Washington D.C.-London-Croatia-Bosnia & Herzegovina-Bulgaria, Part 1
So, just about a year ago I went on a massive trip to Europe with brief stopovers on the East Coast and in London, and I never made a post about it. So, I'm doing that now, or at least making a start. Because reasons. (Mostly, shame.)
After cousin Mo's wedding reception in Baltimore, Mom and I escorted cousin Lorin back to Washington, D.C., where we met up with honorary uncle Joe for a day of sightseeing. To whit:
The Capitol Building. This is where the U.S. Congress runs the country. Or doesn't, as the case may be, *grumblegrumble *. Also, pretty roses! :D
National Botanic Garden and totally awesome pitcher plant sculpture. From right to left: Mom, Hanai-Uncle Joe, Actual-Cousin Lorin, Unknown Tourists.
We dipped briefly into the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, where I proceeded to lose my shit fangirling over everything. SpaceShipOne!!! (And The Spirit of St. Louis!!)
I can only assume that is merely a copy of Sputnik, but SPUTNIK!!
Heat shield of the Apollo 11 command capsule, a;sdklaf;ja;asdhlfjs
And from the side:
Voyager!!!
Predator drone!!!
Back outside: the Penis of America. ...I mean the Washington Monument.
World War II Memorial, Atlantic Theater.
Pacific Theater. This one's for you, Grandpa. I love you.
Pacific Theater.
Found this tucked into a corner. Makes me so happy. Well played, memorial designers, well played.
Lincoln Memorial.
WWII Memorial with the Penis of America in the background.
District of Columbia War Memorial (WWI).
The brand-spanking-new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Me and the good Doctor.
Jefferson Memorial.
Then I got on a plane and watched a lot of movies instead of sleeping and like magic I was in London! This is where I take a picture of a Tube sign in a blatantly touristy gesture, to the amusement of the old man on the bench next to me. I REGRET NOTHING.
The train pulled in at Baker Street. There was a beat, and then Mom and I both dove for our cameras, because we are both nerds. HI SHERLOCK HI~! ♥
Myself, and the London Eye! *excited seal clapping * ...Or, the transmitter used by the Nestene Consciousness to control the Auton invasion force.
Finally, 11 ½ years later, I get the ride in the Eye I was promised.
The Gherkin! :D Although someone in some show I saw at some point referred to it as a Kinder Egg, and that is always how I've thought of it.
St. Paul's Cathedral!
Wheeeeeeeee we're very high up!
Buckingham Palace! Downing Street!
The top of the Eye. Pod people.
The BT Tower! ...Although, I'm sorry, it will always be Jordan Tower to me. V for Vendetta has ruined me for reality.
Parliament and Westminster Abbey!
London. The Thames. ...I love that the Thames is brown. I think I'd almost be disappointed if it wasn't.
A better picture of Parliament. Hi Parliament hi! :D
DALEK. :DDDD
Yes London Eye you are very pretty yes. ♥
PRETTY FLOWERS OMG. This is the cafe where we had a lovely lunch in a park next to the Thames on a lovely warm sunny London afternoon. ♥
Regrettably, I did not see the Muffin Man. Or any muffins of any kind, really.
The British Museum! Prepare for more fangirling.
THE ROSETTA STONE OMG.
Assyrian lamassu. ...We spent a lot of time in the Assyrian section.
CUNEIFORM AS;DHFL;AJSDF;A
There were walls and walls of lion hunts. The detail is exquisite: every curl of hair in the tails of the horses and the manes of the lions and the beards of the hunters carved into the stone. I was especially impressed with the anatomical precision in the feet-look at the musculature and the tendons and venation in that lion's paw!
Again, I love the muscles and veins and tendons in the paws, and the snarly snout, and the fletching in the arrow-just, so much texture, guh.
Mom with lamassu, for scale.
GREEK STUFF. I think this is Aphrodite?
Again, the detail is exquisite. I think this is a nymph? Maybe a nereid? She's supposed to be wet, and you can see the way the damp linen clings to her. Outstanding.
Taking gold leaf a little literally here.
Doggie! IN EXQUISITE DETAIL. T_T Tendons, musculature, bones, the little peaks where the nap of its hair collides on its chest. Fantastic work. …...Doggie! :D
MOAI! :D And some people I don't know.
...And, well, that's enough to be getting on with, I think. After this we go to Croatia! So. Stay tuned.
