It was definitely a good experience staying there. I stayed 4 nights in the beginning of November. I could say that The staff is for the most part was nice. They have movie nights which were cool. the kitchen is clean and spacious. The stairs rather narrow and hard to use when you are carrying bags but there is nothing they could do about it. It's located a couple of blocks from the Independence hall so that is great.

Few buildings in the world is of more historic importance than Independence Hall in Philadelphia - and no building in North America can boost of such important events as this old building can. The building was originally built as the Pennsylvania State house in 1753 but later it was the home of the second continental congress during 1775 and 1783. During this time it was the place where the debate about the Declaration of Independence took place in 1776 and just outside the building the declaration was read to the public for the very first time on July 8 1776. Later the Independence Hall was the place where the constitution of USA were discussed and later adopted by the state representatives in 1787. During these debates it was also agreed upon to create a new federal district for the federal government. The District of Columbia - this effectively would put an end to Philadelphia's time as the new nation's capital - but it was agree upon to keep Philadelphia as the capital until the new district would be ready. Hence right next to the Independence Hall is the old US congress building where the first House of Representatives and the first US senate held their meetings during the period from 1789 to 1800 when it left to the new capital in Washington DC. Today you can visit these historic buildings where rangers from the national park service will give tours of the building for you. The tours are free but you have to book a time for the tours at the visitor centre - and you will need to be on time for your tour or you will have to rebook for a later time of the day or come back the next day. The tours are generally busy hence your timeslot is likely to be hours after you drop by the visitor centre and if you come late in the afternoon you will risk the tours for the day is booked out. There is also tours of the congress building next to the Independence Hall these take place every 20 minutes and you do not need to book ahead for these tours. During a tour of the congress building you will see a recreation of the original House of Representatives and the senate. The furniture is replica because the originals were reused in Washington.

Philadelphia may not be the oldest city in the USA. It is not the biggest anymore it actually went through a long decline during a large part of the 20^th century. But it got more history than any other American city - and most European or Asian cities as well for that matter. Hence there is a bit more to the city than just the place the first Rocky movie was filmed.

The city is pretty old though founded by William Penn who is also towering on top of the top of the City Hall - the tallest structure in the world which does not contain a steel frame inside. But it is not the fact that Penn used this city as the capital of his colony which had an unusual religious freedom for its time. It is a lot more famous for its role in American history. It used to be the capital of USA before it was moved to Washington and Philadelphia is also the home of the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and the US constitution and a big bell.

I start the day trying to drive to the centre but I make a wrong turn somewhere and end up a bit of my preferred path. As I drive towards the centre I see the houses along the small streets. They are pretty different to the tall apartment blocks you will find in New York. Instead there is one row of low houses after the other - some of them are very well kept while others look somewhat rundown. Then I get to a place on a street and I start searching - supposedly there should be the old residence of George Washington somewhere around here. He used to live here during the congress in Philadelphia. You would imagine a place like this would be well marked - but no. The reason might be that the house was under renovation so you could not go and visit the house.

One thing I noticed while I looked around for Washington’s old house was - all the people in the neighbourhood seemed to be blacks - with me as the only exception from this. I suppose this is sort of a legacy from the old days when Pennsylvania used to be home to some of the most active abolitionist during the struggle about slavery. Pennsylvania were one of the easiest places for slaves to get there freedom if they managed to escape from there slave lords in the south.

After my short visit to the old house of Washington I start driving towards the centre of town. On the way I see the big city hall like a giant landmark of the centre - and old William is standing tall on the top of the building. Traditionally no other house were allowed to be taller than the tip of Williams hat - but things are changing in Philadelphia - and today many houses is taller that Williams hat.

After I spotted the City Hall was pretty straight forward to navigate towards the centre of the town. Just drive towards the hat. When I got to the centre the first stop was the parking garage under the Independence National park visitor centre. From the garage the trip goes out to the most historic area in all of the USA - and actually one of the most historic areas in the entire world. First stop after the visitor centre is a small plot where the first home of the president of the USA used to be. It has been demolished years ago but it is marked today. Washington and Adams both lived in the house before Adams moving into the White House in Washington DC as the first ever resident.

The first occupant of the Philadelphia White house George lived there with a large household including a number of slaves. Back at that time Pennsylvania had introduced a law which meant any slave living in Pennsylvania for at least 6 month would automatically get his or her freedom.  Washington was not sure if this rule applied to him as well - so to make sure he rotated his slaves in such a way none of them ever stayed in Pennsylvania more than 6 month - he just had to ship them a couple of ours across the state border to either New Jersey or Maryland and the clock would start over on a new 6 month period before his slaves would get there freedom. What charming behaviour for a champion of liberty.

