![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
magidFriday (the 19th) we (the parents and I) headed out to find the Spy Museum (I'd put a link here, but my browser keeps telling me that spymuseum.org isn't found. Which seems oddly appropriate.). The weather was lovely, bright and warm (in the high 40s and into the 50s (F), which seemed like a heatwave to me, though the locals were still bundled up), so we decided to walk to the museum.
It was definitely the right choice. I like walking through unfamiliar cities, especially if I've had a chance to look at a map first, and it's pretty easy in Washington, since it's mostly a grid with a couple of diagonals; not a big challenge to someone from Boston. The weather meant that there were lots of birds singing, and the magnolias were already in bloom. Here and there a cherry tree had a few blossoms, too. It was mostly past crocuses and into daffodils, and there were huge beds of pansies, too. Some of the trees had early hazes of green around them as well. It's always surprising to me how many weeks ahead spring can be from home.
We didn't take the most direct route. Instead, we made our way south, passing the back of the White House, among other lovely edifices. There were some wonderful old buildings; I wish the day hadn't been quite so overcast (my automatic camera was rebellious without the light it thought it needed). We found monuments galore, both columnar and cast iron men on steeds. Once we were almost to the Mall, we started east, looking at the museums there wouldn't be time to visit. I hadn't quite realized just how many there are.
One block had a sculpture park, which was a bit more symmetrical in layout than I prefer, but included a guide to all the works, plus a map of the different plants in the garden, which was very cool. The sculpture was modern, and much of it in the "I don't understand why someone was paid for this" category for me, though some were rather pleasant to look upon. I wonder how differently I'd think about it if the foliage had been fully out, and there hadn't been construction of some sort or another in the other half of the park.
We also found a bead museum (it was hard to resist, but there just wasn't time), a Shakespeare theatre (if only I'd had a night available), and yet more places with heavier security than I remember previously. Now a lot of buildings have flaps at the end of their driveways, that are let down to horizontal once the person(s) who want to drive in or deliver something have been vetted somehow.
Eventually, we made it to the Spy Museum. It's not cheap, but it was well worth it (OK, I admit my parents treated me :-). It's hugely interactive, with videos, computer activities, and moving parts as well as the usual sorts of museum exhibits (one exhibit is bugged :-). There were sections on the tools of the trade, from disguises to bugging things to setting up a phony identity to passing information. Next there were exhibits on spies through history, from ancient times through modern (including a long film on Aldrich Ames), plus exhibits about spies in entertainment (James Bond, many other movies and TV shows). Some of the things that stood out for me were the pigeon room, which included some of the photos pigeons had taken, wings visible on either side of the shot; the room with the letter from Washington to one of his spies; and the area about code breaking in WWII.
The spaces themselves are very well designed, with period details in the historical areas, all sorts of Cold War stuff, and more contemporary designs in other areas, even down to the seating available for watching the videos (which were always labeled, and included the running time, which I found very helpful). There was I wished I had more time; we were only able to stay for three hours, and it didn't feel nearly long enough.
We walked back to the hotel afterward, and there was time to make a hot meal before Shabbat. My mom had brought a number of meals in a box that heat themselves up, and I was curious to try them (La Briute brand). How they work: take out the packet of salt water. Rip off the corner that says "Tear Hear". Try not to giggle too much. Pour it onto a tray that has something that looks not unlike a huge flat teabag on it. Put the meal back on the tray, and back into the box. Close the box. Watch steam come out. Wait 14 minutes. Take out, spend 5 minutes trying to get the top off; they didn't provide any place where the plastic on top was long enough to get a grip on it. The food was mediocre, but it was hot, and it was the only hot food I was getting over the weekend, so it was appreciated.
part one
<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/magid/665308.html>part three</a></small>
It was definitely the right choice. I like walking through unfamiliar cities, especially if I've had a chance to look at a map first, and it's pretty easy in Washington, since it's mostly a grid with a couple of diagonals; not a big challenge to someone from Boston. The weather meant that there were lots of birds singing, and the magnolias were already in bloom. Here and there a cherry tree had a few blossoms, too. It was mostly past crocuses and into daffodils, and there were huge beds of pansies, too. Some of the trees had early hazes of green around them as well. It's always surprising to me how many weeks ahead spring can be from home.
We didn't take the most direct route. Instead, we made our way south, passing the back of the White House, among other lovely edifices. There were some wonderful old buildings; I wish the day hadn't been quite so overcast (my automatic camera was rebellious without the light it thought it needed). We found monuments galore, both columnar and cast iron men on steeds. Once we were almost to the Mall, we started east, looking at the museums there wouldn't be time to visit. I hadn't quite realized just how many there are.
One block had a sculpture park, which was a bit more symmetrical in layout than I prefer, but included a guide to all the works, plus a map of the different plants in the garden, which was very cool. The sculpture was modern, and much of it in the "I don't understand why someone was paid for this" category for me, though some were rather pleasant to look upon. I wonder how differently I'd think about it if the foliage had been fully out, and there hadn't been construction of some sort or another in the other half of the park.
We also found a bead museum (it was hard to resist, but there just wasn't time), a Shakespeare theatre (if only I'd had a night available), and yet more places with heavier security than I remember previously. Now a lot of buildings have flaps at the end of their driveways, that are let down to horizontal once the person(s) who want to drive in or deliver something have been vetted somehow.
Eventually, we made it to the Spy Museum. It's not cheap, but it was well worth it (OK, I admit my parents treated me :-). It's hugely interactive, with videos, computer activities, and moving parts as well as the usual sorts of museum exhibits (one exhibit is bugged :-). There were sections on the tools of the trade, from disguises to bugging things to setting up a phony identity to passing information. Next there were exhibits on spies through history, from ancient times through modern (including a long film on Aldrich Ames), plus exhibits about spies in entertainment (James Bond, many other movies and TV shows). Some of the things that stood out for me were the pigeon room, which included some of the photos pigeons had taken, wings visible on either side of the shot; the room with the letter from Washington to one of his spies; and the area about code breaking in WWII.
The spaces themselves are very well designed, with period details in the historical areas, all sorts of Cold War stuff, and more contemporary designs in other areas, even down to the seating available for watching the videos (which were always labeled, and included the running time, which I found very helpful). There was I wished I had more time; we were only able to stay for three hours, and it didn't feel nearly long enough.
We walked back to the hotel afterward, and there was time to make a hot meal before Shabbat. My mom had brought a number of meals in a box that heat themselves up, and I was curious to try them (La Briute brand). How they work: take out the packet of salt water. Rip off the corner that says "Tear Hear". Try not to giggle too much. Pour it onto a tray that has something that looks not unlike a huge flat teabag on it. Put the meal back on the tray, and back into the box. Close the box. Watch steam come out. Wait 14 minutes. Take out, spend 5 minutes trying to get the top off; they didn't provide any place where the plastic on top was long enough to get a grip on it. The food was mediocre, but it was hot, and it was the only hot food I was getting over the weekend, so it was appreciated.
part one
<a href="http://www.livejournal.com/users/magid/665308.html>part three</a></small>