Since the kids had the day off from work yesterday, we visited our favorite Christmas spots in Washington DC, where the Royal Norwegian Embassy decks the halls of Union Station with more than boughs of holly.
NORWAY AND UNION STATION
Beginning in 1997, the Norwegian Embassy gifts a tree to Union Station to symbolize their friendship with America, thanking us for helping them during and after WWII!
Their tree is over 300 feet tall, dazzling with thousands of lights and strewn with the flags from America and Norway.
Near the tree comes the charming sound of clickety clacks and choo-choos from a fun train display set in Norway, another gift from the embassy.
Running across various tracks in different directions were “handmade replicas” of Norwegian trains “set in a Norwegian landscape of mountains and fjords.
The charm of these train displays in 2011 beckoned us for another visit, so this was at the top of our list this year.
Since Union Station is currently undergoing renovations, the displays are limited.
Although the trains were fewer and the tree is outside instead of inside, while scaffolding is everywhere, we were glad to see the trains and tree again.
Thank you, Norway, for this lovely gift of cheer you bring to us each year!
ICE SKATING IN WASHINGTON DC
After a wonderful visit of all the trains we walked to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden to ice skate.
This family of Texans are still learning how to skate, and we love this rink where Frank Sinatra croons from the loudspeakers.
After an afternoon of skating, we walked in the dark to Union Station.
UNION STATION CHRISTMAS WREATHS
Of all the Christmas sights we saw, the best was at Union Station, which is itself bedecked with giant Christmas wreaths.
Finally finding the Norwegian tree under the portico of Union Station, we decided it was the prettiest tree in Washington DC.