Just next to the plot marking the old house is a building containing one of the most treasured symbols of the USA - the Liberty Bell. The bell which ring out the signing of the Declarations of Independence - well ups no it did not. Actually the bell did not play any part in the independence of the USA - and all the stories about the bell are of a much later date. But nobody seems to care - and it is a big bell anyways.

The Independence National Park is a very small area hence the next attraction is really close by less than two minutes by foot - actually that is the only way you can get around the area anyways. Just after the Liberty Bell building is Independence Hall - and right next to it the old US congress.

The Independence Hall is sort of the birthplace of the USA. Inside this building the continental congress met to debate the Declaration of Independence and right outside was it first read out loud to the public. The building might be small and look a bit insignificant and it was almost demolished years ago when the city planners of Philadelphia wanted to improve the city - but fortunately they ended up saving the building making it the most important attraction in Philadelphia.

After visiting Independence Hall it is natural to go and see the first congress building in the US where the House of Representatives and the US Senate met from 1790 to 1800. In this building one very important event took place in the room which used to house the House of Representatives. One thing that may seem insignificant today. George Washington stepped down as president leaving John Adams in charge of the country. I guess my first thought was - what else should have happened? But I guess it was far from natural back then - after all the world had never really seen a peaceful transition of power from one man to another before. I guess one have to think what the time were like back in 1797 when Washington stepped down. The French Revolution had failed miserably under Robespierre reign of terror and Napoleon had risen to power pushing Europe out to what was the most destructive war ever seen. Hence the concept of stepping down peacefully was unprecedented.

Hence the world was waiting during the whole inauguration process - what would George Washington do? Would he at the last minute stand up and say - forget all this democracy nonsense and call me King George the Great instead. At this time Washington’s power were enormous he was the only president ever to be elected unanimously by the electoral college - and not only one time but twice. But during the entire process Washington were quite and let things pass. Then at the end what should they do after the proceedings? Nobody knew there was no precedence for this sort of things.

Then Adams stood up and walked out the room. Then the new vice president Thomas Jefferson wanted to let Washington go next - could have been an interesting setting first the new president - then the former president who nobody knew if he would have any power - then the new vice president. A seen which could indicate Washington was still the go to guy in the middle of everything controlling the government without an official post. What was Washington’s response to Jefferson’s gesture? He said no - you go first I am only a private citizen now. And just right at that moment the people in the room knew they had witnessed a historic event. The very first peaceful transition of power from one man to the next in any major country. Everybody in the room stood up and applauded Washington for his service and his example in how you could actually run a democracy. Just at that moment the people in the room realized the ideas they had all had about how to run America might actually work.

Upstairs from the House of Representatives is the old Senate room. It is a fairly small room because back then there were only 34 senators. The room is a lot more impressive than the House of Representatives. One feature you will see when you look in the room is the throne in the middle - the chair which was the seat of the vice president when he used to run the senate. On the sealing just over the throne is picture of an eagle holding a couple of arrows and an olive branch. This means that the USA has always two options to go with war or peace. But the eagle is looking towards the olive branch which is supposed to mean the USA should always look to the peaceful solution first. Hmm I wonder of present day president got the same eagle in the White House or if the painter may a mistake drawing the eagle?

The eagle on the roof today is actually the original eagle - but this eagle has been painted over because the old congress did not really like the eagle. Because the eagle is painted with a seal with 13 stars - representing the 13 states - but one of the stars is bigger. The star for Pennsylvania the home of the building. The other states did not like this eagle - because all the states were supposed to be equal - hence they did a new painting of the eagle.

If you walk out of the old congress you can go down to other parts of this historic park which contains several other historic building - like the first bank of the USA which had an important role during the revolutionary war in financing the war effort.

The last attraction you sort of have to see is the Rocky museum - erh the Philadelphia modern art museum. Well sort of the second most important monument in Philadelphia - just after Independence Hall I guess.

Then it is of I need to go to Washington tonight. I drive down the interstate - and wuhu - just on the road is Wilmington Delaware. I can easily put down another state on my Travelbody map after all I spend more time in this state than I spent in West Virginia.

My good friend, Diana, was married over the summer and recently moved to Philadelphia. I've been promising to take the drive down to visit her (approximately 2 hours drive) and after going back and forth with dates, we finally agreed on a weekend which worked out for both of us. Well actually a date that worked out for "all 3 of us". Our mutual friend, Diane, was interested in joining me on this road trip.

