Since I like to try different tea shops or high teas I was very interested in the high tea that was being offered at the National Cathedral in Washington D.C. I didn't find out about it until I was already there and my thought was that I probably wouldn't be able to get a reservation but I called anyway and left a message. Actually three messages, the first one that I was interested in tea on Wednesday, the second that I was available both Tuesday and Wednesday and the third to make sure I'd left the correct contact information. Originally I was hoping to go to one of the DC Filmfest's events, a luncheon and discussion with a director. I had already left a message with them requesting a reservation. Then I decided that I might have a better chance at getting a tea reservation at the cathedral if I were available on both days. They have it Tuesday and Wednesday. Well by Monday morning before I left the apartment I hadn't heard from either place. Then Monday night when I got back there was a message from the Cathedral person saying there was a last minute cancellation for Tuesday and to call, which I did. When my husband got back he said there was a message that they had no openings. So they had called me twice. I never did hear from the filmfest.

Tuesday I took the orange line, got off at the stop near the National Museum of Women in the Arts, and switched to the red line after I visited that museum, then switched to a bus and made it to the area of the cathedral before the 1:30P tour time. I had enough time to stop in the St. Alban's Opportunity Shop, make a couple of purchases and ask directions. Then I went inside the cathedral to the tour and tea and joined a group of about 25 other people. The tour was led by a docent and covered all of the major highlights of the main sanctuary after which we took the elevator to the top of the tower and had a delicious high tea with a lovely view. There are also pictures and some informational displays in the tower so I wandered around there with the woman, from San Francisco, who sat with me for tea.
The cathedral is a huge gothic structure constructed as "...a national house of prayer for all people", U.S. Congress 1893 and "This church is intended for national purposes...and assigned to the special use of no particular sect or denomination but equally open to all." Pierre L'Enfant 1791 Plan for the City of Washington. Those quotes I found in the book "Murder At The National Cathedral" by Margaret Truman which I am reading again, I think, now that I've been there.
When I returned to the main sanctuary and went to the store I found out that the cathedral was open late that evening for an evensong service. I called my hubby and both of us went to the service where we got to hear the all male choir, the 10,600 + pipe, organ and sit in the hand carved choir pews. They also had a mazes that could be walked and we tried that. Then I took him around the cathedral and shared the highlights that I remembered. Especially the stained glass; the rose window and the space window with the moon rock, the chapels, the main area of worship and the grave of Woodrow Wilson (the only president buried in Washington). All in all a nice way to spend an afternoon.