Friday 20 March 2009

Philadelphia! (And happy birthday Dad!)

Yesterday I left New York and took the Amtrak train to Philadelphia, and then the local train to Swarthmore College. It's a dinky little station, just two tracks and an underpass connecting them and you're right at the college. Very cool! It's such a pretty place too. Markus told me it's an Arboretum too so there are odd plansts all around the campus with little Schilder in the ground next to them with their latin and common name. The buildings are beautiful (most of them) and everything is very central. Since it is so small (1500 students in total) everyone pretty much knows everyone by sight. There is a communal dining hall, which, I have to say, is the most amazing thing ever. There is a salad bar and a grill bar and a meat with sides bar and a vegetarian with sides bar and a vegan with sides bar and a bar where you can make sandwiches and then you can also get a drink from the drinks machines with everything you can think of. Nom! And of course I forgot to mention the dessert bar and the fruit bar! You get your money's worth!

This morning I went to a seminar on Prophetic Judaism (because I could) where the Enlightenment was discussed. Lunch was again a fantastic affair and then I took the train from the dinky station to Philadelphia to explore. I have to say, there isn't much to see. But the streets are big and clean and the people are friendly and helpful and it's an easy city to walk around. The historic section of the city, is less than 200 years old and they think that's old old old, there's just so little history in the cities here! I saw the place where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Bicentennial bell and Washington Square and the outline of the house where George Washington lived (so unexciting) and the Liberty Bell (not all it's cracked up to be! Har har) and Penn Landing, where William Penn first landed so many years ago. Philly is basically a nice, but boring city. We saw a show in the oldest theatre in America, the Theatre on Walnut Street (where Audrey Hepburn first started her stage career) which was disappointing too (a comedy, where only one character was making the laughs). I also managed to eat a Philly cheesesteak which was very yummy, though so not healthy!

Tomorrow I am up earlyish to catch the train from Swarthmore to Philly and from Philly to New York (again) and from New York to Buffalo where I will be arriving around ten in the evening... urgh!

Oooh, pictures from New York have finally been uploaded and can be seen in the links below.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360621&id=199700451&l=d7e3f0ce1a
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360623&id=199700451&l=7cb7d45b62
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2360624&id=199700451&l=f7ba6c65fc

Happy birthday Dad!

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