Amorphophallus titanum and the Botanical Gardens

How long did you spend trying to pronounce the name of the title? I could have shortened it - called it the titanum arum, but nah - had to be all Science teacher on you, didn't I?

Besides the Royal Baby's birth on Monday (which I was obsessed with) there was some other news in DC. A giant, 8 foot tall flower bloomed in the US Botanical Gardens.

So what's the big deal about this flower?

It releases a putrid scent (rotting meat) to attract pollinators (i.e. dung beetles). It also has a very unpredictable blooming cycle and could go years or decades before blooming again. It takes an incredibly long time for it to store enough energy to bloom.

It may not be as important as the new Royal baby, but it's pretty neat to see nonetheless. I had to see it for myself. And yes, I wanted to smell it. I arrived at the Gardens around 2:30 and there was a small line. Sadly, I heard from people that had seen it that the smell was already gone. The plant bloomed late Sunday night, right before the Gardens were to close, so the scent was strongest between Sunday evening and Monday night - when no one was there.

Although it wasn't emitting its odor anymore, I did notice a faint hint of something in the air when I walked into the room that housed the flower. Everyone was waiting for their turn to snap a shot of the towering plant.

After getting my photos and verifying that I indeed could not smell anything coming from the titan arum, I explored a little of the gardens while cumulonimbus clouds built in the distance. One can never get tired of looking at Nature's beauty.

Let there be spring and cherry blossoms

It feels like we've been waiting forever, but spring has finally made its way to DC and we saw the temperatures reach into the 60s yesterday. All of this warmth means the cherry blossoms can finally make their appearance, just in time for the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler. 

I spent an hour outside of the Capitol and the Botanical Gardens yesterday, taking photos and enjoying the new blooms. The air was filled with their fragrances and it was nice to relax and enjoy their beautify for a while. 

It's too bad Google Nose didn't exist. I wanted nothing more than to bottle up those scents and bring them back with me. 

An Art-Filled Day

I did it! I ventured out of the apartment today to explore the city. The first stop was the National Gallery of Art West Building. I conquered 90% of it. My favorite pieces were the drawings and water colors, many of which were hundreds of years old. They made me really want to come home and take out my sketch book. I loved the landscape paintings by Canaletto, this painting stopped me in my tracks, and I enjoyed seeing everyday items captured in paint by John Frederick Peto. 

My least favorite pieces were the dishes and the sculptures. Can't tell you why, but I quickly walked through those rooms. Sorry that there are no photos of the gallery itself or the pieces in it.

After the art gallery I paid a visit to their sculpture garden across the street. Most of the following photos are from the garden itself. 

This spider guy below reminded me of a sculpture that students created for an art show at MHS this year!

My favorite was the tree below, which was metal! I turned the corner and my mouth literally fell open. It was amazing.

 This guy reminded me of my dad for some reason. I can't tell you why. He also made me chuckle when I saw him.

The Black Eyed Susans, or Rudbeckia hirta, also reminded me of my dad. I can't help but think of all of the summer days he would mow our 40 acres, leaving little patches of these untouched. It's so nice to see such nature in a city!

 I made it a short visit into the city. I was too lonely without Tom or any other friend with me. One of the places I really want to visit is the Newseum, which I walked by on the way to the metro. All of the front pages from today's papers were on display. And almost every one of them had Michael Phelps on the cover.

Birthday Weekend

I turned 25 this Sunday. Happy Quarter-Century to me! It was an awesome weekend. I really couldn't have asked for a better one. The weather was wonderful, and it's the warmest birthday I think I've ever had.

Here's the birthday in a nutshell...

Friday

• Tom came home with a beautiful bouquet of flowers for me!  

