We experienced the DC metro…it’s not so bad. Our AirBnB is in the Chevy Chase area of Bethesda. We Ubered to the nearest metro station with Narta who hailed from Haiti. I asked how she was and for the rest of the ride we heard all about her life – the theme being one should always listen to their elders. Perhaps she was angling for a good tip but she kind of blew that when she interrupted herself to say “wait, where am I? Should I go straight?” She managed to get us to the Bethesda station. Down into the deep, we found the Redline and headed into DC proper. The line ran efficiently, always on time.
Considering that we are getting into prime tourist season the streets of DC were amazingly quiet. I wonder what this tells us about the state of tourism in the US at this particular time.
The weather was not horrible. Temperature got up to 90 but it didn’t feel so bad in the shade. A little more humid than what I’m used to in New Mexico.
First stop was the Hirschhorn Museum, a collection of modern art. A hodgepodge of a collection.
In a corner of the basement of the Hirschhorn was a small Banksy+Basquiat exhibit. Banksy being the current king of Street Art whose identity was largely unknown until recently. I struck up a conversation with one of the staff and we mused about how Banksy handles his financial affairs. I mean, how does he report the income on his paintings and still remain anonymous?
Further research indicates that his identity was uncovered a while back although there has been no official validation. Banksy runs his financial affairs through a company called Pest Control, which serves as his official authentication service. The company handles sales, licensing, and royalties — so income flows through a legal entity rather than directly to a named individual.
