A Day in DC

Last Friday I was delighted to host my friend, Laura, for a day out in Washington DC. For those who have been following along since my adventures abroad last summer, yes, this is my dear friend who came to visit me in Spain. What fun did we encounter during our spring outing? Find out below!

Following her arrival via a mid-morning train, Laura expressed she was ready for brunch, and I couldn’t agree more. We made our way to Unconventional Diner, a modern American restaurant with eastern and southern flair. While the ambience was rather simple, the complexity of their flavors more than made up for it. We enjoyed Lebanese fried rice, which reminded me of a vegetable pulao; Brussels sprouts dusted in a tikka masala, which I might pass on next time; and, a delightful sweet potato shakshuka. We also met with Noreen, another sweet friend, who happened to be in town the same day.

We followed brunch with a short stop to Center DC, a local faith center, for Friday prayers. Created with an intention to provide support at every level of one’s Islamic faith, Center DC has a message I love: “come as you are.” Laura was kind enough to attend with me, even packing a scarf out of respect for the occasion!

Laura and I then made our way to the National Gallery of Art by way of City Center DC. Enjoying a scoop of ice-cream en route, we admired luxury clothes and bags, and we even stopped for an impromptu photoshoot near a blooming pink magnolia tree!

Finally, we arrived at the National Gallery of Art, a stunning gallery curated and sustained by the Smithsonian Institution. Home to an extensive collection of European and American art, with works by Picasso, Leonardo di Vinci, Monet, and Van Gogh, and famous sculptures including the Little Dancer of Fourteen Years and The Greek Slave, the National Gallery may just be my new favorite gallery in DC. It’s architecture too, including the West Building rotunda, captures visitors with its beauty as powerfully as the paintings inside.

A fun fact you may not know is Laura is an art history buff- I love listening to her explain the importance of famous art works and artists.

We concluded the evening with a delicious meal (saag and paratha!) at an Indian restaurant. I dropped Laura off at the train station, and within a few short hours, we had both retired to our respective beds. It was a lovely day to welcome the spring season, and a sweet reminder, that after a long, dark winter, brighter, more colorful days are here.