The National Gallery of Art DC

The others all head off for the National Gallery and John is

 gracious enough to stay with me and Oscar and we are able to head in as a little family and the front space in the gallery is gorgeous.  I felt like I was in the pantheon in Rome, but with flowers….must be what it’s like when they rain roses down there.  We worked our way through the Italians and got to see the Della Robbia exhibit before Oscar did us the ultimate favor and went to sleep in his stroller.  

 YEAHHHHHHHH!!!! I get to look at art without having to put up with a screaming child.  I was able to do the Impressionists and the American wing and even take the elevator into the bottom to shop some before he woke up and we had to take our leave of daddy to go ride the bus again.  The only thing that marred the visit was the fact that their two Vermeers that John was so looking forward to seeing were on loan to the (of all places) the LOUVRE!!!  I had heard some 

guy say something about the “goddamn Louvre” when we first came in and now I know what they were talking about.  If there is one place in the world that should never have to borrow art, it’s the Louvre.  I mean, I know that the Parisians would like some access to things that aren’t there, but get up off your asses and go see it where it is.  Paris should never have to borrow art, they’ve “borrowed” enough from the 

 rest of the world already…I know that I sound like a Paris hater, but I’m not.  You all know that it is my favorite city in the world and mainly because it is so full of the world’s best art, along with the best food, the best architecture, the best fashion, and the best 

sounding language.  What they don’t have are two Vermeers from Washington DC and you know what this means don’t you?  It’s not just these Vermeers that John can’t see now, because the Louvre also has two from the Met.  So, New York is ruined for him now   too…never tie yourself to one artist for this reason people…you’re going to be disappointed.  I have to say that the Gallery had some works by artists I didn’t know that I liked and some of the best that I had never seen of artists I did 

know.  I liked the building and the vibe, but Oscar will not be denied his bus, so off we go to another set of things.  There are chickadees that let him walk right up to them, there are crosswalks that he walks across holding my hand like a big boy and we get on the next bus that doesn’t have a top.  Of course  Oscar wants to sit up top, but it’s really freaking cold here today.  The person narrating the trip had to get another jacket by being up there and we finally 

went downstairs when some more people got off.  We got off at the WWII memorial and met up with the group again.  They went on to the Vietnam memorial, but Oscar was eating something and we couldn’t go down there.  I had to take his gloves off while he was eating and the sun is going down and his hands are like ice.  So, we tell daddy that we’re heading back to

the hotel and catch a taxi with Sandy and Greg.  I ordered Chinese food to the room because I feel that any Chinese food around here has got to be better than what I can get in Big Rapids.  But, alas, it’s not.  John gets back just as the food does and we find out together that a big city doesn’t mean that everyone has to live up to certain standards….even when there is a China town in the city.