The first thing you think about when someone mentions the capital of the United States of America is either the White House, the President or a US memorial. If not, then you've probably already been exposed to the more relaxed side of the city. Just 7 miles south of the city lies Alexandria, which is also referred to as Old Town. This town technically is a part of Virginia and it is full of character; almost new European, with boutiques, bistros and antique shops. Think Covent Garden, London without the roof. What's most amazing about this place are the scenic views of the Potomac river.   

We were lucky to have such good weather during our stay there, that too in February! It was unusually warm so, we made the most of the trip by spending the evenings outdoors. 

The capital centre seemed very bureaucratic indeed. We were surrounded by what felt like a never-ending series of government buildings. Although for museum fanatics, this place is a haven of American history and even some Renaissance art. One of our favourites was the National Museum of African American History & Culture. Unlike many quiet museums, this one immediately grabbed our attention as soon as we walked in through the help of some very good jazz music.

The exterior of the National Museum of African American History & Culture with Washington Monument near the site.

D.C. is also filled with rental bikes to make your sightseeing plans easier.

Another must visit place, a favourite of mine, is the area surrounding Georgetown University. The town reminds me a little bit of Oxford and a little bit of Shoreditch. The Waterfront Park is very beautiful with a relaxing vibe but unfortunately, we forgot our dslr camera for the day so couldn't take as many photographs from our phones. These next pictures around Lincoln Memorial were taken using our mobile phone cameras.

Views from and in Lincoln Memorial, where Captain America was seen running around.

Lastly, on food, we ate a lot. A lot lot. I remember drinking almost every night followed by eating out as well as in, all thanks to our super hosts, my ohana in D.C. There is also a Korea Town nearby so we had an absolutely amazing Korean BBQ meal along with my sister's fabulous feasts. Her cheese omelettes are delish~ I also got to try American Chinese takeout that come in pagoda boxes. I haven't come across one in the UK yet so that was another treat. Again, we were very lucky with the weather, it got to almost 27 degree Celsius which was bizarre following how cold it was is New York, where my next post will be about! Fin. 👋

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by Sarah

Streets of Notting Hill Gate on weekdays

There have been a few good words floating about this so called Portobello market in Notting Hill that caught my attention and a couple of weeks ago, even a friend of mine insisted that I should visit Portobello market. So, since everyone was talking about it, I decided to check out for myself what the hype was all about. But first, with the help of our trusty encyclopaedia, also known as Google (very useful application), I came across some snaps which looked similar to Camden towns.

Finally, I decided to go for a short visit and to be honest, it does look like Camden town, just a bit posh. They have thrift shops, food stalls on the streets and lots of items and objects sold just like in Camden but the whole atmosphere and the vibe, felt somewhat completely different. Since it was a weekday when I visited the place, there weren't much stalls and people as what they said during the weekends. I heard that in the weekends this place gets so crowded that you can hardly get much space to move freely. The whole market feels like some kind of a street festival.

Camden has its own audience; it is like a haven for music enthusiast of all rock genres (punk, indie, metal, gothic etc). Portobello is more of a place for vintage lovers, good food and I suppose a safer place to hang around. As you scan around the place, you will notice a sense of sophistication from the people there; their clothes added with personal touches and the way they converse. But I haven’t been to the place on weekends so cannot say much. I will perhaps make another post on a weekend visit there. As for now, enjoy the pictures!!!

Ciao!!