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I know I need to finish my Euro blogging...I'm actually disappointed it has taken me this long for the trip stole my heart...I wonder if I get slightly depressed over writing about it and not living there. I PROMISE to try to finish it up this week. I am days away from Italy and while I hope everyone could pull off our trip if they wanted to...I do know that I could give enough information on Italy to make the dream happen for anyone wanting to go yet afraid to. I have so much Italian stuff to share and it would be so easy (outside of finances) to do!!!! AWESOME campsites...awesome bottles of wine for 3 Euros....so much to share!!!! There are several I know of who are waiting for updates, one of my home school group moms is planning on going in the Spring and she actually emailed me and told me "don't respond just keep blogging..."....little does she know I want to tuck myself into their luggage and go with them!!!! I did want to share our recent and unexpected trip up to DC for 7 days...I lived in the DC area from age 10 until I went off to college so I am very comfortable there, but I want to blog to share some information for those who might want to take their children there and who need a nudge to do so.About ten days ago my mom had shared with me that the Philipps Gallery had an Impressionist Exhibit going on and that most of the paintings were borrowed from other DC area museums. She went on to share some critiques that I guess were in the paper that said the DC area is penetrated with Impressionist paintings and I guess there was mention that such an exhibit might not be worthwhile. I immediately went on line and was so happy to see that the exhibit was called "Impressionist by the Sea"...filled with impressionist paintings from Normandy and Brittany. Having just returned from that exact area...having just studied a lot about the Impressionist and just about all there is to know about Monet I felt like I should take the kids up there. So many of the paintings had the Etretat cliffs in the background...the cliffs the children stood in front of and I had also visited on our honeymoon. I went into further detail on my home school board of certain contacts that I made up there who seemed eager to share any information to help us with our children and Art...but wanted to share a bit here too. While on the Philipps Gallery website I thankfully ended up on a page that described a class for teachers...I immediately wanted to attend and it was a WONDERFUL experience. I loaded up the kids and we headed to my parents who live in Mount Vernon about 1 mile from George Washington's plantation, Steve stayed behind to work.The Phillips Gallery hosted about 30 teachers in the "after hours" and showed us the exhibit, gave us about five different seminars we could attend to help us teach the exhibit to our students (in my case my Children)...they gave us a WONDERFUL teachers packet...and fed us beautifully. The cost was $30 and it was a steal!!!!! I had never been to the Philipps Gallery before, I had seen my favorite painting in the World which is permanently at the Philipps Gallery before when it was on loan at the Smithsonian for a big Impressionist exhibit back in my college years. That painting is Renoir's Luncheon of the Boating Party http://www.phillipscollection.org/html/lbp.html...to see it at the Philipps Gallery is like seeing it in someone’s private room...I had to pinch myself the surroundings were just so perfect.So I attended the teacher's workshop and then reviewed the packet with the children and then took them two days later. I decided to hit it in the late afternoon so that school children would be out of there if on tour and we would have the place pretty much to ourselves...I timed it pretty well. The after work crowds started coming thru but when I first got there we were in many rooms (such as the one that houses my favorite painting in the world) by ourselves...free to take pictures and drool and discuss. The Philipps Gallery is a gem!!!!!! Karsh picked out the Picassos he actually tracked me down in another room to show me, this was a real treat for his art reminds me of Picasso and he loves everything art!!!! Anyway I share this for several reasons...the teacher's workshops mainly...the very easy access to the Gallery (metro to DuPont Station and walk one block), the friendly staff and the intimate environment. I forgot how long the exhibit is up...I do know it is not long. Here is the link http://www.phillipscollection.org/html/exhibits.html. If this exhibit is missed I still highly recommend the gallery and like I mentioned many of the paintings in this particular exhibit are actually living in other museums in the DC area. As mentioned previously I made many contacts on this one evening and met the Heads of Education for many of the Art Museums in the DC area...I never realized there were such wonderful programs on the side offered to us as teachers.While in DC we also took in the Smithsonian's National Gallery of Art (we only went to the West building) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Gallery_of_Art...we had gone thru it about a year ago with one of my best friend’s and her children and I just can't believe how lucky we are to have such a museum that is FREE to go to. In this trip our eyes were open much wider...not because there were less of us but we saw so many painting that we recognized...so many paintings of places we had been to as a family...and so many artist that we have spent months studying. At the desk when you arrive they will give you a sheet of paper of their "main" paintings so you are sure not to miss them. I had no idea that (evidently) the only Leonardo Da Vinci painting in the United States of America is there http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Ginevra_de_Benci.jpg...we missed that a year ago...this year we could not dare!!!! While I thought the Musee D'Orsay in Paris housed every painting I had ever studied I quickly started thinking the same of our very own National Gallery of Art. My four year old son, Tristan, is really into beautiful girls at the moment...and he is pretty funny around any statue that might even slightly resemble Venus...he calls them all "Venus", imagine his surprise when one of them was Iseult from Tristan and Iseult/Isolde.We enjoyed the Washington Monument and I had packed us a small picnic to enjoy at it's base...that is all we saw on this day, I was alone with four of the five children and the long walking combined with the metro took its toll on us. We did do a lot that day and I think were catching the Metro to return back to my parents at about 6:00pm.We also went to George Washington's House, Mount Vernon...as mentioned my parents live only a mile or two away from it and I have always taken for granted that it is there. In highschool I ran by it everyday as I hit the bike path jogging along the Potomac. Tons of busses and school children...I think I had heard that more people from around the World visit Mount Vernon than any other place in DC. I find that hard to believe