JAVA GREEN

One of my favorite restaurants is Java Green, a vegetarian restaurant on 19th Street NW near George Washington University. I had a wonderful lunch there last week with my good friend Margaret. It's Margaret in the photo in front of the restaurant.

Sami on the Millennium Stage

365 days of the year the Millennium Stage at the Kennedy Center sponsors free performances. What a marvelous service and what a marvelous resource!

A short time ago I attended one of these performances. I heard Adjágas, a group from Norway. Adjagas is a Saami word "describing the moment between sleeping and waking." The two vocalists in the group are Saami Inga Elisa Påve and Lawra Somby who are devoting their careers to the ancient art of yoiking. Yoiking is a form of Saami chant. Their music was magically haunting. I loved it! And, as I sat there listening, I often looked out the window and saw snow gently falling. It was a special evening indeed.

When I arrived home, I immediately got onto the computer and ordered the group's CD.

Sons of Norway Christmas Party

A lot of festive activities are taking place in the Washington, DC area at this time of year.

This evening I went to the Sons of Norway lodge Christmas party. Here I am with my grandson Colin. I am wearing a typical Norwegian sweater which I bought in Lom, Norway, a few years ago. (My grandmother's parents came from Lom.)

Sons of Norway Lodge

Norwegian Wedding Cake

Since I am descended from Norwegian immigrants, I decided to join the local DC lodge of the Sons of Norway. We have meetings once a month. Everyone brings food and, after dinner, there is always a program.

A while ago someone brought a Norwegian Wedding Cake.

Suzanne Farrell Ballet at the Kennedy Center

I love going to the Kennedy Center. The building itself is magnificent. The view from the outdoor terraces is spectacular. The performances are usually excellent. Last Saturday my sister and I attended the Suzanne Farrell Ballet. We enjoyed the performance immensely.

Here is my sister at lunch before the performance. It was her birthday!

Cafe Berlin - Again!

Cake Eaters Denny, Toni, and Chris

Twice in two weeks! You might be getting the idea that I like Cafe Berlin. Well, yes. I do. I went there today with two dear old friends from high school (i.e. Washburn High School in Minneapolis, Minnesota).

Katzen Arts Center

Today I went to the Katzen Arts Center at American University in the District with my friend Gertraud. We wanted to see the Abu Ghraib exhibit with paintings by the Colombian painter Botero. Unfortunately the museum is closed on Mondays so we were very disappointed.

We did see some interesting student exhibits, however. Here are a few examples:

Origami Creature

Plastic Spoon Art

Q-Tip Art

Ritz Cracker Art

Mint Sculpture

Afterwards we went to a nice Italian restaurant near the University, Da Carlo's. I had delicious spinach fagottini stuffed with sun-dried tomatoes and goat cheese in a light sage-butter sauce.

Gertraud in front of Da Carlo's

"Impressionists by the Sea" at the Phillips

My favorite museum in the District is the Phillips Collection. This morning Andrea and I went to the Phillips to view the "Impressionists by the Sea" exhibit. It was marvelous! My favorite paintings, of course, were those by my very favorite artist, Claude Monet.

The Phillips has a great new feature. Instead of buying an audio tour, you can use your own cell phone for the tour. I tried it and it worked fine. Try it! You'll like it!

After viewing the exhibit, Andrea and I visited the museum shop. It's a dangerous place! Too many interesting things! (But a great place to shop for Christmas presents!)

For more information about this exhibit at the Phillips, go to http://www.phillipscollection.org/html/exhibits.html

Murayo's Greek Restaurant

I went with my DC Dinner Club friends to a wonderful Greek restaurant last night. I highly recommend it. The atmosphere was pleasant, and the food was delicious. The address is 1735 Connecticut Avenue NW, not too far from Dupont Circle.

Synthia, Christine, Jodi, Michele

Edward Hopper Exhibit

Waiting in Line to Enter the Exhibit

I liked the Hopper exhibit at the National Gallery so well when I saw it last month that I went back again. Have you seen it yet? I went with some friends. After viewing the exhibit, we had lunch at a wonderful German restaurant on Capitol Hill, Cafe Berlin.

Andrea and George Waiting to Go In

George Dona Christine Ready to Order

What is a pupuseria?

A pupuseria is a place you can go to eat pupusas. What is a pupusa? A pupusa is the favorite food of Salvadorans. It is a stuffed corn tortilla. Since there are 500,000 Salvadorans living in the Washington, DC, there are quite a few pupuserias.

The Washington Post recommends the following four pupuserias: La Casita Pupuseria and Market (Silver Spring), Pupuseria El Buen Gusto (Fairfax City), Dona Azucena (Silver Spring & Arlington) , and My Family's Cafe Pupuseria (Arlington).

Tuesday, November 13, is El Salvador's Dia Nacional de la Pupusa (National Pupusa Day).

I visited El Salvador a few years ago and I absolutely loved the cheese pupusas. I still dream about them.



If you are interested, read the article I wrote about my trip to El Salvador, "A Taste of Culture: Five Days in El Salvador."

