The Blue rooster over Trafalgar square and Washington, DC, Novermber, 2016

This 15' bully by Katarina Fritsch - a German person -  was made for Trafalgar square in London where it spent 18 months undoubtedly crowing about Brexit. Now it has moved to the new rooftop sculpture garden at the newly renovated National Gallery of art East wing.  He looks directly over Pennsylvania avenue at the Canadian embassy which is staffed about people endlessly discussing the beauty and applications of Potash from Plato to Trudeau jr. - in French only, and of course, the complete  list of gay parades the Prime minister jr. will be attending in the next 4 years.

The P.M. and his entire cabinet will be excited to know that Ms. Fritsch has deliberately named Mr. Rooster - right on the bronze plate - Hahn/cock.  She stated (honest) this is a Feminist sculpture (go figure), and that while it was in Trafalgar, she was amused by its contrast to the equestrian statues on the other plinths of the square.  Being a madly polite sort of person, I have used the less exciting terms "blue rooster," although Ms. Fritsch, all of Europe and most of Asia would understand the shortened version of cockerel without becoming short of breath.

Given all those complications, I went to DC hoping to see HIM and did love him.

I so enjoy going to DC over U.S. Thanksgiving.  The flight into Reagan airport is just over one hour. The subway leaves from the terminal right to the front of either the midtown Marriot of the Grand Hyatt.  Either one is only $112.00 or $117.00 U.S. per night.  Usually it is closer to $500. although during the inauguration they are $1000. and $1200.

All of the Smithsonian museums (which includes all the important art ones) are free and so comfortable.  Even the coat check is free and they do not accept tips.  The people at every turn and place in DC are among the most friendly, casual, kind and helpful in the world.  The central city is pristine clean, safe and everything you want to see is nearby.

Washington, DC November, 2016 Newly cleaned Capitol & Calder mobile

For the past couple of years, the Capitol has been covered in scaffolding while the work of repairing and cleaning the structure was in progress.  It was to be completed with the scaffolding removed, before the January, 2017 inauguration for the new president.

This photo is taken from the new rooftop sculpture garden of the E. wing of the National gallery.

You can easily see the beautiful ivory coloured dome and congress buildings.  At sunset it really glows.

The massive Calder mobile is in the centre court of the E. wing of the National gallery.  I wanted to remember the striking arrangement of the court ceiling.  It is too complex to capture with a normal camera casually.  I have used Google images to show the E. wing better.

Washington, DC - unreality

The just-complete renovation of the East wing of the National gallery of art has a polished chrome sheet of metal on one wall reflecting all passersby.

One figure is only painted on the mirror and all visitors contribute their own reflections to her's.  It presents a nice view of some some of the surroundings.  One of the real humans is my sister.

  The building in the background with the pillars is the new (1989 actually) Canadian embassy. The building close-up and also taken as a whole is a genuine beauty from a country rarely known for innovative and striking architecture.