We See DC

We spent fourteen hours yesterday travelling to Washington, DC. Today, after a good night's sleep, we headed to the centre of the city and the Capitol. It's undeniably impressive.

A newly built underground visitor centre deals efficiently with the large number of people visiting the seat of government in the US - more than six million since it opened at the end of 2008.

We booked our tour online to guarantee admission though there didn't appear to be any problem with just turning up. After being ushered into a theatre to watch a short film detailing the history of the Capitol and the function of Congress we were assigned a tour guide who showed us round the building.

The central dome is huge. It was surprising to learn that it was still unfinished at the onset of the civil war. President Lincoln ordered that work continue to indicate faith in the union.

At its centre is a fresco entitled The Apotheosis of Washington, painted in eleven months by Italian artist Constantino Brumidi, soon after the completion of the dome. It depicts the first US president ascending to heaven.

Immediately beneath the dome is the Capitol Rotunda, where ex-presidents and eminent citizens lie in state. Below this, in the crypt, is a star that marks the place the city is divided into its four quadrants.

We left to walk up Pennsylvania Avenue. At number 935 is the J Edgar Hoover Building, which houses the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

And at number 1600 is Obama's residence - the White House.

Hard as we looked we couldn't see any snipers on the roof. However, to the right of the picture below there is what looks like a tripod. Perhaps the sniper was having a cigarette break...