Washington DC is one of the best places I have ever visited. I'm not sure what it would be like to live in this city, but for a tourist it has an abundance of things to see and do. Within the area around the National Mall, it may in fact have the most concentrated amount of things to do for a tourist anywhere in the world.
We woke up early, such was our excitement to explore more of the city. We jumped on a bus which took us directly into the heart of the mall. We started off our trip by going straight up to Capitol Hill. This was where Congress was. We managed to sign up for the tours early and so we didn't have to wait at all when inside. The first thing we were taken to see was the hall of statues. This was weird. It was as it's named.... a large area filled with statues. There was no particular rhyme or reason to the statues, with each state being able to place two statues of their choice in the area. The figures chosen to represent the states ranged from historical figures reaching back into the distance past, to slightly racist figures from the Confederacy, all the way through to more modern political and entertainment figures. It was an odd collection, the confusion of it all seemed to say a lot about the nature of America and the differences between the states. Even with all of that in mind, the sight of Confederate figures within this building still seemed extraordinarily strange given these were people who had actively worked to topple the very foundation on which the building existed.
We walked through the rest of the building and we got to see both the Senate and Congress. There was a slightly surreal feeling, sitting there looking at both floors and thinking that this was where some of the most important decisions of the last two hundred years had been made. The whole building now felt stately and grand, but I couldn't shake the feeling that it was all a bit tacky to an extent as well. There was a clear attempt by the designers to imitate the great structures of classical European architecture, but it was all slightly off. It wasn't European anymore, but rather "American" classical design. This seems to be a style in and of itself now, but I'm not entirely sure that was intended.
We moved to the back of Capitol Hill and the Library of Congress. This building felt even grander and more opulent than the Capitol building itself. The dome above the library floor was ornate and the room was filled by the light from its aperture. We weren't allowed down the floor, which was filled by people diligently working and studying, but we could see clearly the beauty of the place from up in the balconies.
Within the building was also a section dedicated to the Jefferson Library. I had always read about how Thomas Jefferson lived his life having financial difficulties. Looking at his enormous personal collection of books, it became quickly clear to me where many of his financial problems stemmed from. This huge collection of books would cost an enormous amount of money in the modern day. In his time, each booked would have been far more expensive so this library would have been worth a small fortune, even without the association to his famous name.
Around the water, there was a smaller bronze sculpture of FDR and his dog. It was nice seeing the dog there, it seemed to bring an additional level of humanity to the man. There was a pathos to the scene presented as a whole. FDR seated in his wheelchair, covered in the coat with his small friend there to his side. This was the man who led his country against two facist empires and yet here he was. Covered to protect him from the cold, being watched over.
It had been a few years since I had ridden a bike so much. I was tired from the peddling, but I was still enjoying myself. Riding around the National Mall and all of the different monuments wasn't something I had expected to do, but it was a fantastic experience that I would recommend to anyone who is able to. Once you start riding, you often find yourself in calm and peaceful surroundings, yet everywhere you look you are still able to see lovely views of various monuments and buildings.
As it got later, we went to the final monument on our list, the Jefferson Memorial. I've always found Thomas Jefferson to be an incredible figure in American history and the world as a whole. The words he wrote in the American declaration of independence still strike a chord with me as ideals that everyone should aspire to. Whether or not they are ultimately reached is another story entirely.
We woke up early, such was our excitement to explore more of the city. We jumped on a bus which took us directly into the heart of the mall. We started off our trip by going straight up to Capitol Hill. This was where Congress was. We managed to sign up for the tours early and so we didn't have to wait at all when inside. The first thing we were taken to see was the hall of statues. This was weird. It was as it's named.... a large area filled with statues. There was no particular rhyme or reason to the statues, with each state being able to place two statues of their choice in the area. The figures chosen to represent the states ranged from historical figures reaching back into the distance past, to slightly racist figures from the Confederacy, all the way through to more modern political and entertainment figures. It was an odd collection, the confusion of it all seemed to say a lot about the nature of America and the differences between the states. Even with all of that in mind, the sight of Confederate figures within this building still seemed extraordinarily strange given these were people who had actively worked to topple the very foundation on which the building existed.
We moved to the back of Capitol Hill and the Library of Congress. This building felt even grander and more opulent than the Capitol building itself. The dome above the library floor was ornate and the room was filled by the light from its aperture. We weren't allowed down the floor, which was filled by people diligently working and studying, but we could see clearly the beauty of the place from up in the balconies.
I'm not sure how effective I would be working if I was in a location like this. I think I would be constantly distracted by the grandeur of the place. Every direction you look, there are intricate designs, colours and lights to look at.
We went back to the share bikes and rode down the hill towards the Washington Monument. We had tickets booked for that as well so we were able to go straight to the viewing level at the top. One side of the mall was being renovated, so the grass and surrounding areas were completely ripped up.
The other side of mall, towards the Lincoln Memorial looked pristine. The views stretched out far into the distance and you could see far more clearly the amount of water that was in the area. Washington DC always had a reputation for being a "swamp" politically, but this wasn't just metaphorical, as the area was actually built on swamp land. It all looks pretty and picturesque now, but I'm sure this would be created torturous and mosquito filled times for people in the past.
We spent the rest of the day riding around on our bikes, looking at the various monuments around the mall. One of the newer monuments was to Martin Luther King Jr. It is a far more modern style of sculpture in comparison to the other more classical sculptures. I liked it a lot. There's something incredibly powerful about seeing Dr King, standing there within the stone itself, like he is pushing his way out from being encased.
We had started out our day near Jefferson's library, so it seemed fitting for our last stop to be standing in his shadow. He stands straight and resolute, looking out into the distance. Compared to some of the other monuments, this one seems to closest in every respect to what you would describe as being "classical". It seems like the right way to honour this man, who held lofty ideals of Athenian democracy, is to have him placed in this modern temple.
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