Philadelphia

We're in Philadelphia at the moment, visiting friends and family. Yesterday was lovely and warm and we spent it wandering around the Delancey Street/Rittenhouse Square area of Philadelphia, along streets lined with historical brick homes and mature sycamores and gingko trees. 

We went to a very fine bakery and then sat around the fountain at Rittenhouse Square (now full of leaves rather than water) eating large delicious cookies (oatmeal raisin, and sour cherry) and drinking coffee...and enjoying some of the many public sculptures in this very sculpture-conscious city. The bronze fish below is just a detail on the base of the fountain, which is a figure of, I think, the "Little Goose Girl" of fairy tale fame.

Eventually we ended up at the Reading Terminal Market, where fishmongers, butchers, ethnic grocers and Lancaster County farmers sell their wares to hungry and fortunate Philadelphians, just on the edge of Chinatown. (Have you noticed that wherever J. and I go, we always seem to end up at a market?)

We were with our friends and former (Vermont) neighbors who were visiting from Iceland, and in the evening we all went to the home of friends of theirs (he's Icelandic, she's American) for a home-cooked dinner, piano playing, and numerous bottles of wine, arriving back at our hotel around midnight.

Today has been rainy and sleepy...we went to the art museum earlier, and I doubt that we'll be staying out too late tonight.

Comments

[Marja-Leena]

Sounds like a marvelous visit all around, with some great photos. Is that sycamore bark in the one photo?

[jo(e)]

I love how yellow the leaves are.

[kat]

Ah! Rittenhouse was my favorite part of Philly when I lived there. They used to dress it in the most beautiful glowing, colored globes for the holidays, though I hear they do it some other way now. Have you been to the Rodin Museum?

[Robb]

Kia ora Beth,
Ah lovely. A very underated and beautiful city dripping with character and history.
Cheers,
Robb

[protein shake]

It has been the beauty of the nature to enhance the it outer sphere.

[Teresa]

Beth, that first street scene reminds me a bit of the Stockade section of Schenectady. Have you ever been there? I often wander around it while waiting for my train to Montreal. It is a 1 minute walk from the train station.

Old buildings, all still lived in, and nice little squares and cafe, and trees.

T.

[dale]

Love the juxtaposition of those two last! Never been to Philadelphia. This makes me want to go.

[margaret]

I've got friends living in that neighbourhood. Never seen it at this season, the photos are lovely.