Shiny things!

My aunt and uncle live in northern Virginia.  As much as I enjoy flying to international locations, sometimes I prefer to drive through hill and dale and see what I can see.  So for this trip, one of the destinations was their town of Annandale and the surrounding landscape.  We checked out the local hangouts, the farmer's market, and the favorite places for foodies.

One day we went to Old Alexandria.  It is a very pedestrian friendly environment with plenty to see, do, and eat.  We walked through an area that included converted industrial spaces that now house work and retail spaces for artists.  Fantastic!  Nearby, there was a jewelry store with a polish artist (that alone made me go in) that had all kinds of creations made with amber.  My brother-in-law always jokes that sparkles and shiny things are my downfall.  This was no exception.  She had many items with yellow amber containing inclusions.  I love that each of these pieces are history all by themselves.  She had a smaller amount of red amber, and these pieces had faceted amber in them.

I was in love.

The fact that is was a large piece and looked spectacular on my hand, even with my summer tourist apparel, sealed the deal.

While in Alexandria, we took a boat ride up the Potomac to Georgetown and back.  I highly recommend this at least one time.  Even salty D.C folks can get a different perspective of the capital from there.  We walked up to a tea shop, because how could we not?  Also, we stopped at a cute Virginia tourist store.  Sometimes you just have to take it all in and play along.

To finish our trip and in keeping with our approach to eating our way through northern Virgina, we ate at Taverna Cretekou.  We all had different dinners and desserts and they were delicious.  We sat out on the patio with Greek music playing and fairy lights wound through the ironwork and trees.  A very enjoyable meal all around.

If you are in the capital district and can take a side trip, Old Alexandria is worth your time.  And don't forget to look for the sparkly/shiny things too!

M.E.