 

• We drove up to Morrisville to see Tom's dad's band, In Kahootz, play. They were awesome and we enjoyed watching them play

Saturday

• Went for a 5-mile easy run
• Met up with some UVM interns for dinner at the Skinny Pancake. I really love savory crepes. I ordered the Deja Vu, which is sausage, cheddar cheese, and apples in a crepe, drizzled with Vermont Maple syrup. Yum.
• Headed to Bagito's for some coffee with the interns, and enjoyed some music from Montpelier's Jazz band.
• Met up with Tom and watched him eat two tacos from Mad Tacos. He didn't make it in time for dinner with the interns.
• Headed to the Savoy Theater (my first time there!) to see Albert Nobbs. What an interesting movie.....
• Headed home to discover some Lake Champlain Chocolates and peanut butter cups under my pillow!! How sweet! (heh - literally!)

Sunday

• Woke up and immediately (I mean, I just turned off my alarm) received a package of Birthday Cake Oreos and a card from Tom
•  Headed out for a 20 miler with my friend Rachel. We averaged 8:10 per mile and enjoyed a gorgeous morning. By the time we got back it was up in the 40s
• Found a giant banner in our living room after my post-run shower

• Took an hour nap by accident
• Walked around Montpelier. I'm pretty sure everyone was out there. It was well into the 50s by the afternoon and few were wearing jackets
• Met my dad, brother, and my dad's GF for dinner at Sarducci's. We were stuuuuffed when we left.

• Came home to enjoy some of my dad's strawberry shortcake, to open gifts, and to hear a lot of hilarious stories. My dad seems to always have a good one to tell!

Wilson showed off his awesome high-five skills

The best part about birthdays are spending them with those that you love. It's too bad they only come around once a year!

Questions for you!

1. Have you seen Albert Nobbs? If so, what did you think? If not, are you planning on it?
2. What did you do in the warm weather this weekend?

Adventures in Malaga: Day 1: El Castillo Gibralfaro

It was hard to choose where to start our site-seeing adventure in Malaga. It was an incredibly warm day and sunglasses were a must. We headed westward from our hotel, toward the center of Malaga city. What separated our hotel from the city (besides distance) was the Castilla de Gibralfaro and the Alcazaba - both built hundreds of years ago.

Our curiosity led us to a hill with a winding road and great views of the city. Along the way we frequently stopped to catch a new vista of the city, including the port and the bull ring. There were flowers along the way and areas to take a breather. This hill was steep and we worked up quite the sweat. Fortunately, people were well aware of this problem and we were able to catch a refreshing Fanta and cerveza before exploring the castillo. 

Fanta: A much needed refreshment after the hike up the hill

It makes sense that a king would build his fortress on a hill top. We had a clear view of the entire city as we made our way around the walls of the castle. It was fun to explore the different areas and to imagine that I was one of the guards hundreds of years ago. This castle was build by a ruler of Granada in the 1300s. Quite amazing!

Quite the view of the city

The journey down the mountain was much easier than the trip up. I spent a lot of time admiring the beautiful flowers along the path. Their smells were intoxicating!

At the bottom of the hill we decided to get a little closer to the port. There wasn't much to do there, but we did check out a temporary museum exhibit for a little while. On our way back to the hotel we stopped at City Hall and I had to smell the flowers by there too! They're the purple things bordering the steps in the photo below. 

Malaga's town hall: more extravagant than Montpelier's

DAYYY LILIES!!!

In between town hall and the sea were two paseos, or roads, with a park in between. Few people were within the park and it seemed quite peaceful. They were loaded with Day Lilies and benches to sit at. 

Tom put on a show in the outdoor theater

I was the only one in his audience

There were a lot of these trees in Malaga. They looked as though someone had painted a camouflage pattern on them, only that's how they actually grew!

The bullring of Granada. We had just barely missed a bull fight

Although we were finished with the historical component of our day, we still had plenty of daylight left and more city to explore. My next goal: get me some paella!

Need to catch up on our June 2011 vacation?

Madrid Day 1

Madrid Day 2

Granada Day 1

Granada Day 2, Part 1

Granada Day 2, Part 2

Granada Day 3, Part 1: The Alhambra

Granada Day 3, Part 2: Flamenco

Malaga Day 1: Arrival