The United States Capitol building was particularly festive on this December day. Just two days after Christmas, the giant tree still stood in the courtyard. And the building itself is being transformed with bunting and scaffolding for the inauguration of Barack Obama next month.
The National Mall always has a great energy, and this day is no exception. As usual, many visitors to our country’s front yard are from all over the world. I take a lot of photos this day – an occupational hazard of standing still next to a tripod in a populated, touristy area. These are mostly couples who want to be together in their souvenir shot of the Capitol. Most of the requests come as pantomime, since most of the couples do not speak English. There is something so universal about taking a couple’s picture in front of a famous landmark. Is this their honeymoon? Have they just moved to the U.S.? Are they visiting relatives in the foreign service here? I’ll never know, because I don’t have the language skills to ask. I have to settle for the international language of pressing the shutter release.
We made many Christmastime trips to Washington, DC, in the 1990s and 2000s, but we rarely got weather as cooperative as this year. Sweatshirt weather in December is okay with me.
Two famous people are immortalized in this shot. You may have to hunt a while to find them in the crowd.
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