• Washington, D.C.

After months of planning, angst, and sleep deprivation, we finally left home for a four-month sabbatical around the world.

First stop: Washington, D.C. While the East Coast can feel far away, the flight took less than two hours. We wanted some quintessential American cuisine before heading to Paris. So we headed to Ben’s Chili Bowl, a Washington, D.C. andmark that throbs with character and a soulful jukebox. We relished Ben’s chilidogs, fries with cheese and chili sauce, milk shakes, and Pepsi. Bon appetit!

• Washington, D.C.

Monuments and majesty abound in D.C.–enough to make even the most cynical citizen proud.

And the Mall features free diversions of all kinds. Here, the new National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden boasts an homage to cubism lorded over by a recently restored Washington Monument.