1st Jan

2011 dawned bright and sunny: perfect for Edith’s wedding.

Out of respect for the day’s big event none of us had got too drunk the night before, so we headed out for brunch bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and hangover-free.

When sufficiently full on bagels and granola we went back to the apartment to put on wedding frocks/suit/kilt and then jumped in a cab to St Paul's for the Coakley/Stowe nuptials.

John and Edith met whilst singing in the choir and it was very evident that the church was full of close friends. The sermon was filled with warmth and the priest showed obvious affection for them both: and the choir, despite being without the happy couple, sang fantastically!

It was a very traditional Anglican service, which meant that if I didn’t follow the order of service carefully I got somewhat confused about when I should sit/stand/kneel etc, but there was a real beauty inherent in the ritual itself.

After the ceremony was complete, and a beaming Edith & John had walked back up the aisle hand in hand, we all went upstairs for wine, canapés, & speeches followed by some renaissance dancing. Andy and I made a brave attempt at the dances though I’m not sure we acquitted ourselves too well. I think we’re better with a sweaty D&B dance floor or a boisterous cèilidh than the stately refinement of the renaissance.

The celebrations finished at a very civilized 6pm (not like the disheveled 1am wedding parties that I’m used to) so we headed back to Sam and Nina’s for delicious home-cooked lasagne and to watch Shutter Island. The film, in all it’s B-movie-tastic brilliance, was great but too long! It’s a rare film that can justify a running time of more than 90 minutes, and this wasn't one of them.

p.s. I know this is a wedding cliché, but the bride today looked breathtakingly beautiful. And all the very best to Edith and John in their married life together!

31st December

Sam didn't have to work today so the three of us hit the DC tourist trail.

As well as visiting monuments we swung by the Air & Space Museum to touch a piece of the moon and marvel at how tiny and home made the apollo space craft were. The really do look like oversized cone-shaped tin cans with barely enough room to fit the astronauts inside. You can clearly see the welding marks on the outside: I'm not sure I would have wanted to be flung up into space in something that looked like it had been cobbled together by a chap with some scrap metal and a blowtorch!

We finished the day at the American Art Muesum which was great. The portraits of the presidents were particularly good -  showcasing the presidents' different personalities and the varying talents of the artists chosen to paint them. Nam June Paik's Electronic Superhighway was also memorable and Alexis Rockman's dystopian images were repulsive at first but the more I looked at them the more they appealed.

That evening we celebrated the New Year with an Ethiopian meal, some drinks with friends of Sam's at the Wonderland Ballroom and finally a glass of champagne back at the apartment to round off the night.

30th December

Arrived in Washington DC a bit late and made it to Sam and Nina's apartment. Got pizza & a couple of beers in Adams Morgan before jet lag drove us to bed.