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Washington DC, June 2003:

   
[Scotland]   [Reflecting Pool]    
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      [Inside the Lincoln Memorial]   Photo at the top shows the Reflecting Pool, leading to the Lincoln Memorial. Inside is a large open room with the sculpture of Abe Lincoln seated being the only item on the floor. I have always loved this sculpture but in my imagination it has always been so huge it almost went to the ceiling - maybe that was just the way it has been dramatically photographed or filmed on occasion. In any case, although extremely large, it didn't come anywhere near the ceiling height. Still, it is a very beautiful, imposing statue and for me, a highlight.    
      [Library of Congress fresco]    
      [Library of Congress centre]  

^ Fresco and ceiling mosaics in The Library of Congress. We hadn't planned on coming here but were just passing by and were hot and bothered and thought this looked a cool (literally and figuratively) place to rest. It's the National Library of the US. All the surfaces are covered with amazing frescos, and mosaics.

< Looking upwards in the Great Hall of the Library of Congress. We took a guided tour throughout the building.

    
      [Georgetown]   < Streetscape of Georgetown, a town which has gradually been absorbed by the city of Washington and is now a close suburb. It's very much old-style Americana, with coloured wooden houses and shutters. Many flags are patriotically flown. It's very different to downtown DC where most of the architecture is stone (a law exists prohibiting any building in the city centre from being built of wood - this relates back to when the British easily burnt the then wooden capital in 1814)    
      [Washington Monument]  

^ Streetscape in downtown Washington - background shows road leading to Capitol. The engraved wording in the foreground is written on granite in a central square which has an abstract city plan laid out.

< Washington Monument, dedicated to the memory of the first US President. They started building it before the war with the British, halted production during the war and subsequently by the time they started building again after the war, found that the marble in the quarry was down to a different level and therefore a slightly different colour. You can see the difference starting about a third of the way up.

    
 

 

                    
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