An Adventure in DC: Brunch and Gardens Edition

A Georgetown side street (clearly biking is a popular weekend activity). Photo by Madeline Bielski

I am really fortunate that I have some truly spectacular roommates who are also fellows in the DCSI program. Not only are they great people to live with, but also fantastic people to explore with. Despite not knowing each other very well prior to this summer, we have really bonded and have taken to exploring together on the weekends. One of the best parts of studying and working in DC in the summer is that there never is a shortage of things to do, so we are always looking to take advantage of such a prime location, since we are only here for three months (but hopefully I’ll be back). From night walks on the mall, to exploring Chinatown, we have had some pretty great adventures. I thought I would share with you what we deemed to be a nearly perfect adventure in DC.

Crêpes at Kafe Leopold (sadly no pictures of the happy tear-inducing avocado toast). Photo by Becca Thorpe

On a Saturday a couple weeks ago, we decided to participate in the notorious weekend tradition in DC: going to brunch. Thanks to Yelp, one of my roommates tracked down the perfect café in Georgetown to start our day. We made the 10 minute ride over (thank goodness for free Uber rides) and found out our destination, Kafe Leopold, could not be in a more idyllic location. The café was tucked away on one of Georgetown’s beautiful old side streets with a cobblestone courtyard. While the surroundings were great, the food was really what got us. We all discovered possibly our new favorite caffeinated beverage: coffee con panna (aka coffee with whipped cream – what’s not to love) and our food, let’s just say, was an emotional experience. While the omelets and crêpes were great, the avocado toast was the real star: one of my roommates actually cried because it was that good. Overall, our first DC brunch was a complete success.

Coffee con panna – coffee plus whipped cream, a beautiful combination. Photo by Becca Thorpe

From brunch we wandered down to the waterfront, where we sat on the edge of the Potomac and just watched what was happening. We realized paddleboarding is a thing (that we obviously must try) and we finally caught a glimpse of the Kennedy Center. After relaxing by the water, we decided to catch a bus to Dumbarton Oaks. Upon our arrival we walked through the woods to reach our destination and stopped off to walk in a creek, which was a pretty surreal experience considering we were in a city (but hey run ins with nature are much appreciated).

Dumbarton Oaks, basically the Versailles of DC. Photo by Madeline Bielski

Dumbarton Oaks is an old estate near Georgetown, that is now a research institute, but is also open to the public so one can explore its gorgeous gardens. We wandered through the gardens for over an hour, finding tucked away fountains and sculptures, and even hearing some music. After being sufficiently tired out from walking we decided to migrate back to the heart of Georgetown, but (of course) we had to stop for gelato first.

Reminiscent of Sound of Music anyone? Photo by Madeline Bielski

At the end of this day, we decided it was essentially perfect: we had excellent food, great scenery, and discovered a part of DC that is a little bit more relaxed than we would have ever thought.

More adventures to come, stay tuned.