The Embassy of Chad is one of the smaller spaces on Embassy Row, but don’t let that fool you: within the modest space was a gracious staff and a powerful art exhibit. The embassy’s walls featured the art of Doff, a Chadian artist that uses trash and other found materials to tenderly capture the beauty and heartbreak of life in Chad.
Caption under “Flower of Evil”, detailing the artist’s inspiration
Flower of Evil , 2024 (Made of bullet fragments)
Closeup of “Flower of Evil”
The pieces masterfully use materials as their own storytelling devices, a tactic used with gut-wrenching effectiveness. One piece in particular, “Flower of Evil” is composed of used bullet casings, a clear reference to the warfare that has haunted Chad in previous decades.
Women, 2024
Artist’s commentary on the importance of women in Africa
Closeup of Women
The intricate metal work, heartwarming depictions, and intimate understanding of the heart and soul of his people all make Doff an artist to watch. He has a gift that allows viewers to not only enjoy the art for what it is, but also prompts the audience to think behind the aesthetic and technical skill on display in each piece.
Plaisir Recreatif I
Artist’s comments that contrast the violence of male adulthood to the tender playfulness of childhood
I’m so glad that I took the time to visit this embassy, and I look forward to visiting them again.
I mentioned Passport DC and the DC Embassy Weekends in a previous post (I attended the Around the World Embassy Tour event during the first weekend of May 2024). However, this post will share the fun I had during the EU Open House Weekend in 2024. Unfortunately, I couldn’t make it to the embassies this year, but I’m so glad I will be able to attend next year!
During EU Open House Weekend, a few friends and I toured the Embassies of Luxembourg, Estonia, Latvia, and Croatia. We ended the afternoon with a meal at Mad Hatter, a cute bar with lots of Alice in Wonderland-themed artwork.
Each embassy had some amazing things to offer. Luxembourg had delicious beverages and fantastic tins of cookies that they gave away to visitors. I was also fascinated by their history with roses: as it turns out, they were once known as the Rose Country for quite a few years, and these exquisite blooms were often sent out as decorations to royal and presidential gardens.
Luxembourg explains their rose tradition Inside of the Embassy of LuxembourgPerfect place settings at the Luxembourgish Embassy
Estonia was quite a treat: along with candies and beautiful modern decor within the embassy, they provided excellent information in flyers about this Baltic country. I was fascinated by the research that was published through Estonian universities, and the information provided made me eager to visit.
Dancing outside of the Estonian Embassy The exterior of the embassy Estonian modern artDining space at the Embassy of Estonia More exquisite art at the Estonian Embassy
The Latvian Embassy not only had dancers in the front, but they also had one of the most gorgeous tile floors of all of the Embassies we toured (I know that’s random, but I love decor). The mix of traditional and modern touches made Latvia a very special embassy to tour, and I can’t wait to either visit again, or go to the country in person.
Exterior of the Latvian Embassy Beautiful dining space at the Latvian Embassy Beautiful oil painting in the stairwell of the Latvian Embassy (From left to right) Flag of Latvia, Flag of the European Union, and Flag of the USA The tile I fell in love with!
As it turned out, a couple of non-EU embassies were open on this day as well. We were able to visit one of my all time favorites, the Embassy of Haiti, where a number of Haitian vendors were selling Mother’s Day gifts (this holiday was one day after the embassy events). I tried Askanya chocolates, bought some perfume, and just had an all-around great time viewing the Haitian Embassy again.
Art at the Haitian EmbassyThe Haitian art gallery is my favorite embassy feature Glorious metalwork on the exterior of the Haitian Embassy
Our last stop on our EU “tour” was the Croatian Embassy, which had several beverages to try, wonderful art, and a fantastic setup for taking pictures. I was very excited to hear that Croatian cuisine heavily features seafood: as a traveler that often has to alter her diet in order to accommodate local food availability, I love that one of my favorite food options is readily available in Croatia.
