Eastern State Penitentiary, Philadelphia

The best place I visited in Philadelphia was, without a doubt, the Eastern State Penitentiary. It is America's most historic prison, famous for the method it used to incarcerate prisoners in complete solitary confinement and a breathtaking architectural design. Also famous for having held Al Capone. The prison isn't being repaired or restored (it closed in 1971), and this adds to the dramatic scene. I have linked the website below and I recommend you take a look.

Just one of the wings.

Notes:
Entry $12 Adults.
http://www.easternstate.org/

Philly Cheese Steak

This is what you have to eat when in Philly. My hosts explained that they are best after a night of drinking, so we went to a bar first. We didn't make a big or heavy night of it, and picked up the Philly Cheese Steaks at about 11pm. And here is mine, chopped steak, moistly cooked with loads of oil, cheese, onion. I also got tomato added in. The taste? well, it's heavy, I would eat one again, but it wouldn't be something I would seek out.

Notes

Philly Cheese Steak, about $8.

Love letters on the streets of Philadelphia.

Philadelphia, PA, USA
15-18 August 2010.

Public art project "A love letter for you".

Across 50 rooftops and walls along a train line of Philadelphia are these public love letters. I liked it a lot. At one stage, spread across 3 walls, I saw "we share defeats" "we share sheets" "we share receipts". The art could be on either side of the tracks and facing either direction, so it would take a lot of going back and forth to see it all, I probably saw about a quarter of them, but was completely happy with what I saw.

 Here are two of the works.

 This is in a building in Philadelphia which I forget the name of. As you looked up (as this figurine encouraged) you saw all these figures walking across beams all the way up.

Notes
Metro tickets in Philly are $2 each.

Philadelphia in the house of friends

Yay! I finally made it to the USA. My insurance got me a direct replacement flight on Saturday night and from the flight I went to directly to the train station and came to Philadelphia. It is such a relief to be here! Each of the 3 times I had been in Lima my departure had been delayed and I had got the idea that I might never escape. So finally making it here is a big relief.
   I am staying in the house of friends in Philadelphia. I met one of the guys in Colombia and now I know the rest of the house I am using the plural and saying that we are all friends. It's really nice to be here in this house, and nice to be in the USA, which isn't the same as home but feels so much more familiar.
   My friends tell me the Philly is the 5th biggest city in the USA. Yikes, I hadn't a clue prior to arriving. There is a lot to see here. A lot of it would be more interesting if you were an American tourist, because this is the heartland of the freedom, independence movement, and the constitution, and I'm not USA patriotic enough to get the most out of these museums. But I am impressed by the old buildings and tree lined streets and the neighbourhoods (another thing Philly is famous for). And I have always been impressed by American patriotism, which I feel is much stronger than Australian patriotism.
   Yesterday I went sightseeing and the places I most enjoyed were the Quaker buildings. Not for the buildings themselves, but I found myself really interested in the Quaker movement and bought a booklet to help me understand better. When I was told that Quakers refuse to put their hand on the bible in court and swear to tell the truth because this action implies that you needn't tell the truth the rest of the time, I understood completely, I have always thought the same.
   My friends and I finished the day by going to an awesome bar (decorated very grunge like with graffiti and dodgem cars to sit in), and then getting the famous Philly cheese steaks to finish off (apparently they are best eaten after drinking). Despite Mikes description of the Cheese steaks (which sounded terrible) I quite enjoyed it. Obviously, it's not gourmet cuisine, but more like what I used to get from the Shell servo in my home town after the towns only night club closed it's doors for the night. Definitely grub for after drinking.
   Today I am off to see the Art museum and the old goal.