Washington DC has been counting down to the moment of 'peak bloom' for literally months now and over the last three weeks of the Cherry Blossom Festival - many events and today's parade - there have been detailed predictions of when this would be.
Today was the day!
We were in the UK and missed the cherry blossom last year and so were determined to see it this year. We were not alone.. The metro was jam-packed and the train was unable to stop at Smithsonian as the platforms were already full.
Every road crossing to get along the National Mall and to the tidal basin was like a battle between the crowds going in each direction.
When you see the pictures of the cherry blossom at the tidal basin, the photos always look very serene but the reality today was complete chaos and in the photo above you can see that the steps of the Jefferson Memorial are thronging with people.
So many people photographing the view, the blossom, themselves.
This chap was trying to do his piece to camera with a passing live audience.
This artist had pitched camp and was busy with his painting with people all around him.
The blossom itself is of course very beautiful...
..but we probably won't be rushing back - there are more relaxing, quieter places to enjoy Spring blossom!
You managed some lovely pictures and you were lucky with the blue sky. The pictures with the people give a small taster of what it was like and are very colourful. Perhaps if you took up painting like that artist you could could choose not to paint the people in.
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