Monday Fun Day: National Gallery of Art

Being a government employee definitely has its perks (decent pay, lots of time off, etc.). Unfortunately, I'm also at the mercy of Congress and their irresponsible decisions. Because they couldn't get their act together, I now have to take a furlough day every Monday. But I'm trying to look on the bright side. I've decided to use my furlough days as a way to explore the DC area and further my education. I'm calling it Monday Fun Day.

My first furlough field trip was to the National Gallery of Art. I've been there countless times, but this time I wanted to dive in deeper by taking one of their guided tours.

Built in the 1930s, the National Gallery of Art was the brainchild of Andrew Mellon, who visited the National Gallery in London and wanted to have one that belonged to the American people. He donated his private art collection to get it started.

Like many buildings in Washington, the gallery was designed in the neoclassical style with a beautiful rotunda in the center.

They have everything from early Renaissance to modern art. The number of masterpieces in their collection is truly astounding.

This is the only known Da Vinci painting in the Western hemisphere.

Monet

Van Gogh

Rembrandt

Degas

I'd say my first Monday Fun Day was a success. Not only did I get to stroll through an uncrowded National Gallery of Art, but I got to enjoy a leisurely lunch followed by fro-yo downtown while everyone else was at work! Not a bad way to spend a Monday.

Fireworks

I celebrated the 4th of July at my usual spot, but unfortunately my pictures didn't turn out too well this year. Fortunately, I got a do-over. The city of Alexandria always hosts a birthday celebration the week after the 4th of July, culminating in an evening of fireworks. They may be a bit lower budget than the ones on the Mall, but they're still pretty spectacular.