The National Christmas Tree in Washington, DC

We braved the crowds this weekend and went down to see the national tree. One of the two zillion people packed in to see it described it as a giant, deformed Hershey kiss. Seems about right to me.

Whatever you do, do not drive to (or anywhere near) the national tree. The traffic on the surrounding roads was absurd. Just take the subway to Metro Center and trek the few blocks. It won't kill you. (I can't imagine what we are going to do when the inauguration comes.)

When not snapping pics for myself, I snapped group shots for other tourists. Chris once had the, I think, hilarious, idea of trying to get in as many tourist photos as possible. We would have our mugs in peoples vacation albums all over the world. Eventually, we would surely run into someone during our travels who had our smiling faces in the back of one of their travel photos.

Carousel on the National Mall in Washington, DC

There has been a carousel on the National Mall since 1967. This one was built in 1947, but didn't arrive in DC until 1981. Before that it had been up at a park in Baltimore.

The merry-go-round is, undoubtedly, a welcome break for kids whose parents are dragging them from museum to museum all day.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure kids are digging the airplanes at the Air and Space Museum and the animals at the Museum of Natural History. But I don't think kids burst through the museum doors like they do through the carousel gates. (Gotta get the best horse you know.)

Review of Julia's Empanadas

Julia's is another local chain selling, you guessed it, empanadas. Julia's is probably the cheapest lunch in town. You can get a very filling empanada for about three bucks.

Julia's doesn't stick with your typical empanada flavors. One of my favorites is the Jamaican style with ground beef, onion, potato, and curry. You can also have more Latin flavors like chorizo with rice and black beans.

While I like Julia's, I have to say that I prefer my empanadas with a lighter and flakier crust. These are quite dense. It's also a shame that there is nowhere to eat in Julia's. It's a takeout exclusive. Still, if you want a cheap meal, Julia's is a good bet.

Arthur M. Sackler Gallery in Washington, DC

Yesterday's adventure was at the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery. The Sackler and Freer (two attached museums) have extensive collections of Asian art.

In one of the first exhibits were a couple films of children shot in Afghanistan. One was of children selling bricks they retrieved from a ruin, the other children playing with a shot down fighter plane.

It was the fighter plane film that was fascinating and surreal. The bullet holes had exposed the plane's insulation. The children had stretched it out so it was like ropes attached to the plane.

Dozens of children holding dozens of ropes walked and ran and played around the plane, as if trying to control it. The film was shot sometimes normally, sometimes in slow motion, sometimes with sound, sometimes with none. The filmmaker (Lida Abdul) subtitled occasional thoughts, like poetry, at the bottom of the screen.

I shot through the Hindu and Buddhist statues fairly quickly. Although they were beautiful, I was a little short on time. The Chinese section was filled with everyday and ceremonial objects, everything from wardrobes to pots. I particularly liked the ceremonial wine casks, made in the shape of animals. I totally want one of those.

One of the more interesting items was a piece of cave art. It had two Bodhisattvas, one white and one black. We are always given the impression that humanity was separated until very recent history. I love when a historical artifact reminds us that there have been many diverse places in history, that some sort of ethnic isolation or (worse) purity never existed.

Finally, I reached the exhibit I really arrived for, Garden and Cosmos: the Royal Paintings of Jodhpur. Jodhpur is in Northwest India. It is a favorite stop on India's tourist trail. As you might have divined from the title, the paintings were often of gardens or of religious stories or philosophical messages.

They were as colorful as a million saris, with gold and silver details everywhere. The paintings were all about detail. They actually had magnifying glasses available. My favorite paintings, although not the most beautiful, were a series done of one particular raja (king). In every painting he was the only man surrounded by hundreds of scantily clad women. In one, he was bathing with them. In another, he was dancing with them (and feeling one up).

"It's good to be the king."

Review of Sette Osteria

If you're in Dupont Circle on a nice day and want a place to sit outside and enjoy a glass of wine and some pizza from a wood-burning oven, Sette is your spot.

That said, there are many places in DC for pizza, particularly wood-fired pizza, and Sette is not even close to the best of them. I went once and won't likely go again. Pizzeria Paradiso and Coppi's are just so much better.

I'm not saying the food is bad, it's fine. The service is fine. The restaurant is fine. Just nothing special.

Review of Firehook Bakery

Washington, DC has surprisingly few bakeries. Firehook is one of them. They have several locations in town (and in Virginia).

They are coffee shops and lunch spots in addition to bakeries. The locations are generally comfortable, although not quite cozy, places to read or chat.

The sandwiches and pre-made salads are pretty good. I had an especially delicious orzo pasta salad in a lemon vinaigrette, at a bargain price to boot.

Mostly though, I go for the sugary goodies. The decadent, gooey, chocolate raspberry cake is one of my favorites. Although it can be inconsistent at times, it's one of the only bakeries in town and definitely beats a Safeway cake (although maybe not a Whole Foods one).

Review of Larry's Ice Cream

As much as I love to eat Larry's ice cream, I think I would go there just for the service. The staff are officially known around town as the "scoop nazis." It's like a piece of Brooklyn (or Seinfeld) in DC.

