DC finale

Why do we travel? I'm really a homebody at heart, and becoming more so as I grow older, but I'm convinced that travelling is good for the soul. Being in a new environment livens up our senses and shakes up our perspective on things, if only for a few days.


And you know, a little trip can be good for the palate too.

Our little DC trip gave us plenty of new food experiences. We met up with our friend Ibti at Le Chat Noir, a tiny bistro near Bethesda and my first experience with real deal French food.


We ordered fromage (not cheese - "fromage") and I discovered that triple-creme is French for triple OH-MY-GOSH-WHAT-IS-THIS-WONDERFULNESS-THAT-I'M-EATING-RIGHT-NOW cheese. I discovered that snails taste like a cross between mussels and chicken. And I reaffirmed that no matter how fancy the restaurant, food truly does taste best when shared with friends.

We enjoyed brunch with Kent's aunt and uncle at the Chart House in Old Town Alexandria, sitting right on the Potomac River. It was my first taste of caviar.


Although it looks gorgeous on a plate, I have to be honest. I don't see what all the fuss is about. It tasted salty, a bit like smoked salmon. Or like licking the underside of a sea turtle. Yeah. That's what it tasted like.

Of course, before we left, we had to hit up Five Guys to sample Obama-rama's favorite all-American burger.


Good thing they planted a kitchen garden at the White House to offset any hamburger-induced artery clogs.

Ah, 'twas a lovely trip. And now, back to Bismarck and back to our regularly scheduled R&V programming.