Skateboard Phil
Reged: 11/04/02
Posts: 763
Loc: Chevy Chase, Md.
|
|
If any of you fine, fun SBHonline folks are ever headin to D.C., look me up and buzz me a message. Drinks are on me!
--------------------
Skate La Tourmente
|
Sandy
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 220
Loc: South Philadelphia
|
|
Was just there last Saturday, S.P. -- wish I'd known! ;)
Thanks anyway,
Sandy
--------------------
South Philly vs. St. Barth -- Hmmm ...
|
Skateboard Phil
Reged: 11/04/02
Posts: 763
Loc: Chevy Chase, Md.
|
|
If you enjoyed it, c'mon bach. Check out the Cherry Blossoms in the Spring. Just don't come down 3/31-4/11, we'll be in St. Barth.
--------------------
Skate La Tourmente
|
Sandy
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 220
Loc: South Philadelphia
|
|
We'll be back by spring, or at least we hope -- and will probably stay for the weekend, maybe at one of the boutique hotels (Rouge looks like a good one!). This time, we'll arrive much earlier and actually get to enjoy the district more than we did last week, or so that's the plan!
Thanks, and look forward to meeting you. I'll be in St. Barths from July 11-25.
--------------------
South Philly vs. St. Barth -- Hmmm ...
|
Skateboard Phil
Reged: 11/04/02
Posts: 763
Loc: Chevy Chase, Md.
|
|
Rouge is very cool, a friend of mine stayed there. BTW, my wife is a Philly girl!!
--------------------
Skate La Tourmente
|
Lauren
Reged: 10/10/02
Posts: 1332
|
|
Depending on your available time, here are some other suggestions:
The Hay Adams Hotel, across from the White House, to stay and for their brunch. The roof top unfortunately will not be usable due to the winter weather.
The Prime Rib Restaurant....
The 1789 restaurant near Georgetown University....
The Tombs is located below, and it is a G.T. Univ. hangout. Some of the scenes from "St Elmo's Fire" were also filmed there. A few houses away, the Exorcist was filmed, and the the "stairs" shown in the movie are nearby, leading down next to the old trolley station at Key Bridge over the Potomac.
Blues Alley in Georgetown is a great venue for jazz.
Georgetown Park is an indoor shopping venue of some interest, out of the cold, at the intersection of M Street and Wisconsin Ave, the heart of G.T.
The National Cathedral is always a nice place to visit, as well as the Corcoran Gallery of Art, especially when they have musical events....
|
Sandy
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 220
Loc: South Philadelphia
|
|
Wow, fantastic -- thanks for the suggestions, Lauren and S.P. (just Phil, I presume? ;) I love D.C. and, being a mere 2-1/2-hour (with no traffic -- HA!) car ride away, I should be there more often. Seems I only get down when I'm hosting friends and relatives from Italy and then we do the toursity things; I got to spend a weekend with some friends in Alexandria last year and we dined and drank and danced throughout Georgetown and other hipper parts of the district. I was amazed at how afforable the restaurants were; in Philly, we're paying New York prices for even mediocre dining. We ate at an exquisite Thai place -- the name eludes me, dammit -- where I got a buttery whole fish on the bone for a mere $10. This was an unexpected treat. And the live music spots were great, too -- we hopped in and out of a few different ones, and met lots of friendly folks along the way. (And D.C. is a hell of a lot cleaner than NYC, to boot!)
P.S. Philly girl, eh? You got a good one, then ... ;)
--------------------
South Philly vs. St. Barth -- Hmmm ...
|
JackR
Reged: 10/10/02
Posts: 976
Loc: North Shore
|
|
I went to the national Cathedral on a beautiful spring day. Got there about 4:30 in the afternoon. I specifically wanted to view the light thru the stained glass in the late afternoon. As i am enjoying the windows a guard approaches me to ask me to leave as the chatedral closes at 5pm. This was before 9/11 too
Can you imagine a bigger waste.