When asked if he was going to vote for Obama, my favorite scoop nazi said something to the effect of "What the f*&^ choice do we have. The other guys f%$#ing a hundred years old."

As for the ice cream, it is creamy and delicious. My personal favorite is the cinnamon cookie, which has big chewy chunks of oatmeal cookie immersed in cinnamon fabulousness. Truth be told, I haven't tried many other flavors. I'm too addicted to that one.

Larry's Ice Cream, 1633 Connecticut Ave. NW

Review of Banana Leaves

Banana Leaves is one of our favorite neighborhood hangouts. It is about twenty steps out our front door. It's very small and very red.

Amazingly, it is hardly ever crowded. I think this may be because people tend to order takeout. It definitely is not because the food is bad, because it is great.

We often go there for their super fresh sushi. Another favorite dish is their Asian crunchy salad with lettuce, cabbage, carrots, peanuts, and an amazing peanut dressing.

The chef at Banana Leaves has a sweet tooth and you can depend on everything from peanut dressing to chicken basil to won ton soup having a bit of sweetness to it. That's all just fine by me.

Oh, and did I mention the staff is friendly and the prices are reasonable? It's pretty much the perfect neighborhood restaurant.

Eastern Market in Washington, DC

The brick building in the background of this photo is the historic Eastern Market built in 1873. Sadly, the building was gutted by a fire back in 2007 and the rebuilding process has been slow. Until then, it had been in continuous operation as a market since it opened 134 years earlier.

You can still buy food at the market. They erected a temporary tentlike building to house the meat, fish, pastry, and produce vendors that used to be in the main building. Market lunch (reviewed a few posts ago) is also located inside.

It's dreamland for foodies. The fish selection is incredible. There are three different meat vendors, one of whom has an incredible array of handmade sausages. We had a lamb sausage that was absolutely perfect. If you are looking to stock up for a gourmet meal, this is the place.

Outside, on the weekends, is an art market and a flea market. Lots of local painters, jewelry makers, and other artisans display their goods. There is a rug dealer and a few furniture sellers. There is a woman who makes retro crotchet hats and someone who makes statues out of old soda cans. They pretty much cover all the bases.

If food is your thing, Eastern Market is a must-do DC stop.

Eastern Market, 7th Street & North Carolina Avenue, SE, Washington, DC

Review of Etete

DC cab drivers say that you must go to U Street for good Ethiopian food. Zagat reviewers insist that Etete is one of the best in town. Chris and I finally headed down to see for ourselves.

Etete is a small, date friendly restaurant with rich wood and low lighting. The servers were friendly and fast. We were there at an off hour, so it wasn't too crowded.

We ordered the spicy chicken (Doro Wat) and the lamb marinated in onion, garlic and jalapeño(Yebeg Alicha). It was all served on top of, and with a side of, the requisite Ethiopian spongy bread.

The spicy chicken was tasty and had a nice kick. It came with one small drumstick and a few pieces of chicken floating in the sauce. It also, oddly, came with a hard boiled egg. The lamb dish was more generous with meat, but less generous with flavor. The sweet, but light honey wine was probably my favorite thing about the whole meal.

Etete had a nice ambiance and service and the food was good, but I didn't feel like it was a great value for the money (the above cost us just under $50 with tip). Still, I'll be going back to try what our neighbors were eating (a whole fish and some incredible smelling charcoal broiled beef).

Etete, 1942 9th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

Code Pink Shoe Protest

That's Medea Benjamin and some other Code Pink people outside the Whitehouse yesterday. They are standing in front of a bunch of shoes they put out in solidarity with the Iraqi shoe thrower.

The ladies were putting on their usual show and they were surrounded by ridiculous amounts of secret service. The signs say we should "Drop Bush not Bombs" and that the shoes are in solidarity with all the women and children killed in Iraq.

If you have been in a sealed chamber underground for the last few days, an Iraqi journalist threw a show at President Bush during a press conference. Here's the video for your viewing pleasure.



Man, I could watch that video over and over. It's really quite impressive how fast Bush's reflexes were. It's like he practices his speeches with someone throwing oranges at him.

And just in case you are looking for something to kill the time at work. May I suggest playing the hottest new internet game - Sock and Awe. Bush has been hit in the face by more than 47 million shoes. It's fabulous.

Review of Five Guys

Another local chain, Five Guys is a burger joint and constant temptation on my way home from the gym.

Unlike most fast food places, here your food is made to order. And they don't distract themselves with a diverse menu. They just focus on making thin, flavorful, and perfect patties.

Getting the extra crispy bacon on top is a must. I also usually have my burger drowned in bbq sauce, mushrooms, and sauteed onions.

The seriously addictive fries come regular or spicy. The large size is as big as my head. It has about as many calories as a normal sized human should eat in an entire day. And it's worth every hour on the treadmill.

Review of Teaism

Teaism is a local mini-chain of restaurants/tea shops. In their gargantuan menu of teas available for purchase, they refer to it as an "Asian style tea house."

