Washington DC day 1

---

How many Americans does it take to change a lightbulb?. 2. One to change the lightbulb, one to wave the flag. Seriously, the relationship with the flag is overpowering. You buy a toothbrush (made with imported materials) and it has the flag on it. A homeless person sleeping under a tarpaulin has a flag on their belongings. The Washington monument is surrounded by flags which he would never have seen (50 stars not 13). About 1 in 10 are wearing some item of Stars and Stripes clothing.



Television ads are 50% medical products, 30% dog products(including dog medical) and the rest about credit services. Inbetween are old movies and bad reality tV.



The collections in the national gallery are almost obscene in their opulence. A room of el Greco, a room of Raphael, 2 rooms of Rembandt, Lotto and Lippi scattered throughout. 3 Vermeers, a dozen Van Gogh, More Renoir and Cezanne than pictures in a postcard stand. It is impossible to absorb it all.

Walked from 9am until 4pm after being on a train for four day the legs are finding it a little testing - but the monuments are amazing some of the porcelain collection in the sackler was interesting particularly when juxtapositioned with the modern ceramic pieces and with the ancient Irianian torquiose and blue and lustre ware.

Also very odd that the pubs in this area are all closed on a Saturday night!!

---