Monthly Archives: September 2021

The Only Da Vinci In America

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The only place in America where you will find a Leonardo da Vinci painting is the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.

It is not large, measuring in at just 16.5”x 14.5” on wood. I read that it’s an early work of his and quite rare as he painted fewer than twenty oil paintings in his lifetime. Even the wealthiest American collectors can’t acquire them as European collectors have held on to these rare gems for generations. Acquiring this painting was quite an achievement for this museum.

Dating to the 1470s, it features the teenage daughter of a wealthy Florentine banker. On the reverse side is a painted wreath.

This museum has the best collection of Italian art in America and this is the most important piece in that collection. Consequently, this area of the museum was quite busy and the Da Vinci maintained a steady crowd.

Incidentally, we learned about it when I struck up a conversation with a museum employee. I always ask employees if they have a favorite thing to see and he was quick to recommend this and another piece.

The National Gallery of Art is enormous and is made up of two buildings connected underground. Learn more at their website.

The Summerhouse

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Once upon a time, visitors to the US Capitol Building complained there was nowhere to find shade or a cool drink of water while they were on the Capitol grounds. So when famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead was appointed by Congress to improve the grounds in the 1870’s he included something special in the plans.

I stumbled into that something special this visit and thoroughly enjoyed some stolen moments in this peaceful space. Called the Summerhouse, this red brick grotto is an open hexagon with a fountain in the center.

Large arched doorways are fitted with gorgeous wrought iron gates and flanked by windows. There are stone benches with armrests that provide seating for 22 people.

The fountain was once a drinking fountain fed by a spring. Today, modern water fountains and city water have been added.

It’s the kind of place that makes you wish to linger- even when you have someplace to be. In a city of larger than life monuments and memorials, it isn’t really the kind of place you expect to find hiding amongst the shrubbery and ornamental trees on the sloping lawn of the People’s House. And it does feel hidden as Olmstead was careful to not build something that would interfere with the grounds or the sprawling view of the Capitol building.

It would be a great place to enjoy lunch, to rest your feet while journeying through the city’s landmarks, or to devour a good book on a warm day.

It’s a sharp contrast to the armed police officers stationed on the Capitol building roof and in the shadowy archways of this imposing building.

If you go to the US Capitol, be sure to seek out the Summerhouse. Take a cold drink and relax for a bit while enjoying this historic feature!

Summer Stream

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One of the best things about a city is that things are constantly changing and that you never know what will be waiting around the next corner.

For example, just off Chinatown is an area known as CityCenterDC. This pedestrian mall is home to numerous high end shops and restaurants that were mostly closed as we strolled through Friday after dinner.

Look up and you’ll see this remarkable art installation known as Summer Stream. It’s 28,000 ribbons that are suspended overhead. I read that they used sixteen miles of ribbon to achieve the look.

It is dazzling.

We savored the moment and walked the entire length just because we could. While Dior wasn’t in the budget for either of us, we were just as happy to savor the free beauty of this place.

Monuments By Moonlight Tour

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The best way to get an overview of Washington is to take a bus or trolley tour. We opted for the Monuments By Moonlight Night Tour which provides a nice narrated look at the city as well as stops at some popular monuments.

We had a short amount of time at the Iwo Jima Marine Corps, Martin Luther King, Vietnam Veterans. Korean War and Lincoln Memorials.

They looked stunning after dark and took on a different life than in the daylight.

Rain threatened that day but it was a moderate and clear evening. Nonetheless, I didn’t pack my DSLR and my new iPhone camera is testy in anything but bright sunlight so the photos aren’t great.

Nonetheless, I have a few to help remember the moment. I especially liked the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial at night.

If you’re going to our nation’s capital, consider a tour! It’s a safe and easy way to move around and see the sights! Click here for info on our tour company.

Looking Down

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I hiked at Lake Hope yesterday morning before running some errands. It was about 61 degrees and sunny, perfect for a quick hike.

My eye is normally drawn up toward the birds and little creatures in the trees and the sky above. Yesterday was different as my attention was focused almost entirely on the ground.

I was especially taken with all sorts of mushrooms. I know nothing about them but appreciate the various shapes and colors and the character they contribute to the forest floor.

More than that, I was taken with the feel of dirt and pine needles beneath my feet. I noticed more how solid the earth felt and appreciated the contours of tree roots and stones in a way I never have before.

This one resembles a seashell.

Check out the black with the crazy texture!

And the moss!!

Life has been busier than normal for the last couple of months and this week has been ridiculous. I have had zero free time since coming home from vacation. Standing in the forest, taking deep breaths, and feeling the wind on my cheek made me feel alive. It made me want to stand there a while longer.

I only hiked a few miles but it felt like such a treat to find myself in a place where the only manmade noise was a small plane overhead and where my phone did not work.

At one point, I came down from a small ridge into a little cove where golden leaves were falling from the trees. They swirled in a light breeze before gently wafting to the ground. It was a near magical moment in the dappled morning light and the silence of the forest.

Everyone should have such an experience.

Do yourself a favor and go walk outdoors. Get off the sidewalk and walk through dirt and leaves and feel the connection to the earth that humans were meant to have. Look for the small things – tiny flowers, mushrooms and insects. Close your eyes and feel the sun on your face. Breathe deeply and enjoy your life.

Tomorrow we will continue our tour of Washington D.C.

Remember

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“With almost no time to decide, [your loved ones] gave the entire country an incalculable gift. They saved the Capitol from attack. They saved God knows how many lives. They saved the terrorists from claiming the symbolic victory of smashing the center of American government. … They allowed us to survive as a country that could fight terror and still maintain liberty and still welcome people from all over the world from every religion and race and culture as long as they shared our values, because ordinary people given no time at all to decide did the right thing.”
—President Bill Clinton in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, in 2011

If you haven’t been to the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksvile, PA, it is awe inspiring. Click here to read about it.

On the twentieth anniversary of this horrible day, I encourage you to do something meaningful. Take a moment to learn about a victim, perform a random act of kindness., or thank a first responder. Talk to a young person about why this day is important because we now have a generation of kids and young adults who don’t remember 2001 and they don’t know.

Try to remember the weeks following 9/11 when we all were united by our patriotic spirit and try to act more like that.