Only a sampling of their teas are available to buy and drink on site, but they come in your own personal teapot, so all is forgiven.

The restaurant is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It has a somewhat limited, but decent menu. I find the breakfast french toast to be quite delicious.

Lunch and dinner options include sandwiches, bento boxes, soups, and kabobs. They have plenty of vegetarian options (tofu and tempeh galore) and some pretty tasty tea cookies and other sugary things.

The food is all a bit on the granola side - by which I mean that you will see lots of brown rice and grainy things in your bread. But they do the granola thing really well and even health food haters can find something to like here.

It's reasonably priced and reasonably healthy, which makes it a popular spot in town.

Review of Market Lunch

The Market Lunch is a hole in the wall restaurant located in the Eastern Market. Despite the name, it is famous for its breakfasts.

It is also famous for the huge line you have to wait on in order to get your food. Once you have your food, there is one long counter where you can scarf it down and move on.

The place is not particularly atmospheric, at least not until they rebuild the historic Eastern Market building. On weekends, it is jam packed with families trying to get an inexpensive breakfast out.

They are famous for their blueberry pancakes, but I just had to try the eggnog french toast with the apple cider syrup. Chris had a crab and mushroom omelet with potatoes. The overzealously, charming proprietor also talked Chris into getting the grits.

The French toast was made with super soft homemade white bread and, while it was good, it was almost too gooey. The apple cider syrup was like sweet, syrupy apple sauce and definitely improved the situation.

Chris's omelet was cooked perfectly, filled to the brim with fresh mushrooms and real crab, and seasoned well. It was delicious, with the exception of a small bit of crab shell I had to pick out of my teeth. The potatoes were nothing special, but the grits were as good as promised - creamy and buttery, but with some texture and seasoning.

All the food we had was generously laden with butter. This is definitely not the place to come on a diet. The whole thing cost us $20 exactly.

If you can stand the kids, and getting your feet run over with strollers - and if you don't mind being shoveled along as soon as your done eating - you can get some very good food at prices about as reasonable as DC has to offer.

Review of Mykonos Grill

Mykonos Grill is in Rockville, Maryland. It's an easy hop off the DC metro to get there.

Oddly situated at the bottom of an office building, and decorated to look like it could be the subject of one of the Thomas McKnight prints inside, I was a little wary. It didn't help that the place was nearly empty (although it was early).

I needn't have worried. This may have been the best Greek food I have ever had. The feta and olive plate was fresh, flavorful, and perfect. The spanakopita had the lightest, flakiest crust - no oily mess here.

The lamb kabob was cooked well and seasoned just right, but it was the filet mignon kabob that really sold me - perfectly seared, melted like butter. The service was good, if a little formal for the situation. The prices were reasonable, although you could definitely add up a bill on the small plates. All in all, Mykonos is worth a trip out to Rockville.

Mykonos Grill, 121 Congressional Lane, Rockville, Maryland

Review of McCormick & Schmick's

Since we were foregoing the family drudgery on Thanksgiving, Chris and I had to find someplace to eat. Unfortunately, my top choices were either closed or booked up. I made us a reservation at McCormick & Schmick's.

McCormick & Schmick's is a chain seafood restaurant, a slightly more upscale version of Red Lobster, as it turns out. The restaurant is wood paneled in an attempt to look elegant. The large slash in one of our leather booth seats ruined that a bit.

We were seated right away, but our waitress took her time in the beginning. She was a bit more attentive as the night wore on and the restaurant began to empty out. We figured we should cut her some slack, being that it was Thanksgiving and they were undoubtedly short staffed.

We started off with a shrimp and artichoke dip with pita chips. It sounded delicious. It was barely edible. In fact, I didn't eat any of it. The pita chips were soaked in grease and topped with cheese. The dip was watery, with faux baby shrimp, and not much flavor.

The main course was an improvement. My rare yellowfin tuna was perfectly seared, although was obviously not brought straight from the stove to my table. The tuna was fresh and the spicy soy dipping sauce was delicious. The pickley asian salad that accompanied the dish wasn't too bad either.

Chris ordered their Thanksgiving meal. It was a smorgasbord of carbohydrates, all of which were standard. The turkey was moist, almost too moist. It seemed overly processed, like something from a cafeteria.

The highlight of the meal was undoubtedly the cinnamon apple martini I had for dessert. I could have sucked down about a hundred of those. It was sweet, tart, refreshing, and light.

We received a hefty bill, padded by several cocktails each, but still overpriced for the quality of the food, service, and ambiance. While I would recommend going by for one of those cinnamon apple martinis, I wouldn't recommend staying for dinner.

Thanksgiving Basketball in DC

Chris and I decided to skip the whole traditional Thanksgiving thing this year. Forget the driving, the dealing with family, the jello molds. We went to the basketball game instead.

The arena was more than half empty, which is probably why Chris and I were able to get club level seats for $50. On the bad side, the Wizards got killed by the Magic in an embarrassing game. On the upside, Chris had a birds-eye view of the cheerleaders. (Oh, white boots.)