[ Part 2: Zagreb, Karlovac, and Plitvička Jezera National Park (Croatia)]
[ Part 3: Korana, Barac's Caves, and Krupa Monastery (Croatia)]
After cousin Mo's wedding reception in Baltimore, Mom and I escorted cousin Lorin back to Washington, D.C., where we met up with honorary uncle Joe for a day of sightseeing. To whit:
The Capitol Building. This is where the U.S. Congress runs the country. Or doesn't, as the case may be, *grumblegrumble *. Also, pretty roses! :D
National Botanic Garden and totally awesome pitcher plant sculpture. From right to left: Mom, Hanai-Uncle Joe, Actual-Cousin Lorin, Unknown Tourists.
We dipped briefly into the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum, where I proceeded to lose my shit fangirling over everything. SpaceShipOne!!! (And The Spirit of St. Louis!!)
I can only assume that is merely a copy of Sputnik, but SPUTNIK!!
Heat shield of the Apollo 11 command capsule, a;sdklaf;ja;asdhlfjs
And from the side:
Voyager!!!
Predator drone!!!
Back outside: the Penis of America. ...I mean the Washington Monument.
World War II Memorial, Atlantic Theater.
Pacific Theater. This one's for you, Grandpa. I love you.
Pacific Theater.
Found this tucked into a corner. Makes me so happy. Well played, memorial designers, well played.
Lincoln Memorial.
WWII Memorial with the Penis of America in the background.
District of Columbia War Memorial (WWI).
The brand-spanking-new Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial.
Me and the good Doctor.
Jefferson Memorial.
Then I got on a plane and watched a lot of movies instead of sleeping and like magic I was in London! This is where I take a picture of a Tube sign in a blatantly touristy gesture, to the amusement of the old man on the bench next to me. I REGRET NOTHING.
The train pulled in at Baker Street. There was a beat, and then Mom and I both dove for our cameras, because we are both nerds. HI SHERLOCK HI~! ♥
Myself, and the London Eye! *excited seal clapping * ...Or, the transmitter used by the Nestene Consciousness to control the Auton invasion force.
Finally, 11 ½ years later, I get the ride in the Eye I was promised.
The Gherkin! :D Although someone in some show I saw at some point referred to it as a Kinder Egg, and that is always how I've thought of it.
St. Paul's Cathedral!
Wheeeeeeeee we're very high up!
Buckingham Palace! Downing Street!
The top of the Eye. Pod people.
The BT Tower! ...Although, I'm sorry, it will always be Jordan Tower to me. V for Vendetta has ruined me for reality.
Parliament and Westminster Abbey!
London. The Thames. ...I love that the Thames is brown. I think I'd almost be disappointed if it wasn't.
A better picture of Parliament. Hi Parliament hi! :D
DALEK. :DDDD
Yes London Eye you are very pretty yes. ♥
PRETTY FLOWERS OMG. This is the cafe where we had a lovely lunch in a park next to the Thames on a lovely warm sunny London afternoon. ♥
Regrettably, I did not see the Muffin Man. Or any muffins of any kind, really.
The British Museum! Prepare for more fangirling.
THE ROSETTA STONE OMG.
Assyrian lamassu. ...We spent a lot of time in the Assyrian section.
CUNEIFORM AS;DHFL;AJSDF;A
There were walls and walls of lion hunts. The detail is exquisite: every curl of hair in the tails of the horses and the manes of the lions and the beards of the hunters carved into the stone. I was especially impressed with the anatomical precision in the feet-look at the musculature and the tendons and venation in that lion's paw!
Again, I love the muscles and veins and tendons in the paws, and the snarly snout, and the fletching in the arrow-just, so much texture, guh.
Mom with lamassu, for scale.
GREEK STUFF. I think this is Aphrodite?
Again, the detail is exquisite. I think this is a nymph? Maybe a nereid? She's supposed to be wet, and you can see the way the damp linen clings to her. Outstanding.
Taking gold leaf a little literally here.
Doggie! IN EXQUISITE DETAIL. T_T Tendons, musculature, bones, the little peaks where the nap of its hair collides on its chest. Fantastic work. …...Doggie! :D
MOAI! :D And some people I don't know.
...And, well, that's enough to be getting on with, I think. After this we go to Croatia! So. Stay tuned.
[ Part 2: Zagreb, Karlovac, and Plitvička Jezera National Park (Croatia)]
[ Part 3: Korana, Barac's Caves, and Krupa Monastery (Croatia)]