Went into Alexandria with Leanne this morning to see how much Old Town had changed over the last three years - answer was, not much at all. We started off at the waterfront and headed down King Street, but had forgotten how late most shops opened in Old Town on a normal working day. Some start at 10.00am and others don't get to the door locks, till 11.00am. They do however compensate, by staying open till late.
So we continued down King Street, only stopping briefly at second hand shops, to the Metro Station and a grocery store called Wholefoods, where we picked up some necessaries, before returning to the Kings Street Metro and catching the next train to Franconia/Springfield, which is the closest stop to where we live and the terminus for the Blue Line.
We then had little option but to hoof it the rest of the way to our home. We had only the vaguest idea of direction or distance. Lots of people (including a policeman outside what must have been a mosque - there were large numbers of "people of middle eastern appearance" assembling), proved helpful with directions. After keeping our periods of indecision and grumbling (it was hot !) to a minimum, we managed to find a Dunkin' Donuts and called in as they have special donuts with significant recuperative powers. After that it was easy to tramp the rest of the way and we turned the key in the lock at around 3.00pm.
It was a lovely day of exploration, but one that I've been told will not be repeated. I've been tasked with checking the bus routes from the Metro at Franconia/Springfield to much closer to home.