Hiking at Great Falls in Virginia

Great Falls is a national park in Virginia, about a half hour outside of Washington, DC. We went there on a work outing last year.

It's a nice spot for a picnic or an easy hike. On some trails, you can go horseback riding or bike riding. The Potomac has class II to class VI rapids for anyone who wants an adrenaline filled boat ride. Climbing and fishing are also allowed, but no camping.

It's a nice drive out of the city and a good place to go on a nice day.

Review of Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe

I'm about to head out the door to indulge in one of my many weaknesses, book buying. Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe is one of my favorite places to get a fix in DC.

The place has been around almost since I was born. The book selection leans heavily into politics, history, and travel - which is perfect for me.

The restaurant is open 24 hours on the weekends and is a great place for late night dining. It's probably most known for brunch and has the lines to prove it. (Those mini muffins are so good.) The nice thing is that you can kill time browsing through the books while you wait for your table.

The food is standard, but good. The desserts, on the other hand, are amazing. They have phenomenal apple pie and you can get cinnamon ice cream with it. I'm going to have a hard time avoiding the restaurant.

Kramerbooks & Afterwords Cafe, 1517 Conn. Avenue, NW, Washington, DC

World War II Memorial in Washington, DC

The World War II memorial is probably my least favorite in the DC. It looks nice at night, all lit up, but it looks like something that could be outside a really nice shopping mall.

Each state has a pillar with a Christmas wreath looking thing on it. There are a few inscribed sayings. They cleverly designed it so that you can see the Lincoln Memorial down one end and the Washington Monument down the other.

It just doesn't grab you.

Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC

You will undoubtedly recognize the Lincoln Memorial. It seems to show up in every film set in DC. And just so you know. The memorial is far from the capital building and there is no way Reese Witherspoon walked in those heels all the way to the Lincoln Memorial in Legally Blonde II.

There's been a lot of talk about Lincoln lately. People have been comparing Lincoln and Obama (two skinny dudes from Illinois). People mention Lincoln often as one leader who moved us closer to racial justice. He's even mentioned in Will-I-Am's new song.

A while back I read Assata Shakur's biography. Interesting book if you haven't read it. If you don't know who she is, she was a black civil rights activist in the sixties and seventies. She was in a car pulled over by police in New Jersey on May 2, 1973. The police claim she was involved in shooting and killing an officer. She claims she was injured so severely by police that there is no way she could have. She was convicted of murder, but escaped and has been living in Cuba.

To make a short story longer, in her book she challenges the assertion that Lincoln was such a great guy. She points out that he never really intended to end slavery (and said as much). She's right that he said that at one point. But he did speak out against slavery before he became president as well. What he never did was advocate for equality. In fact, according to a recent Smithsonian article, he very specifically said that he was "not nor ever have been in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office, nor to intermarry with white people."

So here's my question. When we remember Lincoln as only the president who freed the slaves, are we doing a disservice to ourselves and future generations? Is it similar to how I have forgotten most of the nasty things my father did now that he is gone? Is that o.k.? Do we need heroes so badly that it is worth overlooking their warts? Why?

Review of Moby Dick's House of Kabob

Chris and I are very excited about our newest cheap eats find. Moby Dick's is a local chain. The nearest location to us is hidden on N street where you would never think to look.

It has zero ambiance, but the food is great. Chris and I shared a spinach salad with feta, a huge chicken platter with rice and more salad, a generous portion of humus, and a drink.

The chicken was perfectly cooked. The rice was perfectly cooked. The humus was creamy. They gave us a ton of pitas. And the whole thing cost less than twenty bucks. That's quite a find in DC.

Moby Dick's House of Kabob, 1300 Connecticut Avenue NW, Washington, DC

Obama Wall in Washington, DC

I wandered down by the monuments this afternoon, thinking I would see military types. It is almost veterans day after all. Instead I found an Obama wall.

Avaaz (sort of an international version of Moveon.org) collected messages and photos from people in 189 countries and posted the messages on a wall at the bottom of the Lincoln Memorial steps.

Passers-by added their own scrawls. They were messages of congratulations and anticipation. Many expressed their hope that Obama would tackle environmental problems, human rights violations, poverty, and violence.

It is going to be so nice to travel without having to hope nobody finds out where you are from. The people who make those Canadian flag emblems that backpackers have been using to disguise themselves better start making Obama buttons.

Review of Mitsitam Cafe

The Mitsitam is the museum restaurant at the National Museum of the American Indian. As museum restaurants go, the Mitsitam is outstanding. That is not to say that all of the food is great. The dishes are hit or miss.

The South America section usually has a few good items. I have had some excellent soup there before and some very decent tamales. The Plains section has passable buffalo burgers, but it is the honey-covered fry bread that is the real winner.

There is a Northwest section with salmon. There is a Mesoamerican section with burritos and tacos. There are an array of decidedly non-indigenous torts and cakes for dessert. There is also a wall of beverages that, last I went, included an amazingly delicious plantain drink.

