Day 8 - Alexandria

This morning we took the Metro to Alexandria. The walk down King Street took us over a brick sidewalk that had been tilted and tipped by the root systems of its tree lined street. The shop facades on the old street were quaint, featuring too many spas, hair salons and yoga venues mixed in between eateries and pubs.

From the Metro station to the Information Centre was approximately 2 km which left us wondering why it wasn't positioned at the Metro/Train station. A few blocks later we discovered the Torpedo Factory with its labyrinth of artist studios. The Factory offers studio spaces of varying sizes to painters, ceramicists, sculptors, photographers and printmakers. It is also home to the Art League, a non-profit organization that offers classes to adults and children.

The stairway to the second floor studios is composed of sculpture pieces.

Old rows of seats have been brightly painting to provide rest spots for weary visitors.

After a filling lunch of pizza and salad we walked back up King Street in the 82 degree heat, past the Metro station to the George Washington Masonic National Memorial. Whew!!! It was a struggle!

This neo-classical monument was erected and is maintained by the Freemasons of the USA in memory of George Washington, a brother of the Masonic fraternity. The tower is capped with a flame-like finial to indicate that he was a guiding light in the formation of this country. The architecture includes many Greco-Roman elements through the use of marble floors and columns, elaborate ceilings and open spaces. An interior elevator carried us at a 7 1/2 degree angle from the bottom to the observation level in the tower. It is one of only four in the world!

This statue of Washington in full Masonic regalia
was dedicated by fellow Freemason Harry S. Truman.

View from the ninth story observation deck in the tower, looking down King Street 

to the Potomac River and across to Washington DC.

After a hot day of walking, shopping, eating and researching we finally climbed onto the Metro and headed back to the hotel. My feet will never recover!!