The perfect space for taking a photo at the Croatian Embassy Beautiful artwork at the embassy Learning about teran wineI love honey products!Fun facts about Croatia
Ending our day with the embassies at Mad Hatter was great! The food was solid, but the artwork really enhanced the overall experience. I couldn’t get enough of the Alice in Wonderland pictures and paintings.
Alice art at Mad Hatter Artwork of the White RabbitPoster of Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter in Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland Artwork from Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Stretched out Alice artArt stating, “We’re all mad here”More Alice and White Rabbit art
That’s a quick roundup of the Passport DC EU Open House Weekend. I can’t wait to return next year and make my rounds at some of the embassies that I missed in 2024!
Craving some international travel, but your budget is saying, “Nope”? Want to enjoy some international culture without the hassle of dealing with TSA? Every May, Passport DC hosts a month-long festival that opens up the doors to many of the embassies in Washington, DC. As someone that loves attending gala events, I’m especially thrilled to do Passport DC, because, unlike the galas, no tickets are necessary, and you can visit a lot more embassies in one day than you could normally enjoy during the average week in DC. This post highlights my experience with Passport DC 2024, and yes, I will be in attendance for Passport DC 2025.
The first weekend of the Passport DC festival is the Around The World Embassy Tour. This weekend features many embassies from Africa, Central and South America, the Caribbean, Gulf countries, Eurasian and other non-EU European countries, and the UK. The doors open around 10 AM on the first Saturday of May, and most embassies will stay open until around 4 PM. The easiest way to enjoy this weekend is to start off with the map of the participating embassies: these maps are available either digitally (through the Passport DC website or mobile app) or in paper form. There are lots of signs located in the Embassy Row area, so you will have no problem locating the stands where you can get a map and a free tote bag (while they last). I like to gather with my friends at Dupont Circle (the park located in the roundabout is a great place to get your bearings and figure out where you want to go) and walk the length of Massachusetts Avenue. If navigating on foot is an issue, then charting your journey with a map, before catching an Uber to the embassies that interest you, is advised.
The Embassy of Trinidad & Tobago
This is a family friendly event, so if you want to avoid kids, this is not the event for you. There will be MANY families out, enjoying the festivities. Also, if you want to enjoy the sample delights offered at some embassies (the Embassy of Cameroon grilled meat, and it had their block of Massachusetts Ave smelling heavenly!), getting to the embassies earlier rather than later is advised. The lines get long and there’s always a risk that the embassy may run out of whatever it is that you want to sample. I got to try Sri Lankan tea and snacks, Haitian soup joumou, and Jamaican rum during my last visit.
This year, I went to the Embassies of Chad, Haiti, Jamaica, Sri Lanka, and the UK. In previous years, I’ve visited the Haitian and Kenyan Embassies. My only regret is not starting earlier in the day: I would have loved to take in even more international culture.
The Chadian Embassy (it will get its own post soon!)
Statue of Mustafa Ataturk at The Embassy of Türkiye (Turkey) – here’s hoping I’ll be able to visit the embassy AND the country in the future
Statue of Nelson Mandela outside of the Embassy of South Africa
Winston Churchill at the Embassy of the United Kingdom
Art inside of the Embassy of Jamaica
My day with the embassies ended with a delicious lunch at Rakuya, a Japanese restaurant that serves fresh, delicious meals. You will want to get here a bit earlier, too: they stop serving lunch around 4 PM, and shut down to prepare for the dinner crowd. Of course, if you have time to plan ahead, I recommend you go over to U Street Corridor and get some Ethiopian food, since most of those restaurants will be open after the embassy event until late in the evening.
Rakuya’s lunch special
I had a great time in DC during the Around The World Embassy Tour! Have you ever been to this festival? I’d love to hear your thoughts below!
This year wasn’t rainy, but boy was it hot! The temperatures soared above 90 degrees Fahrenheit, so after a couple of hours, I was drained. This year, I only got to visit two embassies but it was so worth it!