The restaurant can get crowded and the popular stations can be a challenge to maneuver around as you carry your tray around. Still, its worth a trip even if you are not going to see the museum.

Mitsitam Cafe, National Museum of the American Indian, 4th St. and Independence Ave., S.W., Washington, DC

Day of the Dead at the Museum of the American Indian

On the Day of the Dead, Mexicans believe that the spirits of their deceased relatives come back to visit them. They are happy about this. I wonder if they get to chose which relatives come back?

Families leave offerings of food and flowers on household alters. They visit cemeteries, decorate grave sites, and make elaborate skeletal creations.

Pictured is a skull made entirely of sugar. The skull itself is molded sugar crystals. The decoration is done in icing. It looks delicious. Typically, you would find this on an altar with bread, water, candles, flowers, and keepsakes.

This particular skull had just been made by an artist who exhibited during the Day of the Dead celebration at the National Museum of the American Indian. She was one of several artisans there showing typical Day of the Dead pieces.

Dance of the Tecuanis in Washington, DC

This dance troop came from Puebla, Mexico to perform the dance of the Tecuanis (the thing that eats or devours). They performed at the National Museum of the American Indian for their yearly Day of the Dead celebration.

There are two lines of dancers. One line represents the indigenous people. The other line represents the Spanish. There are also people dressed as jaguars, a cow, a witch, a devil, and the grim reaper.

Each costume is decorated with paint and sequins. Each mask is hand made in Mexico. Each face has a different expression, representing all the emotions of life. They were caricatures come to life.

The performers have a crazy dance-off. The dance ends when they kill the jaguar that has been attacking the people and their cows. There is lots of piercing whistle music and jumping in the air. The jaguars have tails that they whack on the ground with thunderous explosions.

The best part is watching the kids reactions. Some of them were scared of the jaguars. The kids in front of me jumped back a foot when one whacked its tail nearby. Mostly, the kids seemed to really enjoy being scared.

Reflecting Pool in Washington, DC

The reflecting pool stretches from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial down towards the Washington Monument. It's one of the most famous spots in DC and is filled with thousands of tourists any day of the week.

The paths and tree-covered grassy areas on either side of the pool are where you will find the locals. It's a great place for a walk, jog, bike ride, or nap.

Segway Tours of Washington, DC

So, I'm hanging out downtown on Sunday when this family rides by on a Segway tour of DC. You remember the Segway. That's the thing George W. fell off of a while back. In case you missed it, you can see the photos here. Man I wish that was a video.

The first thing I thought when I saw these people was - my god that's dorky. The second thing I thought was - they look like they are having the time of their lives. Of course now their picture is up on the internet for the whole world to see. You can't do anything these days without your stupidness getting posted.

National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC

Who would have thought the National Portrait Gallery would turn out to be such a great museum. The presidential portraits are a snooze, but the changing exhibits at the gallery are really interesting.

I went by on Sunday to catch another glimpse of "RECOGNIZE! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture." Mainly I just wanted to see the Kehinde Wiley portraits. He should definitely do Barack's presidential portrait. The presidential portrait exhibit needs some color (in more ways than one).

There is also a surprisingly good exhibit of Ansel Adams and Georgia O'Keefe. I don't know why I wasn't expecting much, perhaps because the last O'Keefe exhibit I saw in Portland, Maine didn't have much going on. The Portrait Gallery had some truly exceptional paintings. O'Keefe captured the essence of things.

The "Women of Our Time: Twentieth-Century Photographs" had some interesting choices. My personal favorite, in the little known women category, was Jeannette Rankin. She was the first woman elected to congress (1916). What's even more amazing is that she was a pacifist and still got elected. Granted her career backslid when she voted not to enter World War I and it was destroyed when she was the only congressperson to vote not to enter World War II. You have to admire someone who sticks to their ethics no matter what it costs them.

Those were some of the highlights this time around. This is a definite must stop if you are visiting DC.

Review of Amsterdam Falafelshop

Chris and I had been hearing raves about the Amsterdam Falafelshop in Adams Morgan. It isn't often you can get good, cheap eats in DC. Being on a post-London budget, we needed to save some cash.

The restaurant is a tiny hole in the wall right in the heart of everything. I somehow managed to keep bumping into everyone else in there. They only do four things: falafel, french fries, brownies, and beverages.

It was probably the best falafel I have ever had. It was light and perfectly seasoned. The pita bread was soft and thick. They have a bar full of condiments, including some cumin-spiced onions that were amazing.

The fries weren't bad either, although they were overkill after the huge falafels. We didn't try the brownies. We later thought we might have erred in not eating brownies at someplace called the Amsterdam Falafelshop. Our whole meal - two falafels, fries, a soda and a guava nectar - cost less than $20. That's a miracle in DC.

One warning though, I was grepsing falafel for several hours after our meal. Bring some mints. And you might want to skip it on a date.

Amsterdam Falafelshop, 2425 18th Street NW, Washington, DC

The Tidal Basin in Washington, DC

This is the tidal basin during last spring's cherry blossom bloom. Cherry blossom time gets busy around the basin, but normally it is one of the more peaceful spots in DC.

