with Columbus led to the inclusion of what was hitherto unknown territory -- the Western Hemisphere. This is the map that names the Americas in honour of Vespucci.

  And finally, the main reading room. While we were waiting in line to enter the Capitol Building a young man behind us was telling his friend that there was no point in visiting the Library of Congress because there were no actual books there. I beg to differ.

  I guess that's an example of what's wrong here these days. Too much misinformation.

  I can't help but feel that it must be impossible to live in a city such as this and not absorb anything. Maybe the best thing that could happen here is if Trump were to spend a few days having someone show him what we saw during our time here. And explain it to him as his shriveled peanut-sized brain wouldn't understand any of it without someone to hold his hand and walk him through it. I know that's not going to happen but the ideals on display everywhere don't mesh with today's reality and it's such a waste.

  That's the end of the road for us. Tomorrow we return home. It will be different than the place we left. Yes, winter's almost done and spring's about to spring. It's more than that. Tariffs. Territorial threats. A new Prime Minister.

  When we left the Conservatives held a 25% lead in the polls and the Liberals were headed to political obscurity. Now it's a virtual tie. We'll vote April 28 and my hope is that the country is united by a single purpose. I hope we're done with the politics of division, of misinformation and disinformation, of hate. I hope we all vote for positive change.

  After 88 episodes this will be my last blog for a while. It's been fun. We're expecting to stay home until the fall, having cancelled our Minnesota sit in May due to border uncertainties. The homeowners totally understand and sympathize. Like many people we've talked to here, not only do they support Canada, they would prefer to live there. Us too.

  Because we won't be returning to the USA anytime soon our next travels will take us farther afield. I'll likely re-start my blog at that point so look for it in a few months. Until then, I wish you all good health and happiness. And maybe the Leafs could finally win the Cup.

Cheers.

Washington - Week 1

   Well, here we are in the home stretch of this year's Marathon of House Sitting. We left North Carolina Wednesday morning and we're in Washington until the 24th.

  We're staying in the Petworth neighbourhood which is apt, given we are looking after pets. It's a great location, five minutes walk to the Metro and a twenty minute train ride to the National Mall. Today is our last day here as tomorrow we'll move three blocks down the road to our final sit on this trip. Two cats here and two dogs there.

  Within an hour of our arrival I got a taste of what's in store for us during this segment of our odyssey. More on that later.

  Like every other place we've been this year the weather has betrayed us once again. 20C when we arrived and it hasn't crept much above the low teens since. The forecast calls for more of the same next week with maybe a day or two when we'll approach 20 again. Of course, there's lots to see here even though Penny and I have been here many times before. We won't be bored, even with less than ideal weather. We'll be focusing on sights we haven't seen during previous visits and our first stop was the National Gallery of Art.

  Before I get into the details let me clarify that I do like art... when it actually represents something. When it comes to modern art my kids will confirm I don't understand any of it. "Oh look. A stripe. I'm sure the artist is using it to represent the lack of understanding for cultural differences in a brutal society on the verge of collapse. Or maybe it's just a stripe. Whatever. Here's two million dollars." The NGA comprises two buildings. We didn't enter the one dedicated to modern art. 'Nuff said.

  We spent two wonderful afternoons wandering through all of it and I must say I was more impressed with their collection than that of the Louvre! When we were in Paris in 2018 I found the Louvre was overkill. There was just too much on display and so much of it was repetitive. "Oh look, another three galleries dedicated to Christ on the cross!" or "Great! Another four galleries of Madonna and Child". Too much. The NGA shows enough of each genre to be representative without being boring and repetitive. Great for people with short attention spans. Like me.

  Now I'm going to go into art historian mode (puts on paint-splattered shirt, pastes on scruffy fake, beard, adjusts hipster hornrims and takes a sip of  French wine). Let's start with this, "The Reading Girl", by Pietro Magni.

  Note the incredible detail Magni carves into the marble. Perfection, right down to the stitching on her dress, the cane on the chair and the grain of the wood. Amazing.

  Here's another marble, this one entitled "The Veiled Nun" by Giuseppe Croff. The illusion of a veil created in marble. Again, amazing.

