There are a lot of people who flock to air shows. That’s not us. We have never even been to an air show. But once, ten or fifteen years ago, we were visiting our friend Joan Levin in her upper floor apartment on Michigan Avenue in Chicago overlooking Lake Michigan on the day of the annual Chicago Air Show. The show takes place off the city on Lake Michigan and, looking out Joan’s window, it was like we were part of the show. It turned out that the height of the planes and the height of Joan’s apartment were not too different, and we hardly had to raise our eyes to see each show entry just a few hundred yards from us. We had a great time.

But have we gone to any air shows after that? No, in part because we were spoiled by our vantage point in Chicago.

I read, though, that there was to be a 60 plane air show today, or if not a show, a flyby today, focused on the Mall and the Lincoln Memorial and the Washington Monument, but with the planes starting in Frederick MD and coming down the Potomac. The show was to demonstrate the history of general aviation (I wasn’t sure exactly what that meant). But we decided we would watch the flyby not by going down to the mall, but by stopping at the Palisades upriver from its journey through the heart of DC, but near our house.

The weather today is beautiful, sunny with fleecy white clouds, temperature in the 60s. We picked a spot which overlooks the Potomac below and where there is a space to watch between the green trees which block a view of much of the river. There were several others who picked the same spot and we stood there for about an hour watching the planes go by.

I can’t say it was an exciting hour. But it was very, very pleasant. Apparently, there were 56 planes, including several old biplanes, three helicopters, a sea plane or two, both single engine and double engine planes old and new, most flying solo, but several following each other closely, and three three-plane formations. A nice way to spend a little time on a pretty day.

The Palisades is part of the regular flight path to Reagan National Airport, and before the show began, we saw the planes flying away from the direction of the mall. Then, the planes from National stopped flying, even though the flyby planes were flying at a much lower altitude than today’s jets fly. When the show was over, the jets began to fly again.

Then, we decided it was lunch time. About 1:30 or so. Where to go? We wanted somewhere we could eat outside, and I remembered that we weren’t that far from Pralines, a restaurant over the line in Maryland, and there we went, eating on their large outside and very flower bedecked grill. The last time we had eaten there, we had dinner with friends that was excellent. When was that? Last summer? The summer below? At any rate, today was a disappointment. We had lunch, not brunch. I had a chicken pot pie (something I order now and then, and used to order a lot when I was really young), and it was OK, although the crust was not really edible. Edie had a salad Nicoise (the large, not the small), which had about two tablespoons of tuna, two pieces of potato, one and a half (I think) anchovies, several string beans and a lot of lettuce. Just not what you’d expect.

From there, we went to the Italian Bar, up the street from our house, for espresso and gelato. And then home.

A nice Saturday. Now relaxing with the Nationals-Red Sox game on (the Red Sox are not wearing red socks). We have house guests this week from Israel, and they will be our supper companions.