Library of Congress

For somebody who has never lived in DC, I've spent many weeks here since 2011.  And yet, prior to this morning, I had never been to the Library of Congress.  What was I thinking?  With my penchant for photographing archways and columns and cool architectural detail, clearly, this was an oversight.

I arrived in DC this morning, and mercifully, was able to check into my hotel at 9:00.  I unpacked, ate my breakfast snack, and went out while I still had caffeine coursing through my system and my body was on an adrenaline high of making it out of Boston.  I walked up to K street and hopped on the Circulator to Union Station.  From there, I walked the 1/2 mile or south along First St to the Library.

On the way, I passed by the Russel Senate Office building and saw this gorgeous door and entry way.   Can you say secret garden?

I walked by the Supreme Court,

Amazingly, no snow here.

and the back side of the Capitol. I can imagine people seeing this building for the first time might be a tad disappointed that the dome is covered in scaffolding.

In front of the Library of Congress is this fountain.  Without water, it isn't as spectacular as it could be.  I had to use my imagination a bit.  But I love fountain sculpture, even without water.  I really liked the turtles that are swimming, four of them ringing the edge.  But they didn't photograph very well.  For one thing, I think they have the water spraying mechanisms in their mouths and they look creepy in a picture.

I made my way up the stairs and entered the Library.  I had to go through a metal detector and have my bag x-rayed.  All worth it, I assure you, when I looked up in the Great Hall.

My pictures do not do the Hall justice.  This is jaw dropping, twirl around and around with my neck up, getting dizzy, kind of ceiling gazing.  I used my camera and my phone camera.  It didn't matter that no flash was allowed.  I snapped away like a woman obsessed.  It was glorious.  And I bet it would be even better on a sunny day.

I meandered through a few special exhibits, but they didn't hold my interest as much as the floor mosaics or the ceiling paintings.  Although I did spend some time in the Civil Rights exhibition and the Thomas Jefferson Library section.  I scanned the books,

but the ceiling grabbed me too.

Can we talk main reading room?  I wasn't part of any official tour, but I tagged along with a school group from southern California so that I could get the view.

Figure detail

Detail of the archways

Detail of the center ring under the top dome.

That same school group clustered around the Gutenberg Bible and the Giant Bible of Mainz.  I saw them both, but at a distance.  However, I did get a closer view of some old maps.  Bonus!

Maine was so small then.

New Hampshire and Irocoinia

I gazed and took pictures for over an hour until I started to get a bit light headed and realized I needed to eat.

 In my guidebook I had seen a reference to a Thai place near by.  I continued south on First and found Talay Thai and it did not disappoint.  I ate the Mussaman Curry with tofu and couldn't finish.  I would have, had I any room left in my stomach.  It was that good.  There were people eating lunch and taking out additional orders to go.  That kind of place.

I walked back up the street to the Capitol South Metro and rode to Foggy Bottom.  I stopped at Whole Foods and picked up some yogurt, granola, and fruit so that I could eat breakfast in my room and not have to eat out three meals a day for the next three days.  I walked along I and H streets until I came to my hotel.

I'm so glad that I got the opportunity to see beautiful architecture, sculpture, paintings.  And that I remembered how to best navigate the city and get to where I wanted to go.  It has been a good day.