CHRISTMAS IN DC

Given that almost all of our worldly possessions, including all of our Christmas decorations, are in a storage facility somewhere in Maryland, our apartment was a bit drab this holiday season.  We strung up some lights and bought a poinsettia, but it seemed a bit sparse for a true Christmas celebration.  Our car is already en route to Belize, so our options for a Christmas getaway were a bit limited as well.  So Andrew and I spent a few days at the Mayflower Hotel in downtown DC to celebrate Christmas in style – and to take advantage of all of the Christmas decorations that someone else put up.

The Mayflower was built in the 1920s and was fully decked out in holiday flair. 

In front of the Christmas tree at the Mayflower.

More Christmas trees in the lobby.

The hotel is a 10-minute walk from the White House, so we enjoyed a central location from which to see all the holiday sights on display in DC, including the Christmas trees in front of the White House and the Capitol.  

The "national tree" in front of the White House.  There is a tree there, but it's draped in a net of blazing lights so you can't even see it.  Lame.

I much preferred this tree in front of the Capitol.

We also visited the decorations on display at the U.S. Botanic Garden, which included yet another huge Christmas tree, as well as miniature recreations of many of the national monuments all made from wood and other plant products.

The Capitol on display in the U.S. Botanic Garden.

And the Lincoln Memorial... complete with reflecting pool and Washington Monument at the other end,

We also took in a blues show at the Howard Theater.  It’s a wonderful old theater, and the music sounded fantastic.

Motown and blues at the Howard Theater.

We celebrated Christmas day with a morning walk down to the Washington monument.  The day was clear – and cold, and since it was Christmas morning, the crowds were light. 

Looking toward the Capitol from the Washington Monument on Christmas morning.

And looking down the reflecting pool toward the Lincoln Memorial.

Afterwards, we had a traditional Christmas lunch – and bottomless champagne – at the Henley Park Hotel, another old school tradition, in downtown DC.  Now THAT’S what I call a Christmas celebration!

After our Christmas lunch (and, ahem, a few glasses of champagne), Andrew spotted a gift under the tree at the Henley Park Hotel that he thought might be his.

Now it’s on to the new year and the new adventures that await.  We hope you all had a wonderful holiday celebration in whatever part of the world you are, and wish you all the best for a happy and healthy 2017!

HAPPY (LATE) THANKSGIVING!

How did Thanksgiving already happen?  And how are we now well on our way to Christmas???  I’ll blame the fact that my daily routine these days seems like the premise of the movie Groundhog Day.  For months now, I get up at the same time, I go to “FSI” (the Foreign Service Institute) on the same shuttle bus, I spend 5 hours in the same classroom (making the same mistakes), I spend another few hours in the same language lab (trying to stop making those mistakes), I come home, do homework, eat, sleep, repeat.  The days – and weeks – start blending into each other, and before you know it…  BOOM!  Leaves are turning!  The heat and humidity that have been part of my reality here since day 1 have gone away and I’ve had to dig out my sweaters and coats.  It’s a welcome change, even if I didn’t see it coming until it was already here.

Sweaters and coats properly donned, Andrew and I took advantage of the weekends to break the Groundhog Day cycle and take in the autumn sights.  We’ve enjoyed some great strolls through various neighborhoods and parks in DC to check out the fall foliage, and we also took a trip to Philadelphia over the long Veterans Day weekend to get a little change of scenery.  We had a great time playing tourist and taking in the history of that city.

Autumn in Rock Creek Park in DC.

On the trail.

The Liberty Bell - yep, it's cracked.

Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were adopted.

Late breakfast at the Continental in Philadelphia - a cool place with hanging swing seats and a great vibe.  If George Jetson opened a restaurant, this is what it would look like.

We also had a fantastic Thanksgiving celebration here in DC with my parents and our friends Paul & Kim and Brock & Colleen, who all ventured here from Portland.  Fortunately, there’s a great hotel right across the street from our apartment building… and there’s a Whole Foods right up the street that was our sous chef since I wasn’t up to the challenge of making a Thanksgiving dinner for 8 with the sparse kitchenware of a furnished corporate apartment.  (To illustrate, we have place settings for four, so our fine Thanksgiving china included some plastic plates and borrowed utensils from a neighbor who had gone out of town for the holiday.)  Plasticware aside, we had a great time visiting and catching up, and did a fare bit of playing tourist around the DC sites too.

A family reunion!  Me and my parents at the Capitol with my mom's great-grandpappy, William Jennings Bryan.

The Capitol dome.

A lovely sunset after our tour of the Capitol.

Next up… a Spanish test the week after next, so I’m in full study mode.  (Writing and posting this blog is a much-welcomed study break.)  If I hit the mark on this one, we’ll ship out to Belize at the end of this month.  If not, we’ll likely stay in DC until February when I’ll get another shot at it.  Either way, looking forward to celebrating Christmas here since I will either 1) be on my way to Belize for the New Year or 2) not have to think about another Spanish test until February. 

Happy late Thanksgiving to all!