On the left is, I believe, where the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial will be. They are supposed to break ground next month.

The picture is taken from the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial. Eleanor is also memorialized, although she doesn't get the billing she should.

Just around the other side of the basin is the Jefferson Memorial. So someday soon you will be able to walk through the moral journey of the United States by taking a stroll around the Tidal Basin.

Jefferson, who struggled with the immorality of slavery, although he owned slaves his whole life, begins the journey. Next comes Franklin D. Roosevelt, who championed the rights of African-Americans, Jews, Catholics and Native Americans, but whose record was marred by the internment of Japanese and Germans in World War II. Eleanor was even more progressive than FDR. She was also instrumental in the writing and adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Finally, there will be Martin Luther King, Jr. What can you say about MLK? Faced with terrible violence and constant degradation, he led a movement of inspirational peace that changed the world. Even in my recent trip to London, the inspirational poster in the subway was Martin Luther King. I doubt there is a corner of the globe he hasn't inspired in some way.

The route from Jefferson to Roosevelt to King will be covered in cherry trees. The first trees were a gesture of friendship from the Tokyo mayor in 1912. This friendship was short lived, as Pearl Harbor was just 29 years later.

Yet by 1965, just 24 years after Pearl Harbor and 20 years after Hiroshima and Nagasaki, 3,800 more trees were given as a gift from Japan. It's incredible when you think about it. In the Middle East people are still holding grudges from the Crusades. Meanwhile the United States and Japan rebuilt their relationship in less than twenty years.

Thomas Jefferson Memorial in Washington, DC

The Jefferson Memorial is beautiful. I prefer the view from across the tidal basin though. When I'm actually in the monument, looking at the quotes, I have mixed emotions to say the least.

If nothing else, Jefferson was a poster child for how opposing thoughts, emotions, and deeds can reside in one person. He wrote against slavery, but had slaves. He was constantly referring to god, but wanted a strict separation of church and state. He was a moralizer, but had a lifetime affair and several unacknowledged children with his slave (and wife's half sister) Sally Hemings.

Korean War Memorial in Washington, Dc

The Korean war memorial is trippy. Life-sized soldiers slog through foliage in their rain gear. Their gray faces are pained and grim. It is a huge display, maybe twenty soldiers. There is also a wall with sandblasted portraits. It is particularly spooky as the sun is going down.

The memorial captures the drudgery of war, if not the carnage or the politics. How are we supposed to avoid more wars if we only remember the sacrifice of the soldiers and not the stupidity of the politicians?

Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial

The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial is by far my favorite in DC. It's huge and broken down into areas by his presidential terms. I believe these men are supposed to be on a soup line. If things keep going the way they have been, we'll be seeing a lot more of these.

The memorial is particularly gorgeous during spring when the cherry blossoms are out, but any time is good for a chill walk along the tidal basin. Perhaps if we all spend some time there reading his and Eleanor's quotes some of their inspiration will rub off on us. We could use it.

Review of Open City

Open City was, for a time, our most favored breakfast place. It is just up the road in Woodley Park. The prices are reasonable by DC standards. The coffee is good. The food is good. They have outdoor seating.

On the down side, the service can be atrocious. The last time we went, the hostess was like a lobotomized coke head - running around, but not getting anything accomplished. She ticked us off so badly we haven't been back.

That's a shame, because their chai waffle is quite delicious. Chris is a bit fan of the chorizo scramble. My advice is, go to Open City, but only if you have a healthy dose of zen-like patience.

Open City, 2331 Calvert Street NW, Washington, DC 20008

Coffee Woes of the Traveler

Why is it so difficult to get a good cup of coffee when you are traveling? In Mexico, a place where they grow coffee, they would plop down a jar of instant Nescafe on the table and call it a day. It wasn't until we got to Mexico City and found Starbucks that we were able to get a decent cup.

In London, the coffee isn't bad, but the milk products are all awful. The milk tastes weird. Even the soy milk tastes weird. What's worse, nobody has half and half (or half cream, or whatever they want to call it). Note the tubs of "milk" that were sitting on the counter in our hotel room.

Castles and Crazies in Oxford, England

So I'm walking down the street in Oxford, just by the castle, and I spot this guy on a hill with his hands stretched out. At first I thought there was somebody else up there with him and he was posing for a picture. But no.

Turns out he was just a little crazy. I didn't break the camera out in time to catch the arms spread eagle moments, but I did catch him running down the hill with his hands covering his ears. You can just barely see him up by the tree in the top right of the photo.

Crazy people are fun.

Finally Some Personality on Cowley Road in Oxford

Cowley Road is one of the cooler parts of Oxford. Come to think of it, I liked it better than most of London too. It has dozens of little restaurants, lots of funky murals, and a very cool looking mosque.

Like a lot of neighborhoods where immigrants and students have converged, it has a really good vibe. Halal meat markets and food cooperatives can be found there. As can funky clothing, bicycles, and (of course) an Oxfam shop.

