Sargent and Spain at the National Gallery of Art

We visit the National Gallery of Art all of the time. When we lived on Capitol Hill we walked by it almost every day and before the pandemic we would oftentimes stop in the cafe for lunch. We became very familiar with all of the exhibits and liked passing through the light tunnel that connects the east to the west building. I think I like the west building art more. The east is more modern while the west has the familiar impressionists and such. The other day we drove in to town looking for some weekly photo challenge options when we came across the new exhibit “Sargent and Spain.”  It was more crowded than most of the exhibit rooms because it was something new. What struck me was the garnet and gold colors - they reminded me of Florida State University! I always find it interesting to see the expressions of other people absorbed in the fine elements of the paintings. I’m sure we will pass through there again because the museum has become like a second home. We know our way around it like no other. Every once in a while we will stop and observe - which also makes for great photos. 

Spain and the Atlantic Coast of the US

One of the ways we take advantage of our neighborhood is to visit the Library of Congress for lectures. I worked there for ten years and am very familiar with the three library buildings and the tunnels underground that connect them all with the Capitol Building. Yesterday we decided to see something different than the Middle Eastern presentations we usually go to. It was called “Spain and the Atlantic Coast of the US: Characters from the 16th Century in Search of an Author.”  I’ve come to the conclusion about a few things - the lectures never start on time, the microphones never work or the speaker doesn’t use them, the use of audiovisual aids seems foreign, the speakers always read to us, and the rooms are either too hot or cold or noisy from surrounding activities. We really love going to these events, but are oftentimes disappointed. I suppose if I spoke Spanish I would have understood more about the subject matter. But the same goes for the Persian lectures. Growing up in Florida it was obvious that Spain had a major influence - Fort DeSoto Park and St. Augustine are prime examples. But I was sorry I couldn’t fully appreciate the presentation. At least there were a couple of hard copy rare books to see, as well as the lovely view from the 6th floor where we could see our house. Next week there is a lecture on chocolate. We are curious to see how that one goes. The best part about it is it takes about fifteen minutes to walk from our house to the meeting room. That’s a great commute. 

Vacation Photos From England and Spain

You could say we are in an interesting position. We have had the opportunity to travel to England four times in the last four years. My husband has friends who live there, and so we go. Neither one of us likes to travel, and prefer to watch the scenery on tv, but visiting friends is an altogether different matter. While there, we also traveled to France, and this time Spain, to visit other people we know. While there, one invariably takes photos and movies. I use the neutral ones for my blogs, instagrams, and tumblr. So when it comes to decide which ones to save and which ones to toss, it can be a timely situation. I used to keep scrapbooks with everything in them - from the plane ticket, programs, or anything else related to the trip. Now, things have changed and everything is digital. So last night my husband and I reviewed the photos we took. I saved all the photos the people I know are in. Otherwise, many were deleted to increase the storage space on our devices. The originals are still on the phone, but the favorites are also saved to my iPad. I figure I can always look at the scenery on the websites they were uploaded to, but that could change too! So I just make sure my favorite ones are close at hand. They're nice to look at once in awhile. 

Vacation Photos From England and Spain

You could say we are in an interesting position. We have had the opportunity to travel to England four times in the last four years. My husband has friends who live there, and so we go. Neither one of us likes to travel, and prefer to watch the scenery on tv, but visiting friends is an altogether different matter. While there, we also traveled to France, and this time Spain, to visit other people we know. While there, one invariably takes photos and movies. I use the neutral ones for my blogs, instagrams, and tumblr. So when it comes to decide which ones to save and which ones to toss, it can be a timely situation. I used to keep scrapbooks with everything in them - from the plane ticket, programs, or anything else related to the trip. Now, things have changed and everything is digital. So last night my husband and I reviewed the photos we took. I saved all the photos the people I know are in. Otherwise, many were deleted to increase the storage space on our devices. The originals are still on the phone, but the favorites are also saved to my iPad. I figure I can always look at the scenery on the websites they were uploaded to, but that could change too! So I just make sure my favorite ones are close at hand. They're nice to look at once in awhile. 

Old Barcelona

This is the first year we have not been home at Thanksgiving time. So I did not have to worry about making a turkey and planning for guests. This year we decided to visit our English friends, and all meet our French friends in Spain. I probably would not have ever gone to Spain otherwise. Yesterday we walked though the old section of Barcelona - this is the favorite spot for my husband as he loves the crowd and the action, and the markets, and the walk. The day before we meandered through the modern section of town, and then took the train to the Mediterranean Sea. The best part of any of it is that I don't need to think about how to get from point a to point b, because there are seasoned travelers in this group that really want to see and do specific things. We just tag along. By the end of the day, we went for a late lunch at the top of a department store complex. So we saw the view of the city at dusk. It's hard to believe there were Olympic Games played here a while back. The city must have been congested! But even this time of year it seemed very crowded. Now we are back in London for a few days. I need a vacation! 

Mediterranean Sea

My dad was in Northern Africa during WWII on a ship in the Mediterranean. This is the first time I have seen the Mediterranean Sea seventy years later. A lot has changed since then! We are in Barcelona visiting our English friends son and were joined by our French friends.  Yesterday we took a stroll along the sea, saw some parrots flapping, palm trees, and surfers. It reminded me a lot of Florida along the gulf shores where I grew up. The sun was misleading as it actually felt like thirty degrees. But it was a very pleasant day taking in the sights in a place I would not have imagined visiting even last year. My husband and I prefer the company over the sights and pretty much tag along wherever everyone else wants to go. This way I really don't have to think about anything. And I really like it that way!