Outside of the Portuguese Embassy
My first stop was the Embassy of Portugal. This embassy was closing early due to a conflicting event that afternoon, so I had to make the most of my time while I was there. The staff was charming and they had the most amazing cheese tarts to sample! I wish I had gotten a photo of the ladies and gents in their traditional costumes, but maybe I’ll have better luck next year. In any case, it planted the seed in me for a future trip to Portugal . . .
Next, I visited the Embassy of Ireland. We had an excruciatingly long wait, but at least we got to enjoy performances from the local Irish dance classes. Here’s a clip of one of their performances:
I was delighted to enter the embassy and see some great Gaelic books written about a diverse group of children: indeed, children from a variety of backgrounds could come and see books written about children that looked like them. I also loved the charming layout of the historic building.
All in all, I really enjoyed my embassy experience this year! I’m already excited to experience it again next year!
April is such a bittersweet month for me. It’s when spring really starts to kick into gear, and my allergies get assaulted to the nth degree. It’s also still cold and rainy enough to make quite a few days less than ideal.
However, there is a lot to love about April. For starters, it isn’t as cold as the winter months! And, it signals the beginning of festival season in Richmond and DC. And there’s nothing I love more than to be able to pick and choose the festivals that I want to attend!
There are so many festivals that have caught my eye: I’m having a hard time picking a few to mention here. But, as best I can, here are some of the events I look forward to attending during the first two months of this festival season:
Richmond French Food Festival – Food, wine, music, and supporting a good cause: the French Food Festival has to be one of my favorite hometown events to attend. I went several years ago and enjoyed the dishes, the can-can dancers, and the vendors offering all sorts of delightful objets d’art. This one will be a lot of fun!
Strawberry and Wine Festival – this festival combines two of my favorite things: wine and strawberries! It’s wholesome fun for the entire family, with treats, music and activities for all. This year will be my first time going, and I’m really excited to experience this festival!
Passport DC – various embassies in Washington, DC open their doors for a once-a-year event that allows visitors to tour the embassy offices and ambassador residences. I wrote about my visit to the Haitian embassy during Passport DC last year. Visitors can talk to embassy staff and get to experience a slice of the countries participating. This free event draws a lot of people, but if you are willing to brave the crowds, you will be rewarded!
Do you have any festivals that you love to attend? Let me know in the comments below: I’d love to hear about them!
Back in May, I participated in the Around the World Embassy Tour event in Washington, DC. This is part of the annual Passport DC event, which allows visitors to tour various embassies during the month of May. Generally speaking, the first weekend of May features African, South American, Caribbean and a couple of Asian embassies, the second weekend of the month is the European Union Open House weekend, and the following weekend is the Festival of Asia.
I’d never toured the Haitian Embassy before, so I was excited to visit this year. Funny enough, I’ve been to Haiti when I cruised with Royal Caribbean in the past, and I always loved the island. In fact, I’ve stated on multiple occasions that Haiti is my favorite Caribbean island. So it’s a marvel that I’d never gone to the Haitian Embassy until this year. In any case, I was eager to go. And the embassy DID NOT disappoint.
I think the thing that I found most incredible was the prominence of Black mermaids in Haitian art. As a born-and-bred American, the mermaid image I see most frequently is the Disney version, with porcelain skin, red hair and blue eyes. Seeing the Haitian depictions of Black mermaids was deeply moving. These depictions are far more accurate to the creatures that Christopher Columbus reported seeing in his travels, and they also predate Hans Christian Andersen’s tale. Of course, practically every culture has stories of merpeople, but seeing the image of magical brown-skinned beings was surreal.
The embassy is a stately, breathtaking building, and the art that lines every wall is stunning and memorable. It looked more like an incredible museum than a political office space! It has multiple floors, and, sadly, I only toured one level.
My biggest regret? Not allowing more time to tour. But no worries: I will return next year!
Bronze Butterfly 