Fun in Philly

What a weekend! I don't even know where to begin; it was action packed and there is just so much to reveal. Firstly, I will start by saying that Philadelphia is amazing: such a brilliantly vibrant, colourful and beautiful city and I would seize any opportunity to go back. The juxtaposition of the old colonial style buildings and the strangely beautiful skyscrapers makes Philly's skyline absolutely stunning. The people were, of course, delightful and the city really has something to offer for everyone.

We arrived late on Friday night and turned up at the brilliant Apple Hostel in the very centre of the historic part of town. There may have been a massive crowd of policemen outside the front door and we may have been in a dorm with 25 other people (!!!) but it was, without doubt, one of the friendliest, cleanest and nicest hostels I've stayed in.

The mandatory tourist photos and treks began on Saturday. We explored Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence was signed and learnt all about the Liberty Bell and how it got that infamous crack - they tried to fix smaller cracks and ended up making it bigger! Alas the bell hasn't rung since. It was however a joyous occasion when bear bell and Liberty Bell were united. If you missed out on the bear bell fiasco please refer back to this blog for a good ol' giggle!


Having done all the mandatory historical stuff we made our way to one of Philadelphia's free walking tours and spent the afternoon wondering the streets of Philly and learning little titbits of historical facts and funny stories. It was amazing. It was a 5 hour tour of "real Philly" and so we went through China Town and Little Italy and saw some of the beautiful churches. Our guide was absolutely brilliant and by the end of the day we were all absolutely exhausted. Being a tourist is hard work!

 The next day, after hours of deliberation we decided to split up in order to do all the things that we wanted to do. Sadly the Van Gogh exhibition at the Museum of Art was all sold out and so, after multiple pictures atop the glorious steps of the museum overlooking Philly, Emily and I headed to Eastern State Penitentiary prison. It's one of the first prisons of its kind which aimed to instil penitence and remorse in the prisoners through the use of solitary confinement. Opening in 1829 in the formidable style of a European Castle it wasn't until 1971 that the final prisoners left. After that it was pretty much left to nature and so now all there is to see are the eerily empty cell blocks filled with abandoned bed frames and adorned with peeling paint. There's definitely a strange beauty to it!

We did of course all try our very first Philly Cheese Steak. If you are perhaps wondering what an earth this entails it is simply a sandwich consisting of shredded steak and cheese. Simple, but so good! The stall we found was in Reading Terminal Market, a fantastic indoor market filled with every possible food and stall imaginable. The local Amish Communities have several stalls there although it being a Sunday when we went we sadly missed them. It did emerge however that Barack Obama had in fact eaten from the same Cheese Steak stall as us. It must have been good!

That wasn't the end to my fantastic weekend, but I shall save the rest of the excitement until next time...

For all my Philly photos feel free to peruse my Facebook album!