Crittercams at the National Geographic

The National Geographic Museum is interesting for adults and children alike. This morning I took my two grandchildren, ages 5 and 2, to visit the Crittercams exhibit. It's really fascinating! Divers put cameras on the backs of a variety of animals and turned on the cameras. So you can see the world through the eyes of penguins, sharks, whales, sea turtles, seals, lions, and bears! Admission is free. The museum is located at 1145 17th Street NW and it's near the Farragut North and Farragut West Metro stations. Check it out at http://nationalgeographic.com/museum

Edward Hopper at the East Building

You must see the fantastic exhibit of the works of the great American artist Edward Hopper now on display at the East Building on the National Mall. In the photo above you can see the entrance to the exhibit with a reproduction of Hopper's most famous painting, Nighthawks.

In the photo below you can see my friend Mariella after seeing the exhibit. She is Italian and had never heard of Hopper. She liked his work very much!


Remember that entrance to all of the Smithsonian museums is free!

The US Capitol

I am standing in the middle of the National Mall. In the background you can see the US Capitol.

Washington Monument

You can see the Washington Monument in this photo.

My friend Mariella and I obtained timed passes and took the elevator to the top of the Monument. The view from the top is fantastic! I highly recommend a visit. When you get to the top, you can look out over Washington from 8 different windows. On a clear day you can see for 40 miles.

Union Station and Columbus

This is Union Station, Washington, DC's railroad station. In front of it you will see this monument to Christopher Columbus. The woman in red is my Italian friend Mariella.

Old Executive Office Building

Here is the building in which most of the people who work in the White House have their offices. It is a lovely building. It is located on Pennsylvania Avenue, right next to the White House. This view is from the back of the building.

The White House

Mariella and I went to see the White House today. Here are photos of the front and back.

The Awakening

I took my friend Mariella to see the Awakening today. Isn't it fantastic?

The sleeping giant is emerging from the earth. Here is his hand. You can see two hands, two legs, and a face.

Busboys and Poets

I went to a very interesting restaurant today with my friend Gertraud. In the first photo you will see my friend standing under the sign of the restaurant. Then you will see me in the bookstore of the restaurant. Lastly, you will see the delicious sandwich that I ate: sweet Fuji apple and Gorgonzola on walnut raisin bread. It was scrumptious!

I highly recommend this restaurant. It is special. Go there if you believe in social justice and peace.

7th Annual National Book Festival

A major event will take place on the National Mall from 10 am to 5 pm on Saturday, September 29th. It is the National Book Festival. Celebrate the joy of reading! There will be 70 famous authors who will give talks in various places on the Mall. The authors will include Ken Burns, J.A. Jance, Joyce Carol Oates, and many many others. For more information, go to http://www.loc.gov.

National Museum of the American Indian

Professor Masanori Ikejima, Kansai University, Osaka, Japan

One of my favorite museums is the National Museum of the American Indian. The building itself is very interesting and the exhibits inside are fascinating and informative. It is the newest museum on the Mall.
In the photo you will see me with Masanori, a friend from Japan, standing inside near the entrance of the museum.

National Mall

Sometimes people refer to the National Mall as "America's Backyard." There is always a lot of activity on the Mall. You will find many museums on the Mall such as the Air and Space Museum and the Museum of Natural History. The Mall is also a popular place for protests. In the photo you will see people protesting the war in Iraq. You can see the US Capitol in the background.

Ice Skating Rink and National Archives

In the winter you can skate on the rink on the National Mall. It is in the Sculpture Garden and across the street from the National Archives.

In the photo you can see people skating. In the background you can see the National Archives where important documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution are on view.

Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden

Did you know that the Hirshhorn has 211 works of art by Pablo Picasso? Visit this museum! It is on the National Mall.

In the photos you can see two objects that are found in the Sculpture Garden in front of the Hirshhorn Museum.

National Gallery of Art: Eugene Boudin

Today my husband and I went into the District to see an exhibit at the National Gallery of Art. We wanted to see the paintings of Eugene Boudin who was a famous French painter and the mentor of Claude Monet. We liked the paintings very much. Most of them were scenes of the ocean in Normandy or Brittany.

What we found very interesting and amusing was that in the mid-19th century, the French went to the beach fully clothed. The men wore suits and hats and the women wore long, full dresses and hats. They would bring chairs along and sit on the sand, talk, and watch the sea. They must have suffered enormously from the heat!

Smithsonian Museum of American Art

Last week I visited the Museum of American Art. I went there for two reasons. First, I wanted to see the renovated museum. It was closed for several years as changes were being made. It reopened about one year ago. It is absolutely splendid inside! Secondly, I wanted to see the Earl Cunningham exhibit. It was spectacular! I loved it! I will write more about it later.

Here is a photo that my husband took of me in front of the museum. It is actually two museums in one: American Art and Portrait Gallery. I highly recommend a visit to this museum. If you have already been there, leave a comment here!

Hello!

I have lived in the Washington, DC Metro area since July 1976. It is an exciting place to live.

The purpose of my blog is to share my love for this wonderful city. I will tell you why I enjoy living here so much.

Please feel free to leave your comments.