Home Sweet Home in Philly

Our last week on the road before heading home and my eyes are brimming with tears imagining how nice it will be to snuggle with Blue tucked tightly in our own bed, with our own pillows, with window that face the morning rays of the sun. Coffee brewing in our own pot, bacon sizzling in my cast iron pan, eggs so light and fluffy that they could melt on your tongue like clouds, and lemon blueberry pancakes drizzled in locally tapped maple syrup… Followed by a long walk or drive in the country or surrounding areas. Each breath we take reminding us how important it is to live simply… Yes, those are the morning I dream of when we are on the road…

But, as they say, home is where your heart is and mine was in Philly with Blue this weekend. So, yes this weekend we walked the streets hand in hand gazing at the jaw dropping architecture, the eccentricities of the city, and the subcultures of people that no doubt led lives that we could only dare to imagine. This city could so easily become my home and if I ever had to choose a place to re-write and re-create myself… this would be it. As much as I love the country and serenity of Ohio I love the chaotic and eclectic pace that all of Philadelphia seems to breathe in to those who walk her historic streets.

If this was our life, I am sure you would find Blue in I in a colorful loft apartment set in a funky borough walking distance from all we could possibly need or imagine. We would still wake up snuggled tightly in our own familiar bed, maybe to the sounds of the heat cranking though the building’s ancient radiators and hopefully to a glimpse of the morning sun. I would slip on my bight pink slippers and head to a tiny kitchen to whip up a breakfast with the exotic ingredients I found the day before in Reading Terminal Market. Coffee infused with some fresh ground spices, Omelets made with leeks, caramelized onions, exotic mushrooms, and some lightly grated cheese from a paper wrapped block I bought at Salumeria. Maybe even some juice freshly squeezed from a variety of colorful fruits I found in China Town… When finished we would walk the streets, stroll through a green space just to soak in a tiny taste of the season, maybe even venture in to a museum or exhibit on tour. Each breath we would take would energize us, remind us to create, remind us of our individuality and drive us to push the limits of our existing boundaries. There would be nothing simple about it, but yet it would still be ours…


I do not have any recent pictures to share this time. I have long quit bringing my camera to Philly except when seeking out a new site. It is the place I go when I want to view the world with the naked eye choosing to capture the experience with another type of medium. Charcoal, oil crayons, paints, multimedia, felt, yarn, wood, clay, words, and sometimes with thoughts of what if…

Below are some links of places and flavors we savored this weekend.

South Street:
http://www.gophila.com/C/Things_to_...treet/1173.html

Pink Rose Pastry Shop for breakfast:
http://www.pinkrosepastry.com/item.html?PRID=1230701

South Philly Jean Madeline for a cut and color. This place is locally know as the Harvard Education for hair. There is never a doubt that your stylist today will be working in a hip salon charging you $$$$$ tomorrow. I sure did leave feeling like a million bucks, was nice not having to spend it to get there.
http://jeanmadeline.com/jmi_locations.html

Dinner was at South Street Soulvaki. This was no doubt the best Greek food we have ever had. The creamy Red Roe on top of my Greek salad was a treat all by itself.
http://philly.urbansavings.com/southstreetsouvlaki.htm

No Picture or Links for Macys Center City. :-( Just know that this place is not to be missed...

Reading Terminal Market:
http://readingterminalmarket.org/about.php

Lunch at Delilah's (Southern cuisine) was too die for!
They were voted "Best Macaroni & Cheese in the country by Oprah Winfrey in 2003." I had the Barbecue Baked Chicken Wings, Candied Yams, and Greens with a side of Cornbread. Blue had the fried chicken, mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and greens with corn bread. We devoured the huge portions and decided that if we ever decide to give our hearts back to Jesus, it will be in a ghetto in the deep south in a church that has regular church suppers and women who can cook. I am not kidding... it was just that good!
http://readingterminalmarket.org/merchantView.php?id=20

Walked Past the Liberty Bell and the fairly new Independence Center:
http://www.independencevisitorcenter.com/

Spent some time strolling through Chinatown. I try never to say never, but I really doubt that I will ever try those 1000 year old preserved eggs. Still I love browsing the markets especially when I find ingredients and produce I have never seen. This time we saw a big basket of these things that could only be some type of pod. They were small, black, felt like plastic and looked like tiny replicas of the devil's horns. I do not speak Chinese, but could tell that the ladies next to me that did were just as perplexed as I was. Of course that made me even more curious...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chinat...a,_Pennsylvania