Washington

We arrived at our hotel (called AKA White House – Also Known As) which comprised a huge 2 bedroom unit two blocks from the real thing in time for Happy Hour. We were recommended a Spanish restaurant around the corner (Taberna del Alabaradero) which was really top draw (lamb shanks with peppers).

We only had one day here and the plan was to go up the monument which we missed out on last time (September 2012) due to construction work. Unfortunately all the tickets for the day were sold – still we have an excuse to come again.

As it was 9/11 all the flags were at half mast

The view of the rear of the White House was the same although I did notice this time a bee hive (at the left). Further left and off screen was a vegetable garden so Obama at face value is trying to do the right thing!

As it was a pretty hot day we opted for some inside activity and went around the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. We ended up a little pushed for time as coincidentally friends from Canberra, Keith and Jill Hill, were also in town. We caught up with them for Happy Hour and an early dinner before Jill had to go to work. She has a few months stint assisting English teachers – a good way to see the world.

On our stroll back to our hotel we went via the front of the White House. Keith and I noticed a man with a tripod on the roof and at that moment a terrific raucous broke out with a guarding police car screeching up the fence line scattering pedestrians every which way. We then we saw a man in the grounds of the White House. A loose line of police then started to boom out at us “MOVE – MOVE INTO THE PARK”. Meanwhile the intruder, with a Police man and levelled submachine gun 5 metres behind him and another police man and a barking dog struggling against its leash at 90 degrees to him, slunk his way across the gardens. He eventually heeded their constant “GET DOWN” and our last glimpse of him was being manhandled into cuffs.

Meanwhile our police line were not happy with us just being in the park and kept yelling “MOVE, GET BACK ACROSS THE PARK; BACK TO H STREET”. On arrival at H street we were left to stand around and wonder. Meanwhile a tramp who had not got out of the park was being spoken to by the police. He was still there as we left – maybe a secret service agent? Certainly the man on the roof most likely had a camera and it was all a bit of practice activity………

The yelling had its desired affect on me with my first movie attempt with the new camera largely resulting in pictures of the footpath and the occasional foot! Here is the best of the photos with Helen and Pamela at the rear of the crowd and certainly in no mood to hurry for a noisy policeman.

After all that fracas it was good to get back to AKA, change and then we caught a taxi to a jazz bar. Keith and Jill also joined us after work. By comparison with the earlier activity this was quite a subdued affair with our group more than doubling the audience. Still the jazz was good.

The following day we travelled to Steve and Jilly’s. Here we spent a great couple of days really chilling out (more days at sea). We did play two rounds of golf (without camera) where much wild life was spotted including a 2 metre alligator in the pond adjacent one of the putting greens, a turtle that Steve nearly ran over, some amazing black and white “Fox"

squirrels and on our drive back home 4 skittish deer in the gardens of a house.