Travel Diary: Washington, D.C. – Day 6

Having only two days left of our seven day visit to Washington, D.C., we left our Airbnb bright and early and picked up our Capital Bikeshare bicycles for the 3 mile trek to National Mall.  We didn’t have time to go inside the Lincoln Memorial the day before because of our scheduled tour of the Capitol, so we returned and checked it out.  The view looking towards the Washington Monument was striking…

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A stark and compelling truth is conveyed at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial

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Paved sidewalks lined with trees border the Lincoln Reflection pool and after all of the walking, the park benches appeared quite inviting…

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I was surprised by the number of statues and water features that comprised the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial.  Spread over 7.5 acres, with four outdoor rooms, one for each of FDR’s terms of office, they represent the challenges he faced as our President, beginning in 1933 and ending in 1945, upon his death.

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Travel Diary: Washington, D.C. – Day 5

Having seen Arlington National Cemetery, Mount Vernon, Adams Morgan & Georgetown neighborhoods, and a couple of the Smithsonian museums within four days of our week-long visit to Washington D.C., it was time for my husband and I to check out some of the monuments at National Mall.  Riding our Capital Bikeshare bicycles over to the National Mall in late morning, the chill long gone, vibrant emerald colors beckoned me for a photo at the Constitution Gardens Pond

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Although there weren’t any reflections in the Reflection Pool looking towards the Lincoln Memorial, the brilliant azure water was spectacular!

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Travel Diary: Washington, D.C. – Day 3 continued

Washington D.C.’s Adams Morgan neighborhood is colorful, vibrant, funky, and fun!  We started our day bicycling from our Airbnb in the Bloomington neighborhood on the East side of D.C. to the quaint neighborhood of Georgetown on the West side and finished in Adams Morgan, having drinks with a former 2 Star Admiral Navy Seal!  After docking our bicycles at the Capital Bikeshare station on 18th Street, we walked down the street in search of an outdoor bar for some afternoon refreshments and met Chuck and his dog, Bravo.  Having been in the military myself for four years, it was fascinating to listen to Chuck’s amazing lifetime experiences as a former high-ranking officer.

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With puffy white clouds, blue sky, and mid-70’s temps, we relaxed for a couple of hours, talking with Chuck and people watching.

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Travel Diary: Washington, D.C. – Day 3

Exploring the quaint neighborhood of Georgetown was a refreshing start to our third day in Washington, D.C.  Filled with shops, bars, restaurants, and interesting architecture, there’s much to see and do.  Georgetown was originally part of Maryland until 1871 when the U.S. Congress created a new government for the District of Columbia.

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My husband and I stopped at a Capital Bikeshare station around the corner from our Airbnb to pick up a bicycle for the 3 mile ride.  It’s a great way to wheel around Washington D.C. above ground and budget friendly.  You can purchase use of a bicycle for 24 hours – $7.00; 3 days – $15.00, or a month – $25.00.  I purchased the month membership because I knew we would use the service for more than 3 days.   I ordered a key for both of us to make it as simple as possible.  Once you’re at one of the 300 stations, you insert your plastic key in the slot of the bicycle you want and then just pull the bike out.  If your trip is 30 minutes or less, there’s no extra charge.  If it’s between 31-60 minutes, there’s an additional $1.50 tacked on; and between 61-90 minutes – $4.50.  You can download their app to your Smart Phone and check to see where a nearby station is to drop your bike that has a dock and/or if bicycles are available.

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Travel Diary: Washington, D.C. – Day 2 continued

George Washington’s former plantation, Mount Vernon, offers a variety of interesting and historical sites for all ages!  After touring the Mansion and gardens, my husband and I stopped at one of the outbuildings on the grounds where a woman portrays Martha Washington and stays in character, answering questions from the crowd.  She was very entertaining and knowledgeable!

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At one point in time, there were 316 slaves living at Mount Vernon.  They were freed after George Washington’s death, which he directed in his Last Will and Testament.

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Lumenocity

Lumenocity is an annual event held here in Over the Rhine, Cincinnati, Ohio at Cincinnati Music Hall.  I was invited to the dress rehearsal by a friend and met her and two other girlfriends to have a bite to eat beforehand at a restaurant called Abigail Street right around the corner from Music Hall.  The Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra and Cincinnati Ballet perform under the white tent shown below while you’re treated to an elaborate and flamboyant light show on the exterior of Music Hall…

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Earlier in the evening at Abigail Street Restaurant, I captured a selfie in the mirror of the lovely shabby chic ladies’ restroom…

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A Walk in Amsterdam

On one of the three days I explored Amsterdam, I went for a walk with a few places in mind to visit.  One of them was the Amsterdam Library and the other was an island (that I had no clue where it was located) with unique modern architecture.  I set off on my adventure, asking people along the way for directions.  First, I passed the Science Center NEMO for children….you can’t see it in this picture, but they grow grass and bushes on the sloped side and people are walking on it!  When you cross this bridge, the view is cool!

