Reporting from the White House

Reporting from the white house

I guess, when in Washington, one feels obligated to go to the White House. I wanted to see The National Gallery but I thought  I would take a quick detour to see the President’s Residence. A couple things of note: There is a never-ending street hockey game going on in front of the National Reserve right next to the White House. Some players were even wearing “Leaf” jerseys. The second thing - the White House is startlingly white. In a city of grey buildings, the White House stands out like a sore thumb or perhaps a shining beacon of democracy depending on your political leanings. The lone police officer who stands guard outside the front gate with a machine gun says he can’t pose for pictures but if he “happens” to be in your selfie then that’s OK. 

I proceeded on down to the Washington Monument. I could see it from a long way off so I didn’t feel I needed to stand next to it. In fact it’s hard to keep out of your photos.  

Frame the Washington Monument Carefully

Onto the National Gallery. After getting through security I noticed Salvador Dali’s master piece “Last Supper” was hung in the foyer near the washrooms. I thought there must be a mistake, it should be in a gallery of it’s own. Later I realized that there were so many masterpieces in this museum, they hang paintings wherever they can find a spot.

Students Learning from the Masters

Davincis, Rembrandts, Monets, Van Goughs and Renoirs are all here amongst the many thousands of pieces of art including sculptures, paintings and even furniture. The museum is a veritable maze with tourists constantly retracing their footsteps only to find the familiar faces of other tourists walking in circles. Sounding like lost Time Travelers, I heard an older couple say “we were in the 18th century but we need to get to the 17th century.”