the white house -- reVISITed

after my first attempt to visit the white house was mooted, the tenaciousness of a friend worked out a second chance for me.

interestingly, on the day of the state of the union address, i got an appointment at 9:30am.

of course, no cameras allowed, other prohibited items included (but are not limited to):

"handbags, book-bags, backpacks, purses, food and beverages of any kind, strollers, video recorders or any type of recording device, tobacco products, personal grooming items (make up, hair brush or comb, lip or hand lotions, etc.), any pointed objects (pens, knitting needles, etc.), aerosol containers, guns, ammunition, fireworks, electric stun guns, mace, martial arts weapons/devices, or knives of any size. *Umbrellas, wallets, cell phones and car keys are permitted. [...] All necessary medications must be identified and remain in the custody of an adult chaperone or contact for the entire tour."

the biggest surprise was first, that it turned out to be less hassle for security than thought and second, that it was a self-guided tour. first enjoying a walk through a gallery of photos depicting different presidents, first ladies, wedding pictures, meetings with heads of states and artists and famous first pets (did you you know there even was a first raccoon, the owner was Grace Coolidge).

the tour includes peaks into the library, the china room (because china plates and cups are displayed in cupboards), and the vermeil room on a lower level, a state dining room, green, blue, and red rooms, and another state dining room on the level that is entered via the big stairs underneath the pillars you can see from the north side facing south.

every room was guarded by a friendly big man who was also knowledgeable about contents. one guard told the story of the inscription of one mantel piece that became the white house prayer. he said it is one of the last paragraphs of a letter president john adams wrote in a letter to his wife after he spent the first night in the white house. adams was the first president in the white house and, according to the guard's story, moved in before his family followed. so he got all emotional and wrote about it. but the letter somehow never reached his wife. years later president roosevelt leaved from a collection of correspondence between john and abigail adams, lo and behold, the unopened and sealed letter fell out. roosevelt read it and liked it enough to make it part of white house culture.

what i did i learn? the white house as six floors, the two top most for private use, the level connected to the big frontal steps are the representative rooms, underneath is the kitchen and such.

it was nice to move around at my own pace. it felt a bit like in a museum, all old and beautiful and as if never touched. another guard said all rooms we saw are used at least two to three times a week. so the carpets are constantly rolled up and out again. the ropes and black rubber mats for visitors are removed every night.

the tour ended by walking down the frontal steps underneath the pillared middle front section facing pennsylvania avenue.

it was quite undramatic for a visit so long in the making.