The National Cathedral

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Another beautiful sight to see in Washington!  I have been here many times before, but today I had hoped it would be a lot quieter since it was a weekday.  As usual, it was another "rainy" summer day in DC.  I hoped that because of the dreary weather, the Cathedral would be fairly empty.   Turns out...it was!  I had almost the entire church to myself. 

I spent the next few hours slowly making my way through the beautiful main cathedral...noticing every beautiful detail inside.  The hundreds of stained glass windows, the beautifully lit arches & archways, the gold & colorful mosaic tiles, the hand-carved ceilings - I just couldn't get enough of it!

I think the most impressive element of this cathedral is that the entire place is open to the public and is free to roam.  There are hidden chapels and secret passages which are all underground and connecting different parts of the church.  There is even an elevator to take you all the way up to the highest tower.  On a clear day, I can even see my house :) 

Being here, I realize how lucky I am to live near such a beautiful cathedral.  When I walk inside, I feel like I am back in Tuscany and visiting the small town of Assisi.   And when I was up in the tower and looking down onto the lush green landscape and lingering rain clouds above, I felt like I was visiting a castle in Ireland.  This place is so special to me - Enjoy!

Our National Portrait Gallery

/ National Portrait Gallery/

A few days ago, while visiting DC, I stumbled across the National Portrait Gallery.  Since I first moved to DC, this museum has long been my favorite spot to take in beautiful portraits of historical figures throughout time.  One of the most interesting things I learned on this recent trip is that this very building was once used as a medical recovery hospital during the Civil War. 

Walking through the halls, each piece of art is beautifully illuminated and works so well with the stunning architecture of each room.  Soothing paint colors accent each room and add to the full experience of the gallery.  This museum is a must-see spot for all DC visitors!

One Million Bones - Comes to D.C.

/ National Mall/

Over the last 3 years, students and organizations from around the world have been creating handcrafted bones with the intention to bring attention to genocide going on in countries such as Sudan, South Sudan, Burma, Somalia, and Syria.  Each of the 1,000,000 bones represented a call to action, a story, and a voice.  The national mall was covered with these bones for three days this week to honor victims and survivors of these mass atrocities.

A few weeks ago, while visiting an art gallery in Old Town Alexandria, I stumbled across a small sampling of the One Million Bones Project.  Then, on Saturday morning I woke up to news that the day had finally come where all of the bones would be laid out for anyone to see.  The family and I headed into town and arrived just as the sun was setting on the first of 3 nights for this exhibit. 

This was the third and largest installation of the bones.  50,000 bones were on display back in August 2011 in Albuquerque which was then followed by another 50,000 bones on display in New Orleans back in 2012.  This week was by far, the largest display to date.  If you look closely, you will notice biodegradable bones scattered amongst the plaster ones.  Each of these biodegradable ones were from supporters who made a $5.00 donation to place them on the mall this week.  Looking forward to seeing what further projects this organization creates in the future.  Using art is such a great way to bring attention to a social justice issue.