Washington or Bust...Tears Upon My Cheeks...And Tapas...

We were up early Thursday morning as we wanted to go into DC to do some sightseeing.  After hitting the campground restroom next to the motorhome I went and introduced myself to our new neighbors that had set up the night before while we were at Gettysburg. 

A lovely couple from Mobile, Alabama, John and Leslie Gafford were in Washington for Spring break with their three children Marylyn, Michael, Mathew and their foreign exchange student Johanna

Leslie and John

Gustavsson from Sweden.  What a great family! Leslie helps to find families to host exchange students for their senior year of high school in the Mobile area.  I'm not sure what John does but I do know he plays a mean guitar. We have become Facebook friends, I know if I am in the area I can give them a call and I will be welcomed and they likewise. 

After having some breakfast, feeding and walking the dogs, taking my meds and securing the coach. We got in Libby and headed over to the Metro about 2 miles away. It cost about $9.00 plus $5.00 to park and ride the subway into Washington.  We got off at the L'Enfant Plaza exit

A Civil War Memorial built in the
late 1800's

and walked over to the National Gallery of Art located just off the National Mall. I'm glad I had my back brace on and my walking cane as it was a pretty good hike. 

Once inside we proceeded to mosey through the rooms. The problem I had was, there wasn't very many places to sit down. With my back problem I need to sit and rest ever so often, but I

Mercury and Easter Lilies in the
Great Rotunda

managed. We came to the great rotunda. As you can see the space is huge.  It was decorated with Lilies as it was Easter time. 

We were trying to find a particular gallery in the Americana section and as luck would have it, it was in the very farthest corner of the museum from

You could almost see the fuzz of the
petals

where we entered...of course it was.  We wandered from room to room gazing upon the beauty of each work of art asking ourselves...how did they ever do that? It was pure genius...It looked so real and in some cases you felt you could actually feel the crispness of the paper between your fingers and the strings of the violin as you plucked them...the strokes of the brush were so fine. 

The paper lept from the painting it
looked so real. 

Another room to take a respite in...a huge atrium filled with seating and lush plantings. Christie wandered about taking pictures and got this beauty. 

Miniature Oranges and Cherubs

We finally came to the gallery we were seeking. Upon finding it we went in and sat down at the back of the room. There was another couple in the room wandering about, then left. We had the room to ourselves. In silence we sat looking at the sculpture upon the wall...so filled with emotion was I, I discovered that I had tears running down my cheeks. After having been at Gettysburg the day before and then seeing this, I needed a release...tears were the answer and they flowed.   It is the final shot from the movie Glory.  If you have never seen the movie, I suggest you do. We sat there for a good 15 minutes looking at this magnificent piece of art.

Robert Gould Shaw leading the 54th Massachusetts Colored Troops

Reluctantly we left, I then decided I wanted to go see

the Dutch Masters and off we went to find the painter of the "Girl with the Pearl Earring"  Johannes Vermeer. If you have not seen that movie it is a must. Every frame is a vision of art from the

Master. We saw his "Woman holding a Balance" as well. 

Christie has a friend who works for the FBI. They had made arrangements for us to meet up for happy hour at a Spanish Tapas Bar not far from the museum. It's amazing how time flies. It was going on 4:30 p.m. and I knew it would take us a bit to get there at my walking pace.  It was 9 blocks North of us, uphill no less in Chinatown, a place called La Tasca. Ever so slowly we made it. Along the way we saw street musicians and dancers entertaining those trying to get to the Metro. The Metro Police were busy trying to keep things moving. Boy was I ever glad to sit down. After making our way to the basement, we were seated. Happy hour I must say is LOUD! We were seated next to a party of 15, everyone talking at once. I don't know how anyone understood each other and then laughing was sheer screeching. After awhile they left and finally we could hear ourselves think...well almost. The food was very good and cheap! Our whole meal was $24.00. Everything we ordered was $4.00 a plate and we got 4 items on a plate. Our drinks were $4.00 each as well. 

All I can say is YUM!  This is an absolute must go to destination if
you go to Washington DC!

I remember when Dave, Gene Enrico and Susan Caldwell came back from Spain after filming "And They Sang a New Song" for the University of Oklahoma, Dave thought a Tapas Bar on Campus Corner would be a great idea. Too bad we didn't have the money to do it as it is the "IT SPOT" in DC. I wish there was a Tapas bar in Norman or Oklahoma City with these prices as it would be an instant hit! 

After we finished we decided it was time to head back to the rig.  Thankfully the Chinatown Station Red and Green Lines were not far at all, just across the street and down half a block. It was more expensive going back to the campground than coming into DC as we had decided not to wait until after 7:00 p.m. when it would be cheaper. 

The puppies were happy to see us. Our "dogs" were tired after all the walking, so we got them up after Christie walked and fed the pups. We started the generator and fired up the TV so we could see what was going on in the world. The weatherman said it was due to rain the next day. Quiet hour started at 10:00 p.m., not our rules, National Park rules. Off went Ginny and we ran the lights on the battery for a bit then lights out.   

As predicted a gentle rain began to fall and lulled us into a deep sleep. We slept well...