If I ever had to live in Oxford, this is where you'd find me.

Getting to and Around Oxford, England

Downtown Oxford is full of bicycles. This is undoubtedly due in large part to the exorbitant parking fees, nearly $40 a day. I saw quite a few old professor types huffing and puffing along on their way (presumably) to work.

Although the downtown area has fairly limited traffic, the areas and suburbs just outside of downtown Oxford can get surprisingly congested. This is particularly dangerous for those of us unused to people driving on the left side of the road. Even though practically every street had painted on it which way you should look to cross, I always looked the wrong way.

There's a pretty extensive bus system in Oxford, but it costs a lot. I paid nearly $4 to go a distance that would have taken me about 15 or 20 minutes to walk. It made me miss the good old Mexico City bargain transportation system. Taxis are also expensive. A ten minute ride was about $20. Although, the taxis in England are way better than ours. They are a modernized version of the old taxi cabs with fold down rear facing seats. Quite nice.

The final method of getting in and out of Oxford is the train, which is packed on weekdays. Lots of people commute into London. It is very quiet and orderly, although not always on time. It's also incredibly expensive. My train to the airport cost almost $70. That would be about $700 a week in commuting costs. Ouch. Hope they have some sort of commuter pass.

Rollerblading in the London Silence

Hyde Park has a section where people rollerblade. Central Park in New York also has a section where people rollerblade, but there is a crucial difference. The people in New York are jammin. The music is blasting and the rollerbladers are dancing.

There's no music in London. It's weird. The entire time I was in London and Oxford, I don't recall a single store with music blaring out. I came across one vehicle in Oxford that was politely blaring the car stereo (just loud enough for it to seep out the car windows).

Coming from Miami, where everything is done to a soundtrack of blasting stereos, it seems bizarre to me. Life without music just isn't life.

Following Orders Under Big Brother's Watchful London Eyes

If you are going to visit London, get used to being told to "mind the gap." This is usually being told to you over a loud speaker, repetitively. It does not, that I can recall, come accompanied with a "please" or "thank you." It is most definitely an order.

The other thing to get used to in London is the feeling that you are being watched. Sometimes a sign will advise you that you are on camera and being monitored. Sometimes you just see the camera. It feels a little creepy, but I better get used to it. Washington DC is now following their lead.

Deceit at Buckingham Palace in London

Buckingham Palace is a rather homely building. The gates are topped with silly unicorns. There is tacky gold paint everywhere. Nevertheless, I was very excited about going.

Mainly I wanted to participate in the tradition of trying to make the guards flinch. I had a choreographed jig all planned out. There was no way they were going to keep a straight face.

Then I arrived and discovered that, not only were the guards far, far away from the gate - they were fake! How can they use dummy guards? I know finances are tight right now, but we're talking about the queen of England for Pete's sake. Surely she can shell out a few bucks an hour for someone to stand there. Aren't there some jewels she can sell?

Very disappointing.

Harrods Foodie Mecca in London

My second favorite thing in London (after seeing A Midsummer Nights Dream) was the food court in Harrods department store. Those are the food court fishmongers.

In addition to being a gourmet market, it also has several counters where you can order food - including a caviar counter. Chris and I ate at the deli. The matzo ball soup was just like my mothers, seriously. The lox was perfect. My turkey sandwich was great.

Of course, the whole lunch cost like $70, which is ridiculous. In fact, everything was incredibly expensive. The uncooked lobsters cost about $80 each. At those prices, Chris and I figure we ate about $400 worth of lobster on our trip to Maine. Woo Hoo.

The best were the chocolate and pastry counters. They were mobbed, but we elbowed our way in for our fix. I was in sugar heaven. We bought a strawberry tart and a big giant coffee cream filled puff (which we ate later). We also bought some apple pie, truffles, and fudge (most of which I stupidly forgot at the hotel).

If you ever go to London, do not miss gorging at Harrods. But skip the rest of the tourist filled mecca of materialism that is the rest of the department store. I could barely make it through there.

Obamamania in London

These are the turnstiles at Paddington Train Station in London. Note the photo of Barack Obama on the third turnstile from the left. Obama's photo was everywhere in London.

The Times Newspaper in London put these ads up. There were enormous photos of Obama down in the subway stations. They have no words on them. The only way I knew it was The Times was by looking it up when I got home.

Nobody is quite sure why The Times put these ads up. They say it is to make people think. Since they put a "10" next to Obama (for 10 Downing Street, the home of the Prime Minister), I'm assuming they want to think about Obama moving on to Britain once he's served his eight years here.

I heard quite a few Obama conversations as well. When people weren't talking about Obama, they were talking about the financial crisis. It was pretty much like home, except that the Brits kept saying they were going to be "sensible" - unlike us. I think being sensible is highly overrated.

London's Sci Fi Architecture

This photo really sums up London for me. To the left is the Tower Bridge. It was built in 1894 and crosses the Thames River right next to the Tower of London (circa 1078). It is, in short, the London you imagine from literature and high school history.

