Family Birthday: Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We celebrated Michelle's birthday at our favorite local Italian restaurant, Assaggi's Osteria in McLean. Delicious food and streaming conversation were enjoyed inside while fluffy white snow danced furiously outside.

                                                            Michelle, the lovely birthday girl

 

The Birthday Party: Michelle, Nonno, Marcello, Mima

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                                          The very happy Family Man with his calamari

                                                                           Tiramisu

And the Cradle will rock at GW!

Mary and I had a pre-theater dinner at Tonic, a relatively new restaurant on the GWU campus created in the historic Quigley's Pharmacy.

After dinner, we went over to the Dorothy Betts Auditorium in the Marvin Center to see the excellent student production of "The Cradle Will Rock."

Lunch + Museum Visit

Betsy and I met for lunch in the marvelous Courtyard of the Smithsonian Portrait Gallery-Museum of American Art.

 

We viewed the outstanding exhibit of 100 American Cool. After Betsy went back to work, I wandered around and snapped photos of some of my favorite works of art.

St. Patrick's Day

Take a look at this fashionable gentleman with Irish roots.

Ron's Richmond: Part 2

We stayed at the charming Linden Row Hotel. This hotel was created by combining seven row houses and three carriage houses. Our rooms were on the second floor of Carriage House #2.

 Carriage House #2

Interior Yard of Linden Row Hotel

We spent two days touring the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. It is a world-class museum. Here is a small sampling of the art in this extraordinary museum.

 Cleopatra

 Andrew Jackson on Horseback

 Mary Cassatt's Banjo Player

 The Puritan - 17th Century Massachusetts

 Rembrandt Peale's George Washington

 Marian Anderson

 Andy Warhol's Brillo

A very happy foursome

Ron's Richmond: Part 1

Andrea, George, and I spent two glorious days in Richmond.

We began with lunch at Andrea's very favorite restaurant in the United States, Edo's Squid.

 Andrea and George and a platter of calamari

 Christine relaxes

 Antipasto: Crostini with white beans and argula

 Christine with Lentil Soup

A hearty dish of penne alla matriciana

         A hearty platter of spaghetti alla carbonara

George and Christine enter a rather bizarre mural across the street from Edo's Squid

Ron joined us for a wonderful dinner at Mamma Zu's. 

He then took us on a tour of the magnificent Jefferson Hotel.

Statue of Thomas Jefferson

 

 Splendid ceiling over Jefferson statue

Main lobby of the Jefferson Hotel

Ron and George at top of staircase

Extraordinary Photos and a Russian Restaurant

George and I met at the National Geographic Museum today to view "Women of Vision," an exhibit of extraordinary photographs by eleven exceptional women photographers. It was incredible. More details later.

After viewing the exhibit, we went to a charming Russian restaurant called Mari Vanna. We gave the ambiance and the service five stars. We called Dal and invited him to join us.

 Dal

 George and Christine

Decoration

The Ladies Room

 The Ladies Room

 Wall Decorations

 

My delicious Beet Salad

 

 

                                     The Tables

The Purse for One's Payment

         We shall return - perhaps with Larissa and Ivan!