Today, we went to the National Building Museum, where, though eccentric, was such a learning experience. It absolutely hurts realizing that almost all of these plans have not been translated from paper to construction, because not only are they aesthetically pleasing, they solve heat problems, overcrowding problems, energy problems...though constructing them will take so much time, money, and waste, the paybacks would be so much greater.
Although, one plan, called the Dry Line for Manhattan, I thought was absolutely brilliant, and very realistic. It sought to solve the flooding problem, since parts of Manhattan were built on marsh/water, through creating parks with elevated sidewalks and plants and gardens that would be able to act as a barrier for any water or flooding, and this would form the dryline.
There were 4 floors and by the time I got to the fourth floor, I had my back against the wall, terrified of the railing that was only extended 5 feet out. My one consolation was that the 3rd floor extended further out, so if I did fall, hopefully I'd land on the 3rd floor safely. To see pictures from the museum, click here.
We then took a quick stroll across the street, where we came across the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, which reminded me of the Vietnam War Memorial because of the names engraved into stone. It makes logical sense that the memorial would constantly be updated because, well, police officers do die, whether on the job or because of old age, but seeing the sheer amount of names, the bottom lines darker than those on the top (because they were newer), I was hit by the grave realization that...those memorial is still being updated, people are dying, and these names are real people with families, with stories, people who lived and breathed and laughed and cried, someone I, had they not died so soon, might have walked by on the street. Nothing like a place and time for putting things into perspective.
Afterwards, (hurrah for Hui having a car) Hui and Black went to work for a little, while Cameron and I wandered the streets of Bethesda. We spent a while sipping coffee (mine iced and his hot) while sitting outside a boulangerie (a fancy french word for a bakery), and talking about architecture, since we had just visited the National Building Museum, but also about Europe and his experiences while living there, and then just about lots of wide-reaching topics. After Cameron finished his coffee (he insisted on sitting at the cafe until his coffee was gone), we wandered around Bethesda, entering some stores, walking by others, enjoying the weather. This week, the weather has been cooperative and absolutely gorgeous. It has not gone much above 80 degrees, and today was no exception. Overall not that sunny, and there was even a gentle, cool breeze that made the 80 degree weather even better! For pictures, click here. (The first 8 pictures are taken in Bethesda.)
We then went to dinner at the Cheesecake Factory in Rockville, and oh man we ate until we could eat no more. We ordered 6 appetizers and it was a lot. We then ordered a White Chocolate and Raspberry Truffle cheesecake, only one slice, and between the four of us, we managed to barely finish it. And they gave us two swirls of whipped cream? Normally I wouldn't complain but it was a bit of a struggle to finish it.
I remembered to take a picture after we had struggled halfway through the cheesecake. Two dollops of whip cream? Let's just pretend that calories don't exist for today.
We drove to a Costco (it is so helpful to have a car...that means we can actually buy things without having to worry about how the heck we're going to bring them all back), and I definitely loaded up on fruits. I got to pick a watermelon, and I am convinced it is a crisp, delicious one, but we'll see if my choosing skills are true tomorrow when we cut it open. (I don't want to go through fruit withdrawals again and relive the first three weeks I spent in DC with no fruit. Cherries, strawberries, grapes, plums, peaches, apples, and watermelon, hooray!)
Hui and Black went to a Chinese supermarket to buy groceries: Cameron and I realized we wouldn't be of much use in a Chinese supermarket, so we walked to "downtown" Rockville, and meandered around. (For pictures, visit the album linked in the paragraph about Bethesda, and the last 11 pictures are from Rockville). We walked by an entrance framed by trees, and I impulsively ran towards it, forcing Cameron had to come along. It was a lucky find, a small circular enclosure, fenced in by trees. Metal benches spanned half of the circle, and each one had a backing, engraved with a quote. It was a quiet, secluded place, but there was a stillness to it; I can't imagine the park ever being filled with laughing children running around. Cameron and I read the "plaque" that described the place, and though it was dedicated to September 11, 2001, we're unsure as to whether that refers to 9/11, or another incident that happened in Montgomery County that I'm unaware of.
We visited Dawson Square, walked down the two streets that are really the heart of Rockville (where you can find more than 6 people on), and relaxed as we waited to get picked up (they have trees all strung up with white lights and the atmosphere is so magical).
On the drive home through Bethesda, there were fireworks going off, and I tried to take pictures, but they're horrible because the car was moving, but also because picture quality worsens at night. Oh well, they were lovely to watch. I won't show my failed, blurry attempts because they don't even capture the brilliance or grandeur of these giant sparkles.
It's been a long day, and I'm full of food, sleepy, and exhausted (from all the walking I did to soothe my unhappy stomach. It was mad that I gave it too much food). A very busy day, full of unexpected sightseeing. The DC/MD area is a big place and I have much more to discover. More adventures await tomorrow!
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