It has been a fine week in DC if you like entirely confusing weather requiring the simultaneous wearing of a sundress, an arctic coat, wellies, and sunglasses. Though I only spent a bit of it in DC.
I very much enjoyed going to see Colum McCann speak at Georgetown University. While I do love his writing, I mostly loved the event because it was in the beautiful Riggs Library - one of the country's only cast iron libraries. I didn't really know that one made any libraries out of cast iron, but it was quite a sight to behold. Delightful airy, bright space too, with fantastic views. Colum McCann was quite interesting, sure, but I recommend you try to find an event that allows you into this library if you, like me, are a sucker for a glorious book space... I want this in my house.
I also really enjoyed a little bocce, at Pinstripes in Georgetown. While it was impossible to get to bowl, our original intention, as this bowling alley is invariably booked up with corporate events, the bocce courts were free, and I was smug to find myself something of a bocce goddess. Well, comparatively (sorry, lovely wife...). It made me think of happy Sunday afternoons in London, playing boules in Cleaver Square... The next day I happened by Rose Park in Georgetown and saw a huge number of people playing in what appeared to be a league, in beautiful sunshine, just like my London memory. Now maybe this is a sports league I could get enthusiastic about...
Phillips After 5 was also lots of fun, though exceptionally busy. Not as many activities as last month, but a few people had made the effort and dressed up. I think we should start a movement of dressing up in appropriate themes to go to events. I fondly remember my lovely wife and I dressing up as surrealist art to go to a surrealist exhibition in London's V&A Museum. My goodness, it's all London reminiscing today. As befits a Brit About Town!
Of course, I'm really just stalling, since I spent the whole weekend in New York and don't have much more to say about DC fun.. but I can say the following about New York: I would like to live in Park Slope. Prospect Park is brilliant and Al di La is an excellent Italian restaurant. If you like art, the NY Gallery Tours are really good and great value - the guy who runs it finds a selection of the coolest gallery exhibitions of the moment and takes you to them and tells you about them, and I saw some really great and interesting stuff. I did it once before and it was similarly great. The New York 5 Boro Bike Tour is something you should do once in your life if you like cycling - though my legs hurt a lot today. And if you're getting the bus to New York, DC2NY is, in my experience, by far the best option. They are a delight.
Finally, Perfect Liars Club last night was great fun! I particularly liked when one of our suspects was called upon in the interrogation to demonstrate the veracity of another suspect's story by executing a back bend. Photos of that and more are here. Remember, tickets for June 2nd go on sale today at 1pm here.
What sounds cool in the coming week
Thursday 8th - If it's a nice night, it might be charming to sip limoncello in the gardens of Tudor Place for $20. Perhaps after playing bocce in Rose Park!
Saturday 10th - It's Eurovision! I feel very bad that I didn't give you prior warning that this weekend is Europe's crazy, campy, kitschy, hilarious, political, and anti-political song contest. This thing has to be seen to be believed. I feel bad because the Embassy of Denmark will be screening it live but tickets look to be sold out. Though maybe you can try to get in by begging, borrowing or stealing - or sucking up a bit of the action at the EU Embassy open day. And besides, you know you want one of these UK union jack tote bags... Go Embassy crazy! In the evening, if you're into dance, CityDance is having what sounds like a cool dance gala at the Lincoln Theatre with all sorts of stars, and for a good cause.
Monday 12th - If you're interested in women in the workplace, in an Anne Marie Slaughter sort of way, the latest in that brand of women empowerment books, Katty Kay and Claire Shipman will be talking about 'The Confidence Code' at Sixth and I. Or if it's a sunny night, I don't really know who the band Portugal the Man are... but I like the idea of their free open air concert at the zoo! I particularly like that the address is 'Lion Hill'. Details here.
All week - Have you tried Knowledge Commons? I haven't but they're a community volunteer organization of free classes in random stuff people want to teach you. They have free classes on Thursday in beginners' Welsh (waitlist only), social media 101 (available), on Saturday make a camera obscura (available), and Gateway Arts District walking tour, paint with your food, and Salem witch trials (all available), or on Monday learn Bitcoin for beginners (available), and there's lots of other stuff ongoing. Intriguing!