  There was an exhibition of 1970's photography that included one composition dear to my heart.

  Yes, if you've been following along the past two years you'll recognize it from our visit to Albuquerque, NM, in June 2023.

  Atlas Obscura wasn't a thing in the 1970's so I give the artist full marks for discovering this one on his own.

  During our second afternoon at the gallery we covered all the classical painters; Degas, Rembrandt, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, El Greco, Van Gogh... I could go on. Fantastic. Along the way there were a few noteworthy ones like the only da Vinci in the western hemisphere, a two-sided work entitled "Ginevra de' Benci", painted while still in his twenties.

  And the reverse:

  When I saw it I figured it was Latin for "Made in China" or "Eat at Luigi's" but it actually  translates to "Beauty adorns virtue". That Leonardo. What a guy. Unlike the last time I saw a da Vinci, in the Louvre, there was no crowd, no queue. It was peaceful and civilized. Sigh.

  Here's one you're likely familiar with:

  Read the explanation below and you'll see it's really a piece of propaganda.

  Long before the Internet painters were creating memes to advance political interests. What doesn't change remains the same.

  I found the next one interesting because of who the artist was:

  You probably don't recognize this depiction of an early session of the US Congress, painted by Samuel F.B. Morse. Yes, that Morse, who went on to create Morse Code and enable the use of telegraphy, just a few years before the Internet. If you expand the photo you'll notice the lonely indigenous man sitting in the right hand balcony. He was invited to the session but placing him so far from the action was a reflection of the disdain the Americans had for the natives.

  Okay. enough art. I'll assume you understand how impressed I was to devote this much of my blog to it. Let's move on. As we approached the NGA for our second visit a protest was taking place on the National Mall. Lots of yelling and upset people toting signs. And this:

  There were many signs. Here are the best:

  My guess is somewhere between 2,500 and 5,000 people were in attendance. In a space as large as the Mall it's a drop in the bucket. With the amount of BS that has spewed forth from Trump's mouth over the past 50+ days I expected at least one more zero on those numbers. I mean, really. If people are as upset as I've been led to believe then why hasn't there been an uprising? Throw the bums out! Off with their heads and all that. Disappointing. We hung around for an hour to listen to some of the speechifying and take in the crowd.

... and then there was this asshole wandering around wearing a DOGE hat and t-shirt. He was describing the scene to his phone so I'm assuming he was there to stir up shit amongst the crowd so he'd have some venom to spew in a right-wing podcast.

  I'm assuming there will be more of this while we're here. This was our first taste of actual action on the part of the local populace after noting the general dissatisfaction we've encountered in the U.S. this time around.

  After we were done with the gallery we headed off for a walk along the Mall to the White House. Along the way we passed the Department of Justice as Trump's motorcade was leaving after his latest rant about the unfairness of it all. We would have thrown eggs but we can't afford them. Anyway, after his Castro-length ramble at DOJ he was in a hurry to get back to the White House to catch the 5:30 taxpayer-funded express to Mar-A-Lago for a weekend of golf. As a result everything within three blocks of the White House was cordoned off so no eggs there either.

  We did find this Benjamin Franklin quote inscribed on the face of the Department of Commerce building:

  Yes. It's actually cast in stone. I guess ol' Ben doesn't carry much weight inside that building anymore. We also found this, which Mr. Trump should check out just around the corner from his current home, next time he doesn't understand that "artificial line on a map" he goes on about.

  Finally, we caught up with some of the afternoon's protesters who had camped out in another noteworthy location. Last week Congress threatened the city of Washington with a $1B reduction in funding unless they removed the giant "BLACK LIVES MATTER" artwork from the roadway on 16 St NW. As DC is not a state so has no representation at the Capitol and is funded by acts of Congress they don't have any choice but to do as they're told.

  Of course, this is all performative BS on the part of Republican politicians who are doing this because they can.

  With the weather slated to warm up a bit there's lots more for us to explore next week. Follow along with us as we bear witness to how Trump and his buddies are f--king up a great country. Stay tuned.