W A S H I N G T O N   D . C .   -   D A Y   # 1

Monday, October 25, 2004

In front of Union Station you'll find the Columbus Memorial Fountain. Unveiled in 1912, the fountain was made possible by lobbying efforts of the royal fraternity of brothers, the Knights of Columbus. During the ceremony, 20,000 Knights marched in the parade.

The memorial's inscription reads "To the memory of Christopher Columbus, whose high faith and indomitable courage gave to mankind the new world".

While researching the memorial, I stumble across an interesting website that lists the popular, and not so popular, movies that have been shot in and around the various sights and venues that Washington, D.C. has to offer. According to the site, the following movies have scenes capturing the Memorial Fountain - Along Came a Spider, Collateral Damage, Earth vs. the Flying Saucers, Eye of the Beholder, and Hannibal.

Apparently, I'm not the only one finding the memorial useful. Me for learning, this individual for sleeping. I've seen quite a few homeless people today, this is just one of many.

In between Union Station and the fountain I spy The Freedom Bell. Having traveled to all 48 contiguous states aboard The Freedom Train between 1975 and 1976, the bell now permanently rests here in D.C. Cast in the same foundry as the Liberty Bell, this bell is nearly twice as large.

It looks like the bell has its ringer, I wonder what it sounds like? I don't plan to actually ring it, too many police are milling around, but I do take a peek underneath and discover that many others have been here before me. Unfortunately, some of them have felt inclined to leave a message behind. Well, at least they are hidden from view.