Welcome to Washington DC

Glorious, near-70 degree weather welcomed me to the nation's capital, and it was a great weekend of spending time with Kristina and enjoying the rich cultural opportunities Washington offers. Here are some highlights so far. After a morning of grocery shopping, including a stop at the nearby Eastern Market, we spent Saturday afternoon in the National Gallery of Art. On Sunday, I went for a run out to the old stadium (RFK) on a route that included East Capitol Street. This wide street starts out with charming tree-lined row houses, and then goes by a couple of schools before reaching the stadium. I found out later that East Capitol is deemed (at least by the Rough Guide) as unsafe on foot, even in daylight(!). I felt quite safe and loved starting and ending my run in nearby Lincoln Park where I was greeted by statues of Abe (this park is home to the famous Emancipation Memorial) and Mary McLeod Bethune (DC's first monument to the achievements of a black American). That afternoon, we visited the Phillips Collection, the nation's first art museum, where we were treated to a piano recital (they have a weekly concert series) and then saw a permanent collection that includes half of Jacob Lawrence's 60-piece migration series and a special exhibition of African works and photography that features them. It was quite a first 48 hours!

Today, it was back to work. I accompanied Kristina on her walk to the Rayburn House Office Building; it's just 15 minutes up Pennsylvania Avenue - a great stroll past the Library of Congress buildings and with the Capitol dome in view the whole way. I went to the South African Embassy (and then to the Consular Office, 2.5 miles away!) to get the forms I need to apply for my visa. It looks like I'll be going back there a few times to get everything in order.

So far so good; keep in touch!