A DAY FOR ART AND FOR SLOWING DOWN

Sunny, clear, and warm was the forecast and we were in the mood to take it easy today. We started in the gardens behind the Smithsonian Castle. The Castle was the original Smithsonian building and now is used as an orientation center for all the museums.

In back is a quiet garden where we chose to have lunch.

Across the Mall is a sculpture garden. It's between the Museum of Natural History and the National Gallery of Art.

There is everything from the abstract..........

to the whimsical.

Inside the National Gallery of Art it's cool and quiet. Crowds are smaller and not as many kids visit here.

A bronze casting of "The Thinker" is on display. We saw the original of this in Lenningrad at the Summer Palace in 1978.