IT was my first time in Washington D.C. and, thanks to a late-night arrival, I had no real idea what lay beyond the curtain of my hotel room.
But as the sun rose the next day and I pulled back the drapes, I was greeted by a view that stopped me in my tracks — the White House , framed perfectly in front of me. Having grown up as an expat, I’ve been fortunate enough to travel the world and witness some of its greatest wonders, but this was a true “pinch me” moment. Not only was I gazing directly at the beating heart of American democracy, I was so close to the building that I could even see the Secret Service agents on the roof seamlessly changing shifts, sniper’s rifles at the ready.
Jet-lag may be a common travel woe but at that moment it felt like a gift to be up and alert so early. With the Presidential election so close, there is no better time to be in the nation’s capital — where the pulse of politics felt more electric than ever. For the next few days, my base was the luxurious Hay-Adams Hotel, a distinguished establishment that once hosted the Obama family for two weeks before Barack’s inauguration in 2009.
This splendid building boasts 124 spacious rooms in colonial style and is ideally situated on Lafayette Square, just a stone’s throw from all the essential sights. With that in mind, what better place to commence my inaugural visit than the historic White House? Regrettably, we Brits can’t simply pop inside for a tour, but photographs taken outsi.