Rand's Web Page

Philadelphia Trip (Page 2)

Saturday evening Marc and Mariana picked us up for supper again. That gave us the chance to see Jessica very briefly. She was up with friends from D.C. for a celebration of a friend's birthday. She was going to sneak in and out of Philly but felt guilty so gave her Mom a call. That was fortuitous timing for us. Jessica is in a PhD program in chemistry. Her research is in one of the more difficult disciplines: physical chemistry.

We ate at a restaurant new to Marc called L2. After supper, he drove us around the city. We made a short stop at the Philadelphia Museum of Art so I could race up the stairs recalling the movie Rocky.

He took us to the river where the Fraternities have a row of boathouses for their sculling teams. They are lit up at night and make a better sight than I can portray in these fuzzy photos.

Unfortunately, much of the educational system gives improper credit to Columbus for discovering America. This Viking explorer (Thorfinn Karlsefni) arrived 480 years earlier.

My meetings ended Saturday so we were free Sunday to go to the Barnes Foundation. Dr. Barnes was a physician that had a patent formula that did well enough to fund his passion for the arts. He amassed the largest collection of important impressionist art in the world. The art was only available for private use but has now become available to the public. Every important impressionist is exhibited along with a few more modern artists (e.g. Picasso's early non-cubist work).

Spring has sprung in Philadelphia and all the trees are flowering and budding.

We had time to venture out to Valley Forge. The picture shows a building that Washington commandeered for his winter headquarters. The conditions at Valley Forge were not as dire as the history books portrayed when I was young. Washington used the words barefoot and naked as hyperbole to get funds for his army (turns out, there were no weapons of mass destruction).

This Memorial Chapel was built in memory of George Washington in the early 1900s.

A couple of posers.

Yet another poser.

Marc and Mariana were good hosts and drove us around and cooked some magnificient meals.

A word to the wise however: If Marc ever asks you to help out fixing his homemade horseradish recipe, it is not because he is too busy. He just likes to see your expression as the gases asphyxiate you.

More Philadelphia (page 3)
Back to Philadelphia (page 1)
Nebraska Trip Page