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This photo is out of sequence, but I thought it was cute…the girl having her photo taken by her boyfriend!

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Here are another couple of canal pics I couldn’t resist putting up….

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On the Street in Munich

While exploring the streets of Munich, we came upon a photo shoot, so I asked the photographer if I could take a photo of the models.  He said to ask them…so I did and they said yes!

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Here are some other “people, places or things” I encountered “On the Streets of Munich”

A cute little (old) scooter!

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Highlights of Budapest

I mentioned in a previous post, that one of the highlights of my month-long trip in Europe was bicycle riding along the Danube and stopping at wineries along the way.  The Szechenyi Baths was also a highlight for me and some of my fellow travelers.  The Szechenyi Baths were so beautiful and the thermal mineral water so relaxing, after all of the walking, lugging of suitcases, and mental challenges encountered on the trip.  In fact, some of my group went back later for round two!

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 With fifteen indoor baths of varying temperature and three outdoor, you’re sure to melt away that tension!

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After soaking for a while, we went back to the hotel to shower and prepare for our day’s activities.  We began with a tour of the imperial Parliament Building.  It’s the third largest Parliament Building in Europe.

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Walking Tour along Andrassy Blvd. to Varosliget Park in Budapest

It was Saturday, May 24, 2014 and my group of 11 travelers and I had arrived at the train station in Budapest, after a three hour trip from Bratislava, Slovakia.  With almost three full days to explore, our first stop was the ATM for some local currency.  I also bought a 72 hr. transport card for each of us to use for the metro, trams, and buses.

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I found the Metro line that would take us within walking distance of our hotel, the Eurostars Budapest Center, and after checking into our hotel, we walked the 2 1/2 mile walking route I had developed with Google maps.  During the month I was in Europe, I easily walked 150 miles!  Our walking tour began with a stop at the New York Palace Hotel.  The lobby was quite lavish!  Two of my fellow travelers came back one evening and had dinner at their restaurant and said it was delicious!

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This building is located along Andrassy Blvd. (a UNESCO desginated area) where we were walking.  The cut-outs are quite unique!

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Searching for Vrtbovska Zahrada

During the five weeks I spent researching and planning this month-long 9 country European odyssey, I saw photos of an amazing garden called Vrtbovska Zahrada.  It was under $4 to gain entry and I was determined to find it.  In yesterday’s post, we walked down Petrin Hill in search of the gardens and found it!  As you can see, it’s absolutely gorgeous!

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The views were spectacular…

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Art in Ault Park

Ault Park is one of the many beautiful Parks in the Cincinnati area, with frequent events, such as “Art in Ault” that I attended this past week.  The work of Holly Schapker, a local artist, was on display along with complimentary wine and music!

I arrived early to take some photos.  The pavilion has wonderful architecture for photographs and the gardens are beautiful!

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As I passed a small group of attendees, I couldn’t restrain myself from asking to take the photo of this lovely lady and her stately Poodle!

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Bryant Park and New York City Public Library

Bryant Park which is located behind the New York City Public Library is my favorite urban park within New York City!  Although it had started lightly raining while I was exploring the area a couple of weeks ago, I enjoyed taking a few photos of the area…

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The High Line in New York City

The High Line is a 1-mile linear park built on a section of the former elevated New York Central Railroad.  It runs from near 14th Street up to 30th Street.  The first section was opened in 2009 and the second in 2011.  After visiting Chelsea Market, I walked outside to the steps that took me to the park.  What a great idea for a park!

There are lots of cool creative pieces of art along the walk.  I’m not sure what those wooden posts sticking up in the Hudson River are…

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Greenwich Village

Greenwich Village in New York City is very similar to what I had envisioned through the years it might be like.  Artsy and colorful with beautiful old buildings!

Having arrived in the City the night before, with only four days to explore, I got an early start the following morning walking the 3/4th of a mile to the train, from the home of my Couchsurfing hostess–Maria and her parents–in Brooklyn.  The train ride into Manhattan took anywhere from 35 – 50 minutes, depending on where I was headed, and if I needed to transfer trains.  My experience taking trains in Europe was good practice for the subway here.

I had purchased a book about New York City and tore out the walking tours to have some type of map and plan.  Even with the map, the streets in Greenwich are a bit confusing, because they wind around and connect here and there.  As you can see, It was an overcast day.

This grouping of sculptures is very creative.  I like that they’re devoid of color, except for the one pair of tennis shoes.

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