Camelot

That would be the view of the Potomac and Georgetown at sunset from the deck of the Kennedy Centre, a mausoleum to modesty of scale, shortly after a dramatic flyby by a Blackhawk helicopter. We were there last week for the Vital Voices Global Women's Leadership Awards as were Tina Brown, Wolf Blitzer and Chelsea Clinton, alhough in more central roles than we. Than me, anyway. Gina and Siena pretty much kicked off proceedings with this. The women awarded were a truly amazing bunch - a Pakistani filmmaker (whom we later lifted home) who has almost singlehandedly put paid to the practice of retributive arranged marriages, a Samoan lady who has built an entire industry of sustainable palm oil for sale to the body shop, five courageous women from various bits of the Arab world in foment. Afterwards, furious networking over dinner and drinks, with the average encounter a heartfelt and effective 45 secs, then onto the next one.

It's been a while

We have fallen very abruptly out of the habit of updating our blog, and for that we apologise. In mitigation, we have had a heck of a few months, with various visitors (all of them most welcome) and sundry trips,  both professional and leisurely, alone or together. So in order to achieve a clean slate, and bring you up to speed, we offer this collection of illuminating pictures and crisply worded captions, with the intention that the regular service will resume once you've digested these. Enjoy.

That's us at the summit of Sugarloaf, the highest hill close to DC (see smog in background) on a hot Sunday morning at the beginning of summer.

A very trendy roll from Sundevich, down historic Blagden Alley, and an R40 cream soda.

James' first Holy Communion, for which his grandparents Pam and Charles joined us.

They were also with us for an action packed 24 hours in New York. A famous tunnel in Central Park,

an extremely cool icecream on the High Line, an overhead railway track which has been converted into a park,

and a Sunday morning ride on the Staten Island ferry.

Back in DC, a late afternoon ramble

along the Potomac and Ohio Canal

to Great Falls, a sight which never fails to stir the blood.

In the meantime, baseball season was in full swing, and with it, James and the rest of the Cap City Little League Giants.

 

After the game, for the sake of continuity, you might find us at the Broad Branch Market, our neighbourhood store with a great deli and an even better beer section.

 

Bringing us right up to speed, we've just returned from a weekend at Bethany Beach, with an old colleague of Gina's and his family.

 James received a crash course in the correct way to catch Chesapeake Blue crabs...

and how best to enjoy them.