Birthday Swim

This was in February. I took the day off on my birthday and went for a swim. 

Spa Weekend

At the end of November Caroline and I went for a spa weekend at Dunkeld Royal Hotel near Perth. It was very posh. We need got a whiskey or sherry upon arrival (which was needed as we drove there in torrential rain and through more than one flooded road). 

I thought I had booked our treatments for the Saturday but I got it wrong and booked for Sunday, so we had all day Saturday to chill out. We sent some time by the pool and using the spa facilities.

The view form the pool

We didn't really do much while there, though we did take a bit of a walk around the hotel. To be fair, it didn't really stop raining the whole time we were there. 

The Dunkeld Royal Hotel

The river was quite high

After the walk before our dinner, we found a side room with some comfy chair to read out books.

We had our spa treatments on the Sunday morning. While Caroline was having hers, I had a hot stone massage, which was pleasant, and a seaweed bath. I wasn't sure what to expect, but it turns out it was a really hot bath with some seaweed in it. It was an ... interesting experience. 

It was a good weekend and nice change.

Wild water swimming

Over the summer I started wild water swimming (or sometimes called cold water swimming because it really is). So far I have carried it on and hope to continue though I didn't go in the snow so not sure how I will manage that one.

But I did go in the fog. That was interesting.

There is sea there. Somewhere

And I have also been when it was really cold in December. It doesn't look like it as the weather looks lovely but it was super cold. And the water was really rough and mucky so not too pleasant. We were all freezing and filthy when we got out. I don't like it when it is too rough; I like to have some control how quickly I get cold!

I enjoy it though not so much at the time. I have a new dry robe for Christmas (this one was my dads) so I should be ready for the rest of the winter!
 

Adrienne and Ben's Wedding

A few photos from Adrienne's wedding

Washington DC

On our free Sunday in Virginia, we went in to Washington D.C for a look around. Despite living in VA for 2.5 yrs I had never been into DC centre. We started at the Lincoln Memorial at the west end of the Mall.

Lincoln Memorial

The reflecting pool and Washington monument

Heading in

Lincoln

From inside

ON the spot where Martin Luther King did his famous speech.

We headed along the reflecting pool towards the monument past the Vietnam memorial. 

Vietnam memorial

At the WWII memorial

There is usually a fountain here in the summer

At the Washington Monument 

There are a lot of memorials around that area so we went down the other side of the pool to the Martin Luther King monument, which is nearer the bay and very peaceful. We were pretty much the only people there sadly.

Martin Luther King's view

We both decided we did not want to go near the White House while a certain someone is there, so we took a photo from a distance and moved on.

White House from a distance

African American Museum

We wanted to go the the African American History museum but didn't realise it was one of the few you needed to pre-order tickets for. So they turned us away. We went to the Early American History instead.

Bat Mobile

Julie Child's kitchen

They have a room containing some of the dresses of the first ladies. Some were nice, others ... I am glad fashions have changed.

Michelle Obama's dress for the inauguration.

Protests.

I have been wanting to go to the Smithsonian for ages and was so happy to be able to see some of the museums. (The Early American history is one of them. All of the museum we saw that day were part of the Smithsonian group.)

Smithsonian castle.

Heading towards the Capitol building.

We did have a wondered around a sculpture park but neither of us were too keen on art. Still we can say we did it. I can recognise one sculptor, Henry Moore, who I studied for my art GCSE.

A Henry Moore

created in strips.

Bunch of depressing guys.

Men!

I was super excited to go to the Air and Space Museum. It was pretty cool, but there were a load of galleries which were shut which was disappointing.

Apollo landin module

One of the first Wright brothers planes.

Looking down on Apollo

Mock up on Hubble

The Enterprise. (I am such a geek and proud!)

Due to the number of closed galleries, we didn't spend too long in the Air and Space (we went to the larger museum the next day so I wasn't too disappointed) and we took in one last museum, the Native American Museum.

We took a break in the cafe before going round the museum - our feet hurt! I got an iced tea but forgot to ask for an unsweetened. One bottle was 90% of my daily sugars. It made my teeth hurt.  

I think this one was my favourite museum of the day. 

Jacket.

Peace belt.

One of the rooms was devoted to how America has coopted the Native culture and used it for promoting things etc. Some made me wince. Some weren't too bad I guess.

Indian barbie.

Hanker-Chiefs. 

Our last stop (we sort of stumbled there on aching feet) was the Capitol building. We only took a photos from the outside before getting an Uber back to the hotel

That night we were both so knackered we ordered take-away and I got to get some time with the USA Netflix. :)