since you do need to actually get transportation there (the metro does not take you anywhere near it)...but when you count 30 busses at the entrance maybe that is true. Anyway it is free to park there and the ride along the Potomac is wonderful. I have been to Mount Vernon many times growing up...but it has changed considerably. It really has been redone and is top notch. The house itself and the tombs and out buildings obviously have not been touched...but they have added so much to it to educate and to enjoy. There are movies, there is a wax museum that shows George Washington at three different stages in his life, there is an area for children to dress up in Colonial garb...and to serve tea...It is top notch and I highly recommend a visit to the "new" and improved Mount Vernon. We had also gone here a year ago with my friend Tonya, it was raining cats and dogs the day we went and the line to get into the home (not to be confused with the grounds and plantation itself) was a good 45 minutes plus. I again chose to go in the late afternoon knowing that the school busses filled with children would have to be heading back the schools and the crowds would be less. Great idea!!!!! The downside of this is there is much to see at Mount Vernon. I was saddened a year ago when I noticed that they had opened a cafeteria filled with different commercial food items...for instance Pizza Hut Pizza, brand Hamburgers etc... I guess they have to attract the common population and their interest...but it didn't seem right. Here I was with the four children (my father came and got my 2 year old as she was falling asleep) and I was determined not to eat in this cafeteria and instead decided to eat in their cute Inn. At the Inn you are served my waiters in period dress and you can have a sandwich and soup for pennies less than $7. I don't know I find it hard to believe that we could have eaten in the cafeteria section for much less. Mount Vernon is known for their peanut and chestnut soup...I would recommend it so one could say they have tried it. With my parents 10% off card I think I spent $33 for my three sons and myself to eat. They each did the sandwich with soup and I got a large Caesar salad and the soup....an experience that was clearly well worth that I think. I stand by my thoughts Mount Vernon should not have such food commercialism as they do in the new section. A few things to note...I was lucky in that the children has caught a History Channel show on George Washington about 6 months ago that described the project of the wax images of George in the three different stages of his life. The same show is played in tidbits thru out the museum but having seen that already was a nice prep. We have not formally studied Washington or the period as we are working our way from Ancient to Modern time...more prep might have been helpful but I also know that Mount Vernon is only four hours from our home and the chance of returning at anytime is there. If someone does not have the luxury of doing that I would prepare the children and be on the look out for that show on the History Channel and study the area and the march to Yorktown etc... on a map. Things to really notice...go to the tombs, a small walk after making your way to the house on the Potomac...but the walk is so nice and I would not dare miss it. Sit on the chairs on the back porch...I was saddened to see so many in my tour thru the house not even glance their way, they overlook the Potomac River and the view is stunning. I think the same scene is in the Pelican Brief at the end if I am not mistaken. Beyond the tomb of Washington and Martha is a memorial set up for the Slaves of Washington...obviously modern and a must for all. If your guide doesn't mention the Key to the Bastille (France) that is in Mount Vernon make sure you ask about it!!!!! The "real" key is housed there and was given to George Washington...we saw a replica when we just went because the real one is on a traveling exhibit somewhere. Also my mom shared with me that Eleanor Custis went to prove that her diamond engagement was indeed real and put her initials in a window right near the room where Washington had died (this can't be seen but neat to know that it is there). The gift shop is a nice one...Real quickly I wanted to share with anyone who might feel like they need a cheap accommodation while in DC...there are two National Parks that I wanted to recommend to camp at if needed. Both are National Parks so obviously pretty, nice, secure etc... #1 Is a two mile (from what I heard pleasant) walk to the nearest metro...#2 is clearly in the opposite direction and the only one I have seen first hand but would require a drive to the nearest metro AND the risk of the parking garage there being full due to commuters. #1. Is Greenbelt Maryland, like I said never been but if I had to worry about getting into the District and if I was going to spend several days going down to the District (how could you not) I would have to consider this site. #2 is in Pohick Bay Virginia...it is GORGEOUS and they have cabins (the other might too I don't know), but I specifically drove thru this one yesterday morning just so I could share the information here. It is pretty, on the water...has boats to rent...is about a 15 minute drive to Mount Vernon...about a 5 minute drive to George Mason's Home and a 5 minute drive to one of the two churches that George Washington went to.This site has some VERY helpful information on the subject of camping in the area...it is a few years old so might not have the most current information but both sites mentioned are without a doubt there and running http://www.title-3.com/DCCamping.htm.My advice would be to go to both campsites...the Greenbelt one during your tourist time and the Pohick part for the more relaxed visits to Mount Vernon, Olde Towne Alexandria...even the Space Museum that now has the new addition at Dulles Airport.DC Metro http://www.wmata.com/If you take the Metro anywhere print this BEFORE to enter the station...they are everywhere once you get to the station, but is nice to have a clue before going. Metro is clean, neat, very safe, reasonably easy... http://www.wmata.com/metrorail/systemmap.cfmGreenbelt Maryland campground walk to Metro http://www.nps.gov/gree/Pohick Virginia campground drive to Metro but GORGEOUS spot http://www.nvrpa.org/parks/pohickbay/index.php We spent Halloween at one of my bestfriends house in Northern Virginia...her two boys are the most precious children and took Reichen out trick or treating...his first "outing" without mom. Angie, her hubby and I took the other kids out...her hubby pulled Bronwyn dressed as Nefertetti in the wagon...Angie in true Angie style made the wagon up a throne and blanket!!!! I couldn't find my white toga for Bronwyn so we had to use a pink play silk but she still looked adorable.
Steve joined us a few days later for his birthday that we spent in Olde Towne Alexandria at one of our favorite restaurants...children and all... I can't get an internet connection at my parents house so have several emails etc... to get to and am just now catching up...
