Two years ago, when the COVID shut down was just getting started, we would pass some time by meeting friends to walk on the National Mall. Back then, it was eerie how deserted the place was. All the museums were closed, and people were unsure about the safety of anything, even being outside in public. At the same time, it was amazing to have such a beautiful place to ourselves, and to wander world-famous monuments and spaces alone.
Yesterday afternoon, Heidi and I loaded Lucy in the car and drove downtown for a walk. The place was packed. The Cherry Blossom 10 Miler had gone off earlier in the day, and scores of food trucks and ice cream trucks lined the cross streets, blaring their electronic jingles. And even though the trees were quite past their peak, thousands of tourists and residents strolled along in the warm spring afternoon, snapping photos, lounging on the grass, and wandering in and out of museums,
almost as if the last 2 years had never happened.
How lucky were we to have the whole place mostly to ourselves?
ReplyDelete