Amtrak - Two Houses and a Sleeper

I didn't race out this morning. Had half planned on doing the walking tour Shaun and Brett did but it's going to be as hot today as yesterday and I walked a lot yesterday. And the night lights tour last night was full of information. Also contemplated the segway tour but that's $75. So instead, I had breakfast in the elegant dining room...

..watched TV and played this...

Finally got into the Candy Crush fad. Why do we only have a certain amount of lives? I want to keep going!

Checked out at 11:30. I did query the $3 charge for soda when I'd only had the water they said was complimentary. She apologised and took it off. Wonder if they do that to everyone.

Got a cab to Union Station so I could store my case for the day. Girl behind the counter can barely look up from her phone to talk to me, let alone check my bag in. I note she is watching a video of someone ironing so I ask her about it. Now I get her full attention. Bag checked, quick as pie. And I do hope her weekend spent peroxiding the marks in her carpet is successful!

I do like Union Station...

I like this with the shoe shine and the station dud in the uniforms with the little red hats.

Up to the Capitol Building first up. What an impressive building it is. It looks all closed as well, like the rest of Washington. 

I'm walking around towards the back because it looks a lot like a jigsaw I have and I want to check if the back view is the picture (it's not) and I notice a family asking a guard a question and then going inside. I'm not sure where they're going or what's inside, all I know is I want to go in there too to get out of the heat, if just for a moment. So I ask to go in too.

Turns out the Houses of Parliament are in session and the galleries are open. Excellent! So up and through the (almost) deserted corridors I go. I have already tipped out my water bottle, can only carry a sealed or an empty one, then through the bag scan and X-ray scanner thing. Up the lift to the third floor, hand over my bag rather than try and remove bag, phone (such that it is), batteries, etc, etc. I just take my folder with passport, ticket and one credit card.

We get ushered in and seated, up in the gallery above the House of Representatives. I'm fairly sure this is where the State of the Union address is given. It's the larger of the two houses. Today there are scattered members around the room, either waiting for their turn to speak, taking notes or playing on their phones. It's nowhere near full. I listen to about five or six different speakers - all seeming to be from both sides and all saying stop this shutdown.

It's really interesting, maybe because it's very topical. A couple behind me applaud a couple of points, though I'm bit sure they're not supposed to be making a noise. The Speaker and guys at the front desk didn't seem to be paying a heap of attention. Saw the stenos change turns, one coming in, sitting and tapping the table to take over. The last speaker I saw I couldn't understand, she had a very thick accent and the acoustics were bad so that's when I left.

Next, into the Senate. But you have to collect your things from the House of Reps holding place, go down the lift to the lobby floor, go to,the Senate holding place, go back in the lift to the third floor, go to the Senate corridor, where there are some great photos of past presidents and senators in candid photos, get scanned again and through. Why one scanning won't do for both houses, I'm not sure. But there you go.

As I was going through the X-ray thing, the guy asked what was in my folder. I said my passport and he started laughing. "I thought you said pot!" He laughed. We both laughed. I could still hear him giggling as I walked up the corridor and telling his colleague, "you'll never believe..." Too funny.

I into the Senate room. Smaller, fewer seats. Only two women can be seen - one is giving her 'stop the shutdown' speech. The Speaker and other guys appear to be listening. There is a gaggle of teenagers sitting to the side of the Speaker's desk. They're interns who do a term working here, I found out later. Saw one get a glass of water for one of the Speaker's guys, another took the speech from 'stop the shutdown' Senator and handed it to the steno, for the transcript, I'm guessing.

The stenos were interesting - they had their machines strapped on like the old cigarette girls' trays,  so they would walk to whoever was speaking and stand nearby, then move to the next. Very weird and didn't look comfortable or efficient, but must be or they wouldn't do it.

Walked out past the empty lobby - the only good thing about the shutdown, I suppose, is that I'm seeing a fairly unique side of Washington...

I'm really glad I happened to find this open. I got to see inside the building, it was really interesting to see them talking about the shutdown and it was cool. win/win. Stopped at a cafe for a much healthier lunch than yesterday...

I'm becoming one of those who publishes food photos! Oh, well...

Then walked right along the mall and to the White House gift shop. Went past the front of the Capitol...

..past one of the museums I would have liked to go into...

..past the some of the galleries and museums I'm glad are closed coz I don't have to pretend that I actually want to go into them. The signage is excellent in Washington. You're never far from either a sign or a very clear map to make sure you get to where you want to be.

Went past the White House on the way to the gift shop (which is not on the way out of the White House, like every other gift shop - it's well down the road). As cars entered the White House drive, they had to check at a gate then drive in a little way to be sniffed over by a working dog...

Into the gift shop where I pretended to be looking at stuff but am actually trying to find the place directly under the air conditioner - baby clothes, great! I feign interest until I cool down a bit then have a proper look at the shop. Some great stuff here - all sorts of biographies, clothes, general, souvenirs. There is a Michelle Obama paper doll set, plus a Jackie O one. A book on First Dogs. Bobbleheads on all sorts of people, including John Handcock, all the presidents, Obama! It's a fairly big box to get here and have to carry around. I'll get one further along the journey.

I ask the woman behind the photo booth, where you can get a photo of yourself superimposed to be sitting at the White House, where I might find an information centre open so I can see what's open, for an hour or two. She is so nice and suggests the Old Post Office down Pennsylvania Avenue to go up to the top of the clock tower for a good view of the city. 

So I trot down there, fabulous old building...

..clock tower - closed! So I get a Ben & Jerry's coconut, walnut, chocolate chunk delight to sit for a while. 

As I'm leaving, a mother and daughter where taking photos and a security guard offered to tell us about the place. I think they're not happy about the shutdown either and he just wanted to let us know  some stuff. Very interesting it was too. Originally built as a post office, it has been used for many different purposes over the years and is currently leased by Trump to convert to a hotel. They ring the bells every Thursday and on special occasions. He had some video on his phone so we could see. Such a nice guy.

Here he is, pointing out the steel works.

He even came upside to point out where the Metro station was out the front. As I was going, he asked me to give my best to Australia so I gave him my best, "No worries, mate."  Back on the train to get to Union Station where I get a coffee and sit for a bit. 

As my departure time approaches, I get my bag from the bag storage. The ironing phone girl has gone - presumably to buy some peroxide for the weekend's ironing duties, and there is now a guy and a girl, both who love the Australian accent. 

Up to the lounge area to wait for the train. It's a weird thing about travelling - it's always great to move on to somewhere new but once you leave the hotel and you're between 'homes', that transient feeling is odd. It even lessened a bit when the gate was announced for the train - I had somewhere to be and a place to go to.

Was googling up stuff for Charleston and came across an article on the joys of travelling solo - it was great and so true - it's totally what you want to do all day, every day. You meet more people, can get into things more easily. And so on. It was great!

Anyway, onto the train. So cute! I love sleeper cars. Here's a couple of shots that are a bit hard to work out, it's a bit small to take photos of.

Julie is the lady on duty so I got the briefing from her and we're off. It's so great to sit in my little cabin, play on the iPad, watching the world go by. There's no Wi-Fi but the SIM card is working - maybe it's a geographic thing - my brand needs to be nearby to pick it up?? Anyway, it's working - hurrah!

At 8:00 is dinner - vegetable pasta followed by profiteroles. Back here to write this and then I'll be crawling up into my bunk.