Friday 7^th December

The Concert Hall which holds in excess of 2500 patrons

We walked to find the local chemist who sells No Jet Lag tablets and then stopped in for a coffee at the local shopping centre.  After lunch headed into Washington DC to collect our tickets for next Saturday’s musical performance of “A White Christmas” at the JFK Centre for the Performing Arts.  

The Chandelier in the Concert Hall

This building serves as both a centre to showcase any form of theatre, opera, concerts and plays as well as being a living memorial to President John F Kennedy. There was a shiny red shuttle bus right outside the metro station and the driver recommended that we take a tour which is conducted by volunteers and runs each hour.  Upon entering this massive – and I really mean extraordinarily massive building we knew that a tour would certainly give us a stronger appreciation of the centre and its many uses.  Fortunately there were only 4 people in our group ahead of a very large crowd so it felt very intimate and personalized.  Our tour began in the majestic Hall of States which showcased the flags from all the American States and territories.  This was followed by a tour of the Hall of Nations which was a mirror image of the previous hall but included the flags from all those countries with whom the USA has diplomatic relations.  We then walked into each of the five of the Centre's main theatres, including its three grand performance halls (the Concert Hall, Opera House, and Eisenhower Theatre). 

One of the many Presidential Boxes which give a view of the Concert Hall. The "Seal" is at 9 O'clock on the wall

Bust of JFK showing each side of face at different ages

From the magnificent Opera House chandelier, a gift from Austria that measures 50 feet across, to the 3,700 tons of marble from Carrara, Italy, lining the walls of the Hall of Nations, to the gorgeous Israeli Lounge, these gems reflect the many gifts from the governments of more than 60 countries that make the Kennedy Centre an international destination. 

Also featured on the tour are works of art by renowned 20th century artists. The tour concluded with a breathtaking 360-degree view of the nation's capital from the Centre's Roof Terrace, topped off by a helicopter flying above us reputedly carrying the President.

The Metro here in Washington DC is fast, clean and efficient, so we took a train to our final destination for the day, the Old Post Office Tower. 

 It offers picturesque views of the city including some of the prized structures. We were able to see the Capitol, the White House, Washington Monument, Pentagon and Lincoln Memorial from this 12^th floor vantage point. 

In 1976 the Ditchley Foundation of Great Britain presented a set of 10 change ringing bells to the US Congress as a Bicentennial gift.  These bells were originally intended for the US Capitol, but structural issues made it necessary to survey other sites. The bells range in weight from 263 kg to 1340 kg bear the seal of both countries and are located on the 10^th floor.