Monthly Archive for January, 2008

Once again, a late night last night turned into a late wake up today, and by the time Brett and I actually left the house for the first time the day was more than half over. Our first order of duty was to take Data and Brady to the tennis court where we took them a few nights ago, so that they could have some romping before we left for the afternoon. They played very well together, and were tired by the time we returned to the house almost an hour later. Because Data was hyper and wouldn’t calm down, we left him in his crate when we left to explore the city. This also removed the possibility of him getting into any mischief with Brady while we were gone.

For “breakfast” we stopped at Lorenzo & Son so that we could enjoy some slices of their delicious pizza (again). Soon after, Brett got a wonderful idea: to find a place that sells vegetarian cheese steaks – after all, it would be a crime not to have some variation of a cheese steak while in Philadelphia. Brett found a location within walking distance, and soon we were standing in Gianna’s Grille, reading through the various vegetarian options on the menu. Brett chose the GG Special, which consists of vegetarian steak and cheese, and I ordered the Vito, which consists of vegetarian sausage and cheese. Both were very good, although we both agreed that Brett’s cheese steak, which is their signature vegetarian sandwich, was somewhat better than mine. On the whole, we were very satisfied by our experience, and can see why Gianna’s Grille has won many awards for its food.

Feeling quite full, we went in pursuit of a colorful and odd street front that I had seen on our initial night drive into Philly. It turns out that what I had gotten a glimpse of was a part of the Magic Gardens called the Eye’s Gallery, which is a conglomeration of broken bottles, pieces of mirror, bicycle tires, and other oddities that actually form quite beautiful displays, especially when struck by reflections or light. Click here to learn more about Isaiah Zagar, the artist behind most of the work. We admired the art for a bit before heading towards downtown.

Our first stop was City Hall, where we witnessed the hustle and bustle of a weekday in downtown Philly, which we hadn’t gotten any sense of during our exploration yesterday. From there, we could see the massive The Grand Lodge of Free Masonry, a large Masonic Temple which stands as a reminder that Philadelphia is considered one of the birthplaces of Free Masonry in the United States. A quick walk brought us to JFK Plaza, or LOVE Park, where Brett took photos of the sculpture and some of the surrounding buildings. From there, we walked to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, which sits atop a large staircase made famous by Rocky Balboa, who triumphantly climbed the stairs while training in the 1976 film Rocky. Brett took photos of the Rocky statue near the museum, and then we ascended to the top of the stairs in order to admire the skyline view. Of course, after taking photos of the skyline, I was forced to reenact part of the Rocky scene for Brett’s photographic satisfaction, but hopefully those photos won’t make it on to his blog post tonight, or any night for that matter!

As it was getting dark and the temperature dipped, we walked back towards Leah’s apartment, stopping once to admire the Secret Garden for a second time. By the time we got back to Leah’s apartment it was about 6:30pm, and Shannon had returned home from work. She informed us that while he had been alone in the apartment all day, Brady had eaten an entire package (about 40) of peanut butter chocolate chip cookies. He will probably have a VERY sore tummy tonight, but hopefully he won’t be sick. Leah arrived home shortly after and we decided what to do for dinner. Shannon already had plans to eat out with a friend of hers, so Leah, her boyfriend Dan, Brett and I decided we could all agree on Italian Food. Leah and Dan suggested Villa di Roma Restaurant in the Italian Market. We had a meal of garlic bread, salad, pasta, as well as cannoli and cheesecake to share. The restaurant was unpretentious and the food was delicious as well as authentic; it is just the kind of dinner experience that we love.

We said goodbye shortly after returning home from dinner. We want to thank Leah and Shannon (and Brady!) for being incredibly kind and letting us stay with them while we enjoyed Philly – Data has certainly loved his playtime with Brady. We made the easy one-hour drive to Absecon, New Jersey where we are staying the night with our friends Rob, John, and Andrew. Brett and I have decided to stay in tomorrow while they have classes, because we have a few things that we both need to get done, and there isn’t a lot of sightseeing to be done here. Later on, we’ll probably get dinner and catch a movie before heading to New York City – the last stop on our trip!

<3 J

With no real plan for the day, we woke up shamefully late this morning, or rather, this afternoon. In fairness, Brett did get up around 10am to let Data out, at which time we talked for a bit with Leah and Shannon, but it wasn’t long before we went back to sleep for a few hours. After finally waking up, at about 1:30pm, we ventured out to walk around Philadelphia, since it was sunny and not quite frigid.

Brett’s friend, Paul, and his girlfriend Angela, who live somewhat nearby in Wilmington, Delaware, joined us in the city for some touring and dinner. We met up not too far from Leah’s apartment at a busy Whole Foods, where Brett and I grabbed some muffins and juice for a very late breakfast on-the-go. From there, we walked to the downtown area, which, as expected, was somewhat quiet due to the day of the week. We went inside Independence Hall, which is part of Independence National Historical Park, where we were able to get a useful map of downtown. Inside the building, as well as in the surrounding area, there were quite a few police officers and park rangers – far more than necessary for a quiet Sunday afternoon. The last tour of the day had already left, so we spent very little time inside the building itself. From Independence Hall we walked across the street to see the Liberty Bell, which is housed in Liberty Bell Center. We browsed through the historical data and artifacts pertaining to the bell, before actually seeing the object itself, which in my opinion was quite impressive. There was a sizable group of tourists surrounding the bell, making it hard for Brett to get any clear photos of the object itself, but I think he eventually managed to get a few.

After leaving the Liberty Bell Center we walked to nearby Chinatown which, in contrast to the downtown area, was bustling with street activity. Potential customers were browsing various fish and produce markets, and there were people mulling about in shops and on the sidewalk. We popped into a bakery so that Paul could buy some items, but most of the selection had dissipated and therefore he left empty-handed. After walking around Chinatown for a bit, we decided to head back to Whole Foods, where we picked up Paul’s car and drove back to Leah’s apartment so that Paul and Angela could meet Data. As always, Data was very excited to meet new friends, and Brady said hello as well. Both dogs were so excited that they began chasing each other around the apartment. Leah and Shannon (and the pups) stayed at the apartment to relax, while the rest of us set out in pursuit of dinner.

We originally planned to go to Pho Ha, a Vietnamese restaurant that Angela and Paul frequent when they venture into Philly, but after looking at a menu we quickly discovered that there were no vegetarian options, and because the restaurant is essentially a noodle house, there really isn’t any way for the cooks to make exceptions. Instead, we decided to try Royal Tavern, which Leah and Shannon both recommended for the vegetarian and vegan friendly foods. We were pleasantly surprised by the food, sharing a plate of nachos as well as macaroni and cheese. Brett had a vegan sloppy joe sandwich while I had a vegetarian Tempeh BLT, both of which were equally delicious. We left with a slice of chocolate layer cake, which we washed down a little while ago with some delicious sparkling apple cider.

After watching a few episodes of Entourage, Leah, Shannon and Brady have gone to bed, and we will follow suit soon. Tomorrow is our last day in Philadelphia, so we will be sure to make the most of it. After some sight-seeing and dinner with Leah, we’re on to New Jersey!

<3 J