Natalie was finally starting to feel better, and we were excited about picking up speed again. Before we left, Matt decided to have a bagel with cream cheese (see the earlier post for why this became part of the story).
Our first stop in DC was The Mall. Since it was during the week, the crowds were light, which made the visit even better. We had a great view of the Capitol and the Washington Monument, and then we walked to the Lincoln Memorial. Just wow. What a sight. After hanging out for a while, we started to get hungry and found one of the best spots for Balkan food. Ambar was amazing.
Next up was the Smithsonian. We were taken in by all there was to see. From the animal exhibits to the prehistoric displays, and then finally the stones and the Hope Diamond, it was such a fun and fascinating stop.
After that we headed back to our Airbnb. Remember the bagel and cream cheese? It struck again. We reached Alexandria, and Matt said we could stop there. The Uber driver was fine with it, so we got out, made it around the block, and then Matt was suddenly hit with food poisoning—just a block from our Airbnb. He made it back but spent the rest of the evening laying low.
At that point, we finally connected the dots. Lillian and I never got sick, but both Natalie and Matt did. Something was definitely off in that bagel and cream cheese combination. Low key evening again.