Judy P's Tickle Trunk

…or A Day at the Mall.

That’s the Washington Mall which is a long stretch of park extending from Capital Building to the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. It contains many of the Smithsonian museums and is a great place for people watching. I made my way there while we were stopped in Falls Church, Virginia for a few days rest on the long trek home from Florida. Sadly, I was too late for the lavish display of cherry blossoms in the park but spring was evident in the influx of street performers

Boy Band with Buckets

and in the wisteria blooms.

Washington wisteria.

That’s not to be confused with listeria, which I didn’t get after my usual visit to the food truck for an all American hot dog.

“Got ‘da git me ‘ot dog, bye” – I always revert to Newfinese when tired and hungry.

I made my obligatory trip to the National Gallery where I visited my old favourites

Degas’s Little Dancer

and found a few new ones.

“Two Women at a Window” by Bartolome Esteban Murillo, oil on canvas 1655-1660

“The Muses Urania and Calliope” by Simon Vouet 1634, oil on canvas.

Then I wandered the mall for a while watching the tourists take pictures of each other in front of the landmarks

Poser. She checked each shot as he took it and had him repeat 5 or 6 times before he said “enuff!!”

It wasn’t so pretty this time around as the grounds were under construction

Smithsonian Castle with outhouses.

but I managed to get a shot of the Washington monument without a crane or an outhouse in the way. Or of some of it anyway….

Peeking monument.

I was glad to rest my weary feet on the subway ride back to Falls Church. The walk to the house was as pretty a stroll as I had had all day.

Falls Church cherry blossoms are later than those in DC but are no less spectacular.

I passed this patient beast

This black lab was pretty certain he knew where his young playmate would go as soon as she got home from school. He had a long while to wait to be bounced on the trampoline.

and later went out again to take in some real American Little League baseball.

Take me out to the ball game….

Stay tuned for more on my visit to the National Gallery but I think next up will be the May Tickle Trunk Questionnaire.

© Judy Parsons 2015

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