My Birthday Day 2014

  The day of my birthday was very nice.

Andrea took me to lunch at Floriana's, a restaurant in the Dupont Circle area. I had been wanting to go there and this seemed to be the perfect occasion. 

Unfortunately, the Saturday lunch menu was brunch so it wasn't exactly what I had expected or hoped for. It was an interesting brunch menu but I would like to return for a "real" lunch or dinner in the near future.


                     My grilled cheese sandwich

                                                    Andrea's prosciutto and melone 





This restaurant is happily situated in a row house and therefore intimate and romantic. The service was very good.



After lunch, Andrea walked me over to Theater J where I met my friend Mary. My sister had bought tickets for us to go to see "Freud's Last Session." She had to change her plans at the last minute so I invited Mary to join me.


 The play was excellent. It was a dialogue between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis. They had a surprisingly pleasant and productive conversation.

Chris and Andrea in front of the Jewish Community Center that houses Theater J

                                         Mary and Chris inside the Jewish Community Center

What is a birthday without birthday cake? The following day Andrea and I went to the Swiss Bakery in Annandale and bought a piece of white chocolate mousse cake. It was my birthday cake! And was it delicious!

For more birthday news, go to July 6th.

Museum Open House

I was invited to a Sneak Peak of GW's two new museums, the Washingtoniana Collection and the Textile Museum. The buildings are empty but it was fun to see the inside of the buildings.

 The building on the right was the former site of the GW Police Department. It has been completely remodeled and it will house the Washingtoniana Collection.

 The building on the left is a new building and it will house the Textile Museum that was formerly located on S Street NW. A bridge was created between the two buildings. The new building has four floors.

Sue and Bob in Town

Two WHS friends were in town and we spent several delightful hours together on the National Mall.

We met at the National Gallery of Art and enjoyed the wonderful Degas-Cassett exhibit. We then had lunch in the Cascade Cafe of the museum. Then we walked across the Mall.

                   Sue and Bob standing in front of the artwork between the East and West Buildings of the NGA

                                    Sue looking through the glass pyramid into the museum below.

S
   Sue and Bob standing with the US Capitol behind them



We wondered what this new structure was in front of the Air and Space Museum. I am still wondering!

After I left my friends, I decided to dash into the Hirshhorn to see if there was anything interesting there.

                                                                    The Hirshhorn


 
       A view of part of the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden

I took a few photos of the Smithsonian Castle.

Artists' Books at NMWA

I met my friend Ginny at the National Museum of Women in the Arts. First, we had lunch in the museum's restaurant and talked about the hill towns of Umbria.

                                                                     Ginny and Chris

Then we went up to the library on the 4th floor and we were absolutely enchanted by the artists' books on display - and for sale. They are difficult to describe so please go to this website to take a look: http://www.flickr.com/nmwalrc/sets

My very favorite was "Redressing the '60s." The author had written her memoirs, focusing on the 60s, and attached small pieces of fabric from that decade to pages throughout. I want to return to the library to read the entire book.

Name Sisters to New Locale

 After lunching at the same place for two or more years, the two Christines decided to branch out. We tried a new restaurant in Shirlington and loved it - Cheesetique. We both ordered grilled cheese sandwiches, of course. We agreed that they were the best grilled cheese sandwiches we had ever eaten.

Christine's sandwich featured Taleggio and Fontina cheeses.

Mine featured a cheese I had never had before (had never heard of before) and I can't remember its name. Stay tuned while I do some research!

Sunday Surprise

Andrea surprised me by telling me we were going out to dinner. No plan! We headed for Shirlington Village and decided to try a new restaurant - Copperwood. It was heavy on the meat and fish so I don't think I will return. But the meal was not bad. The weather was perfect and we ate outside. Many people had the same idea. The Village was buzzing with activity!

                   Appetizer: Cornbread (a bit dry)

Main course: Bruschetta with goat cheese and wild mushrooms; Side: Grilled (i.e. charred) asparagus