So on a very rainy Saturday morning, I picked up Diane during what seemed like a monsoon. We somehow made it to Philly in less than 2 hours. We were able to do an early check-in at The Double Tree Hotel in Center City and they welcomed us with warm chocolate chip cookies. I was very pleased with our hotel room, which had an amazing view of the city. Also, we were only about 5-6 blocks away from Diana's apartment and that made it an even more ideal location.

Luckily, the rain cleared up and the sun came out. The afternoon turned out to be quite warm actually. Diane and I walked to Diana's apartment and we ventured off to do a little historical sightseeing around Franklin Court. We wandered passed Congress Hall, Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. Being as I had no desire to wait on long lines, we didn't get up close and personal to the cracked bell. The historical sights in this area triggered memories of my earlier visits as a child with my parents and siblings. So it really wasn't necessary for me to relive the whole waiting experience. After an hour of the historical tour, it was time for food and cocktails. After all, a vacation never truly begins until a cocktail is in hand! Diana took us to City Tavern in Olde City, with loads of comfort food and interesting beverages. The waiting staff dressed the part from head to toe in colonial clothing from Thomas Jefferson's era. It was quite interesting.

After lunch and cockails, we decided to go shopping on Walnut Street. This appeared to be the "Fifth Avenue" of Philadelphia, but with much less foot traffic. It was a pleasure to shop without huge crowds and without getting pushed and shoved. Towards the end of our shopping adventure, it started to downpour while we were in Anthropology. Luckily, we found a nearby bar by Rittenhouse Square called Mantra. It was only one block from Anthropology and we drank their refreshing specialty martinis until the rain lightened up. After which, Diane and I headed to the hotel and Diana headed home to shower and change for dinner at Alma de Cuba. We ended our evening here with delicious Cuban food and (yes you guessed it) more cocktails! =)

Doubletree Hotel is ideally located on S. Broad Street, one block away from Walnut Street. The hotel is walking distance from the Liberty Bell, Franklin Court, Independence Hall and Congress Hall. Walnut Street is Philadelphia's Fifth Avenue and is a shopper's paradise. Not to mention, you will find many restaurants on and off this main street as well. The hotel itself is beautiful both inside and out. They are currently in the process of redecorating the rooms, which will even further improve the look of the rooms. Upon "early check-in", the front desk person gave us each warm chocolate chip cookies. The rooms are spacious with a fantastic view of the Center City. The hotel parking lot is conveniently located next door at approximately $22/day. The hotel provides discounts for AAA members. There are special rates to include continental breakfast and parking, but you will have to inquire while making the reservations. I look forward to staying here again.

Sunday was a windy and chilly day. We get a late start and were at Starbucks by 11AM and were chatting it up until noon. We eventually grabbed a cab to The Philadelphia Art Museum (http://www.philamuseum.org/). You know... where Rocky ran up the stairs and started jumping up and down once he reached the top... yea, well the stairs lead up to THAT museum. =P

After 2 hours of quality museum time, my attention span started wearing thin as our hunger started to set in. It was officially time for Philly cheesesteaks. We cabbed it to Pat's and proceeded to order steak sandwhiches whiz-wit (cheese whiz with onions) or provalone-wit (provalone with onions). Don't ask. The line reminded me of Seinfeld's NYC soup nazi, but with Philly cheesesteaks. I will probably make some readers furious when I say this, but I WAS NOT IMPRESSED. I've had better cheesesteaks. After inhaling the food before it got cold (they only have outside seating), we walked back to Diana's for some coffee and more chatting before the 2 hour drive home.

Alma de Cuba is a very trendy Cuban fusion restaurant with a great bar and lounge area. You will find some traditional Cuban dishes, like lechon asado and skirt steak. However, I found my dish to be slightly on the salty side. Although, this tends to be the case with latin cuisine. The entree was still quite enjoyable and the portions were somewhat large. They have a wide assortments of meat, fish and seafood. Unfortunately, we didn't have any room for dessert after dinner and cocktails. If compared to New York City prices, this restaurant is somewhat average.

Pat's King of Steaks is about a half mile outside of the "city" of Philadelphia. Honestly, I don't know what the commotion is about. I've had a ton of cheesesteaks in my lifetime and I really wasn't impressed at Pat's. You have your choice of 3 different cheeses, with cheese whiz being the original version. "Whiz-Wit" is the term used when ordering a cheesesteak with onions and cheese whiz. It's a large hero/hoagie/sandwich (whatever you want to call it) and it's average at best. I don't know what separates this joint from other competitors, but if you're looking for grease dripping down your arm and bread that is tasteless... then go for it! After all, when in Philly... you HAVE TO try at least one cheesesteak. The lines can be ridiculously long, but move fairly quickly. Also, they only provide outdoor seating so I strongly suggest that you avoid this place in the winter or when it's cold out. Keep in mind that this is only my review. I've known friends that have loved this place. In my opinion, you get what you pay for with Pat's. http://www.patskingofsteaks.com/

Ok, so when it was time to leave NY we went to Pennsylvania station and travelled by train to Newark airport/ rental cars to get our car. First we got a convertible but we left with a great car (Jeep).