I very much enjoyed going to see Colum McCann speak at Georgetown University. While I do love his writing, I mostly loved the event because it was in the beautiful Riggs Library - one of the country's only cast iron libraries. I didn't really know that one made any libraries out of cast iron, but it was quite a sight to behold. Delightful airy, bright space too, with fantastic views. Colum McCann was quite interesting, sure, but I recommend you try to find an event that allows you into this library if you, like me, are a sucker for a glorious book space... I want this in my house.
I also really enjoyed a little bocce, at Pinstripes in Georgetown. While it was impossible to get to bowl, our original intention, as this bowling alley is invariably booked up with corporate events, the bocce courts were free, and I was smug to find myself something of a bocce goddess. Well, comparatively (sorry, lovely wife...). It made me think of happy Sunday afternoons in London, playing boules in Cleaver Square... The next day I happened by Rose Park in Georgetown and saw a huge number of people playing in what appeared to be a league, in beautiful sunshine, just like my London memory. Now maybe this is a sports league I could get enthusiastic about...
Phillips After 5 was also lots of fun, though exceptionally busy. Not as many activities as last month, but a few people had made the effort and dressed up. I think we should start a movement of dressing up in appropriate themes to go to events. I fondly remember my lovely wife and I dressing up as surrealist art to go to a surrealist exhibition in London's V&A Museum. My goodness, it's all London reminiscing today. As befits a Brit About Town!
Of course, I'm really just stalling, since I spent the whole weekend in New York and don't have much more to say about DC fun.. but I can say the following about New York: I would like to live in Park Slope. Prospect Park is brilliant and Al di La is an excellent Italian restaurant. If you like art, the NY Gallery Tours are really good and great value - the guy who runs it finds a selection of the coolest gallery exhibitions of the moment and takes you to them and tells you about them, and I saw some really great and interesting stuff. I did it once before and it was similarly great. The New York 5 Boro Bike Tour is something you should do once in your life if you like cycling - though my legs hurt a lot today. And if you're getting the bus to New York, DC2NY is, in my experience, by far the best option. They are a delight.
Finally, Perfect Liars Club last night was great fun! I particularly liked when one of our suspects was called upon in the interrogation to demonstrate the veracity of another suspect's story by executing a back bend. Photos of that and more are here. Remember, tickets for June 2nd go on sale today at 1pm here.
What sounds cool in the coming week
Thursday 8th - If it's a nice night, it might be charming to sip limoncello in the gardens of Tudor Place for $20. Perhaps after playing bocce in Rose Park!
Saturday 10th - It's Eurovision! I feel very bad that I didn't give you prior warning that this weekend is Europe's crazy, campy, kitschy, hilarious, political, and anti-political song contest. This thing has to be seen to be believed. I feel bad because the Embassy of Denmark will be screening it live but tickets look to be sold out. Though maybe you can try to get in by begging, borrowing or stealing - or sucking up a bit of the action at the EU Embassy open day. And besides, you know you want one of these UK union jack tote bags... Go Embassy crazy! In the evening, if you're into dance, CityDance is having what sounds like a cool dance gala at the Lincoln Theatre with all sorts of stars, and for a good cause.
Monday 12th - If you're interested in women in the workplace, in an Anne Marie Slaughter sort of way, the latest in that brand of women empowerment books, Katty Kay and Claire Shipman will be talking about 'The Confidence Code' at Sixth and I. Or if it's a sunny night, I don't really know who the band Portugal the Man are... but I like the idea of their free open air concert at the zoo! I particularly like that the address is 'Lion Hill'. Details here.
All week - Have you tried Knowledge Commons? I haven't but they're a community volunteer organization of free classes in random stuff people want to teach you. They have free classes on Thursday in beginners' Welsh (waitlist only), social media 101 (available), on Saturday make a camera obscura (available), and Gateway Arts District walking tour, paint with your food, and Salem witch trials (all available), or on Monday learn Bitcoin for beginners (available), and there's lots of other stuff ongoing. Intriguing!
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