We visited Chartes' Cathedral at multi times to enjoy the windows and light. It was Always open.
BTW if you want a very moving experience visit the cathedral at Chartres after dark. They only have one lamp lit over the center of the naive. Listen to your footsteps as you walk the aisles in the dim light.
Wonderful place. We later returned during a Mass and the organist let the notes linger from his lofty perch above the main aisle. It still echos in my head. Anyway head there, about an hour east of Paris
|
Lauren
Reged: 10/10/02
Posts: 1332
|
|
Ahhh, Chartres....certainly there is no comparison of Chartres Cathedral with any other in the world, as it is so unique..Chartres encompasses a special feeling....the cobblestones on the floor, the medieval, dark, ancient, almost magical feel of the place...an astounding history....the town of Chartres is within a day trip of Paris, but several days must be spent to get a real feel of the wonderful town....
The early Christians found here an altar and a statue representing a woman seated with her child... both the altar and statue had been erected by the Druids...
... The foundation of the primitive church of Chartres was laid in the beginning of the fourth century. The church was several times destroyed by fire. However, in 1220 the entire edifice was rebuilt in stone.
The consecration of the cathedral occurred in 1260, and St Louis is said to have attended the ceremony. The stained glass windows date back to the thirteenth century, and are the finest in the world.
The "Voile de la Vierge" (Veil of the Blessed Virgin), was given to Charlemagne and transferred about 876 from Aachen to Chartres. Today, one can simply walk into Chartres, stopping on the left side to be amazed at the veil, several feet away...it miraculously was spared from the greatest fire...
Another unique aspect of this cathedral is the labyrinth inside...This was an intricate and massive maze built into the tiles of the floor, upon which sinners crawled from beginning to end for their penance....
One may also tour the crypts below...
...there is a reknowned english tour guide named Malcolm Miller that will educate you regarding the specific areas...
Outside the cathedral, there is a wonderful school of stained glass....
|
Sandy
Reged: 09/11/03
Posts: 220
Loc: South Philadelphia
|
|
Speaking of great tangents ...
Not been to Chartres, but been to Notre Dame and some cathedrals and churches in Normandy and in London, and all seem to have the same mesmerizing effect. Also toured many of the holy edifices of Italy and, with the exception of loud and irreverant tourists, enjoyed similar magic; the cathedral of St. Anthony in Padua is an especially artful experience, if you haven't been. (St. Peter's in Rome ain't too shabby, either ... ) But the best ones are right near my parents' hometown in Molise, central Italy, nestled in the Maynards -- namely, one called Castel Petroranello. When I become more technologically inclined, I will download some of my photos and translate some of the history of this palatial church to share with you all. It's absolutely stunning.
(Sigh.) Here I am in snowy, rainy, slushy Philly. Yeah, it's home -- but yuck.
--------------------
South Philly vs. St. Barth -- Hmmm ...
|
John Cuttino
Reged: 10/02/02
Posts: 288
Loc: Lexington, MA
|
|
One of the things I have always tried to do in my travels, particularly in England and Europe is to go into the Cathedrals. The religeous thing aside, you will find the best artwork in the cathedrals. During the time when they were built, the church was the main money force so all the "best" art, before the Renaissance, is to be found in the churches and cathedrals. Italy, France, Spain, Germany (those not destroyed in WW II) and England. England had the time of destruction of monasteries and churches after Henry VIII "reformed" the Anglican Church.
So if you want to see good art, go into the Cathedrals.
|
JackR
Reged: 10/10/02
Posts: 976
Loc: North Shore
|
|
Can you imagine that the cathedral was completed way before Columbus even set sail. I remember too that all the windows were removed and stored as the world wars approached. lauren we walked that labrynth in the floor.
Quite an experience.
|
Previous
Index
Next
Threaded
Washington D.C.
Edit
Reply
Quote
[Re: 