Initially we were in two minds about whether to visit Washington today as the Pope arrives late afternoon for a two day visit and there were many warnings about how busy it would be.
In the event the only real evidence of anything out of the ordinary was the 'Papal Visit' t-shirts for sale on street corners and the miles of barriers around many of the roads and pavements - and especially around the White House itself.
On the north side there was an additional security cordon and rather more visitors, protesters and Secret Service police than this photo would suggest.
On the south side it was possible to reach the perimeter fence.
We moved on to visit the newly refurbished White House Visitor Centre a couple of blocks away. This unusual view in the exhibition must have been taken from the top of the Washington Monument.
The Visitor Centre was an interesting and interactive museum of photos, video clips, artefacts and models of the White House and of the succession of Presidents and 'First Families' who have called it home for over two hundred years.
The exhibits were very varied - above the original golden eagle from the top of the flagpole. Below, the squirrel soup which was apparently requested by a President in the 19th Century ('take three or four good sized squirrels..)
This was included in an exhibit called 'who ordered that'..
Most of the orders were a little more run of the mill such as Ronald Reagan's jelly beans.
There was the usual reminder of the actions of the British Army in the war of 1812 - in this case the burning of the original White House (as well as the Capitol building).
Looks like an interesting exhibition. No opportunity to drop my lens cap through the railings this time then!
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