Alexandria, Part II...

Sunday was a rainy day.  I managed to do my 10,000 steps and 4 miles in three separate walks.  I tried to walk between the  heavy rain showers.  On my first walk, it started raining hard when I was a mile from our house and I got really soaked. Fortunately, it was 60 degrees out/  After that, I did not walk very far away from the house and managed to keep from getting soaked again.  We also did a little thrifting, as a rainy day is good for that.

Monday, there was a skim of snow on the yard, but it did not last long.  Porter enjoyed playing in snow and with the ice that was on the patio.

A skim of snow in the backyard

It does show up better on the red umbrella

Although it was chilly and windy, but we still took a long walk to Alexandria's Old Town.  This was a 4 mile walk from our house to the start of Old Town.  Fortunately, the wind was at our backs as we walked and the sun was shining.  On our walk, we passed through a neighborhood called Parkfairfax.   The community was complex after complex of nice looking brick condos / apartments.  I checked it out after we got back from our walk.  It was a community built 1949 to provided housing to meet wartime civilian housing needs.  There were a total of 1,684 units built on 132 acre.  They were originally build rental units, but they are now owned as condos (although some can still be rented).  The website claims that both Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford once lived there.  We walked through other residential areas on our way to old town with beautiful colonial brick houses.  

Typical house in Alexandria

The wreaths make a tasteful holiday decoration

The exterior of this house was being remodeled

A bush along the way that was still in bloom, even though it had snowed

This was our second visit to Alexandria, as we stayed in hotel in Alexandria close to the metro; when we came to Washington DC in 2002.  I recognized the metro station as it is above ground on a platform in Alexandria.  

I love the old buildings in Old Alexandria.  We actually did a ghost tour when visited before and I recognized one of the streets that I think was a part of the ghost tour.  We did stop at a fair trade store on our walk.  There were so many great handmade items and it was also a chance to get warm.  We walked down to the Potomac which was also very nice.  We could see the Capitol Building from here as well.

It was just interesting

I liked the painting on this building

A view of shops in Old 

Buildings on King Street

Church in Old Town where they make and sell mead

The city hall and the Christmas tree tastefully decorated with white lights

Pretty archway holiday decoration

Restaurants in Old Town set for outdoor seating

The buildings of historic Old Town are registered

Another restaurant with outdoor seating ready for dinner

A photo spot in Old Town (thank you kind stranger for taking this shot)

The Potomac River at the end of King Street

The Capitol Building is on the horizon (hard to spot in the photo)

Historic Alexandria building registry (Townhouse on Queen Street)

A Packer backer in Old Town Alexandria

After walking around for a while, we decided to head back.  We were getting cold, so we decided to take the bus back. We had to catch two different buses, but it was quicker and warmer.  I enjoyed seeing Alexandria again.