Philadelphia here we come! On the way we did some shopping and then checked in our hotel. Philadelphia is a great shoppingcity!! Ofcourse we did see some other things too. For example, Independence Hall, Liberty Bell, Townhall etc and  ofcourse the Rocky statue! The public transport is great.

Today, I would have to get up really early, and check out even before sunrise. Kind of interesting, hearing the sea breeze in an otherwise quiet night.

I drove back to the rental agency to return the car, then took the shuttle back to the airport. I gave myself enough time, so no pressure getting there. Once in the airport, I checked in and just went through the usual thing.

I hopped on the plane, and went back to Philly. It has been a good trip, as I came to do one thing, and that was to see Dolphin Stadium, and cross another ballpark off my list.

I can remember wanting to move to Miami when I last visited 7 years ago. But that time was in January, when the weather is great. This time, I visited when the weather is not so good. So I'm glad that I did not move there. Plus the constant worry when it's hurricane season.

That will probably be it, as far as baseball trips. But it had been a great summer, of travel and baseball. And one more thing... Let's Go Phillies!

I decided to spend spring break to go to Italy. It was my second time there, and my first time solo. Since this was offseason, I figure it would be a great time to go. The weather is nicer, and it should be less crowded (or I thought).

I planned to visit Rome, Venice, Florence, Pisa, Siena, and return to Rome. I would be using the train to get from one place to another, and buy tickets as I go along. Some of the places I've been to before, while others it will be my first visit there.

I did not take too many pictures during the trip, since I was using an old camera, and was very conservative, trying to capture one trip on one roll of film. Obviously, that was a mistake.

I left work, and headed to the airport. I checked in, and hopped on the plane to Rome. It was a nonstop flight, and I would arrive the next day.

Walter lives in the city of Brotherly Love....

    Philadelphia, Pennsylvania..:-)

The Rodin Museum in Philadelphia is the largest collectino of the sculptor's works outside of Paris. Best known for his sculpture, "The Thinker," the museum houses over 100 bronze casts, plaster sculptures and drawings. "The Burghers of Calais" is a huge historical tribute, where the most interesting hands, feets and faces were peiced together to create the final work. Auguste Rodin's fascination with hands and the emotions hands depict is also refelcted in the museum's collection, with works such as "The Clenched Hand," "The Temple," and "The Secret." My favorites of the museum are the collection of busts of famous writers, artists, politicians in the back room and "The Age of Bronze," a statue so life-like it caused a scandal when it was first unveiled because it was believed Rodin cast it directly from a living person. The museum also allows photography, as long as there is no use of flash, strobe or tripods (which is no big deal, since there is plenty of natural light). There are plenty of shady benches to relax on in the serene gardens outside as well. It is definitely worth the $3 to while away a couple of hours.

The Naked Chocolate Cafe is the ultimate chocolate experience! Stepping into this cozy corner cafe/chocolatier is like walking into a real-world Willy Wonka chocolate dream. The display case is lined with fanciful chocolates that are almost too pretty to eat. You can sample chocolates with exotic flavors like green tea with coconute, lemon-lavender, Hawaiian lava salt, rosmary, and toasted sesame. There's nut clusters to satisfy any nut lover (peanut, almond, cashew, pecan... ), seasonal chocolates (iridescent leaves, decorated flowers) hand painted chocolate boxes (as in boxes made of chocolate, painted, and used to hold what else, more chocolate!) and candy bars that are just plain fun (white chocolate with gummy bears, dark chocolate with graham crackers). But the indulgence doesn't end with just candy! That's where the "cafe" part comes in. They also serve a variety of drinking chocolates, teas (some that even bloom into flowers as they brew), coffees and coolers with chunks of real fruit in them. The pastry case is brimming with delectable goodies like tarts, hand iced cupcakes, and nudos, a house dessert that's like a pyramid shaped brownie/soft cookie. Drinks range from $2-$6, Pastries $2-5. They have pre-made assortments of chocolates, or you could choose your own. I find it the perfect place for thank-you gifts for hosts and such. There is sure to be something so satisfy anyone's sweet tooth.

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