Bienvenue à Washington!!

Hier, mes amies Marie-France Weber and Nicole LeTellier et moi, nous sommes allées à Washington avec deux amis français de Nicole - Warren et Sadi. Depuis que je sois un guide touristique à Washington, j'ai donné un tour de la ville à eux. Nous nous sommes amusés et nous sommes allés partout de la ville. Nous avons vu le Capitole, la Cour Suprème et la gare (Union Station). Après nous avons mangé au bâtiment de Ronald Reagan, nous sommes allés au Mémorial à la deuxième guerre mondiale, au Mémorial de la Corée, au Mémorial pour Lincoln, et au Mémorial au Viet Nam. Il faisait très chaud hier!! En chemin de retour, nous avons passé le Mémorial pour Thomas Jefferson et nous nous sommes arrêtés au Mémorial de Pentagon. Warren et Sadi se sont amusés.

Now I'll change to English for those who don't speak French!! My friends Marie-France Weber and Nicole LeTellier took French friends of Nicole's sightseeing in DC yesterday. We had a great time. First, we drove into Washington via the 14th Street Bridge passing by the Bureau of Printing and Engraving and the Holocaust Museum. We turned onto Independence Avenue and continued past many of the Smithsonian museums up to Capitol Hill where we passed by the House and Senate Office buildings, the Library of Congress, the Capitol, and the Supreme Court. Even though our trains aren't as wonderful as the TGV in France, we dropped Warren, Sadi, and Nicole off at Union Station to see that magnificient building.

Since the boys hadn't eaten yet, we went down Constitution Avenue to the Ronald Reagan building so they could have a taste of an American food court!! Of course, we all had hamburgers from Flamer's along with great "French fries"! After that, we went to the World War II Memorial and walked around. It's nice to have a handicapped parking pass so we could park right there!! We then went to the Korean War Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, and the Viet Nam War Memorial.

I love DC in the summer, especially now since I'm a tour guide, because you meet so many fun people. While I was waiting for them at the Lincoln Memorial, I started talking to a lady from California. She said she'd seen everything in Washington in two days. I thought to myself - No way, José!! I asked her if she'd been to the Capitol? No! Library of Congress? No! Ford's Theatre? No! And ... I went on and on. She now has much more to see.

Later while I was waiting at the Viet Nam Memorial for everyone to get water - it was super hot yesterday - I sat down next to a lady who didn't speak English. Her friends came over and guess where they were from? ITALY!! So, I started talking in fratalian - my mind was in French mode so I was having a hard time speaking Italian. I answered some questions for them about getting around DC. It was fun to meet this group from Milano.

While we were at the Viet Nam Women's Memorial, I heard a couple speaking French. So ... I asked in French - Etes-vous français? Oui, they replied. D'òu venez-vous? (From where do you come?) De Toulouse!! That was exciting because Marie-France's son Matthew (Matthieu) had served in Toulouse during his mission to France. Of course, we continued to "parler français" and I told this family - the children had shown up - about the Viet Nam Memorial.

Since it was sooooo hot and humid, we just drove by the Jefferson Memorial and stopped (thanks again to the handicapped parking pass) at the Pentagon Memorial. When Warren was here last year, this memorial wasn't open yet. Both fellows were interested in what had happened on 911.

We had a great time speaking French all afternoon. Even though I haven't been able to go back to Europe, Europe has come to me in DC!! Please enjoy the pictures at Flamer's, WWII, Lincoln, and the Pentagon.