Embassy Row, Washington D.C.

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Embassy Row lies along Massachusetts Avenue, NW and its cross streets between Thomas Circle and Ward Circle, mostly between Scott Circle and Wisconsin Avenue. The short stretch between Scott Circle and Sheridan Circle through DuPont Circle was once known as Millionaires Row.

Washington DC hosts more than 170 foreign embassies, with about 60 on Massachusetts Avenue. New Hampshire Avenue is home to about 15 embassies, and International Drive NW hosts another 15 or so embassies. The rest of the embassies are spread throughout the city.

One of the most unique buildings on Embassy Row is the Islamic Center. It houses a mosque as well as educational facilities, and was built in the 1940s and 1950s with donations from all the Islamic countries of the world.

Another interesting spot on Embassy Row is the US Naval Observatory, home of the Vice President.

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I love to travel, so it's always fun to see the embassies. For example, apparently the Greeks ae taking over (my husband is Greek) since they have numerous buildings in that area. The Czech republic has a statue as does the Indian Embassy of Ghandi. We went at dusk, so it was a cool summertime walk to try to identify the flags. You also start to wonder about US relations with those countries. (like why was there a smashed blender outside of one of them?)

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Most of Washington's embassies are located along Massachusetts Avenue, northwest of Dupont Circle. Many have interesting architecture, and the street has some colorful statues and other points of interest. Of particular note, check out the statue of Tomas Masaryk, founder of Czechoslovakia (after World War I), that of Mohatmas Ghandi (a gift from India), and that of General Phil Sheridan (the Union cavalry officer in the Civil War). The last one is at Sheridan Square, a few blocks from Dupont Circle.

Little pieces of the soil of practically every nation of the world are in close proximity of one another in Washington.

I planned to go (and ultimately went) to Brazil and Argentina on 18 December 2001. Argentina doesn't require a tourist visa, but I still don't know why Americans need visas to enter Brazil. I'm guessing it all started at some big, fancy diplomatic to-do when somebody might have put a salad fork in the wrong spot. My travel agent told me I ought to have gotten it as soon as possible after buying the tickets. However, I rung the Brazilian Embassy in Washington and they told me I shouldn't do it more than 30 days out from the day of departure. They also require me to send them or bring them my passport. So, I was willing to spend a little more money to go to Washington and bring them my passport to ensure I would get it back and not have it lost in the mail. I followed instructions, turned in my paperwork on Monday 29 October 2001, turned up the following day at the appointed time, picked them up, had lunch and went home. Before this, I had obtained visas from the Australian and French embassies shortly before my trips there.