The kooky toppled over egg to the right is the London City Hall (circa 2002). It is like something out of Gattaca. These incongruous pairings are found all over the city. It feels a bit like Londoners are screaming out, "Look! We're modern, we're hip! It's not just Dickens and Jack the Ripper you know!"

Me thinks Londoners doth protest too much. Unlike Mexico City, where the different eras somehow work together, in London it is startling. In London's defense, I must point out that much of the city was destroyed during The Blitz and so it isn't as though they knocked down gorgeous old historic buildings to put up their (often egg shaped) futuristic experiments.

I was expecting to be transported back into a Dickens novel and ended up in a 1950s sci fi television show. Beam me up Scotty.

London's Tourist Trail

Naturally, Chris and I did all the usual touristy bits of London. The highlight was definitely seeing A Midsummer Nights Dream at the Globe Theatre. (It isn't the original Globe of Shakespeare's time, but it is an exact replica - right down to the wooden pegs holding it together.)

I was expecting the play to be a bit kitchy and touristy, but it was an incredible performance. It was funny and bawdy and kept the hundreds of kids in the audience in rapt attention for three hours. The actors were phenomenal. Anyone who gets a chance should go.

We also, of course, hit Westminster Abbey. Personally, I was a bit disappointed. It's old (about a thousand years), but nowhere near as fun as the churches in Latin America. I mean where are the decaying bodies of small children or blood-soaked effigies of Jesus? Also, they have a pattern worked out that you must use to get around the church. I saw the pattern on the brochure, but thought it was merely a suggestion. When we tried to go out through the wrong door, a very stern headmistress-like woman told us we needed to follow the route out. Londoners are very keen on rules.

Next to the Abbey is Parliament (which we only looked at from the outside) and Big Ben. We took hundreds of pictures in the area. After about an hour, Chris looked at me and said "I wonder what time it is?" I looked at him, looked at Big Ben, looked at him, pointed to Big Ben and said...."uh, you just spent an hour taking pictures of what is, arguably, the most famous clock in the world." We immediately headed to the Red Lion pub as Chris was obviously much too sober.

Space Age Accomodations in London

There is a Yotel at the London airport. A Yotel is a hotel with very small rooms that can be rented for as little as 4 hours. Unlike most hourly rate hotel rooms, these are quite respectable.

When I say the rooms are small, I mean they are small. As you can see in the pic, Chris is in a little cubby. Below him is the bed for the next room (which, of course, we could not see). In front of him on the wall is a flat screen t.v. which he is sleepily trying to work the remote for.

Next to the sleep cubby is a narrow passageway just big enough for a couple bags and for getting in and out the door. Next to that is another narrow hall that serves as the bathroom, with a shower on one end, a toilet on the other, and a sink in the middle. The whole thing is cordoned off by a shower curtain.

The lighting in the photo is the normal lighting for the hotel. The entire thing is done in soft neon. The hallways look like something out of Star Trek. You check in on a machine, but there is one staff person there to help you if you are a moron or just very, very tired travellers. I'm going to say I was in the latter category.

Since we arrived at Heathrow too early to check into our hotel, we were able to use the Yotel to catch an extra hours sleep and to take quick showers. It was a lifesaver for me and worth every penny of the $60 or so we paid for 4 hours. I think it probably helped Chris a little too, although he didn't sleep much on the flight over - or the night before - so he was a zombie by the time it hit about 7:00 p.m.

So that was the beginning of our trip to London.

Review of Love Cafe

Love Cafe is the hang-out offshoot of Cake Love, a luscious DC bakery. Warren Brown, the owner of Cake Love and Love Cafe is an attorney turned baker who also hosts Sugar Rush on the Food Network.

Cupcakes are the specialty at Love Cafe, and it's hard to walk by there without picking one (or several) up. I have to admit that I find some of the cupcakes a little less moist than I prefer. However, whatever they lack in gooeyness, they more than make up for with the frostings.

Unlike most cupcakes, the frostings at Love Cafe are made with real flavors (not extracts) and you can tell. I love the raspberry frosting and the coffee frosting. I'm really making myself hungry here. Rumor has it that cafe has a cupcake bar where you can make your own concoction. They also have other pastries (huge, yummy eclairs), but I can't resist the cupcakes.

Love Cafe, 1501 U St., NW Washington, DC 20009

Review of Pizzeria Paradiso

This is the Georgetown location of Pizzeria Paradiso. There is also one in Dupont Circle. They have a simple menu of wood-fired pizza and panini. They make an absolutely perfect crust, especially when they let the good bubbles form. The pizza is never to heavy on the cheese or sauce. All the ingredients are super fresh.

The Dupont location has a beer and wine list that is very decent. The Georgetown location has an enormous beer list and a full bar. The prices are reasonable, especially by DC standards. It's a great place to hang out with friends or go out on a casual date. I really recommend sitting at the counter so you can watch them throw your pizza into the brick oven. Those guys are focused.

Pizzeria Paradiso, Dupont Circle, 2029 P Street NW, Washington, DC
Pizzeria Paradiso, Georgetown, 3282 M Street NW, Washington, DC