A day we shall not forget

We strive to appreciate as much of the city as possible when we are both home, so visiting the U.S. Holocaust Museum, albeit not the lightest activity to do on a sunny Sunday, was something we felt we needed to do. There are so many damn museums and galleries in DC, it's hard to work your way through them all, even after being here for 10 months!!

So, off we went, all bundled up and looking like the Michelin man (it was very cold yesterday - the wind chill made it feel about 15 degrees Farenheit!). The sun was shining though, which helped a little as we briskly walked to the Metro station.

We got out at L'Enfant Plaza and again, briskly walked (no strolling for us!) down the National Mall to the museum, which is right across the street from the Washington Monument. The museum entrance itself is impressive, really lovely architecture:

Once inside, you have to go through a strict security search (like pretty much everywhere now), but it gives you time to look around and appreciate the building. I felt it was built to reflect one's mood once you step inside - instantly somber. You know this is not going to be a place to appreciate fine art like other museums or galleries. This is a place of grief and death, but also a place which reflects remembrance and hope.

The exhibits were harrowing, to say the least - everyone knows millions were killed in the Holocaust, but this place puts faces and names against those numbers, and makes it hauntingly real. It takes it from being a statistic (an unfathomable one at that), and shows photos of children, elderly, families, and whole communities, wiped out - while the rest of the world struggled to comprehend what was even happening and who were ultimately impotent when it came to taking any action.

For all of the horror we witnessed yesterday afternoon (we were there for 6 hours), we left not only with a sense of utter exhaustion, but also anger at the sheer apathy the rest of the world had during this period. We left thinking, 'shame on us'.

The visit to the museum also reminded us of the things happening in our lifetime that, although are not on the scale of the Holocaust at the time, should not be ignored: Darfur, Sudan, Rwanda, Chechnya, the Balkans.

Needless to say we had a very reflective trip home.