Philadelphia

To start with the obvious - although not well known outside of the USA - Philadelphia was the first capital of the country! Yes, from 1790 until 1800, it was the capital, while Washington was being built on a swamp... OK, it was only for a meager ten years, but still! Philadelphia had also been the most populated city in the US.

Today, tourists are guided through the "Constitutional tour" to discover the highlights of the last colonial days and the first independent days. Philadelphia has its own White House, actually just its foundations, because the building was destroyed in the 19th century. There is the Capitol, and the Supreme Court. All look like traditional, yet unimpressive, buildings. There is the Declaration House, where the Declaration of Independence was written. A little bit further, we come across the Independence Hall, where the Declaration and the US Constitution were signed. And I should also mention the Hollywood-look-alike "Signer's Walk", with a plaque for each signer of the Declaration of Independence. Still in the neighborhood, the first two banks of the US. All the powers in this town!

One of the most well known object is the "liberty bell". It has to be said that this bell was not made of the best iron.... and broke several times. One of the last time it was broken was a few years ago, when a visitor used a hammer to hear its sound. Since then, approaching the bell means going through airport-style security checks.

The independence also means having a new flag. The legend has it that the first flag was sow by Betsy Ross and it looked like the one below.

All in all, it seems that the city remains in admiration for Benjamin Franklin. He features on most public places, old or modern. His old house, compound and post office, as well as his resting place are part of the tour.

Philadelphia also hosts several museums, including the one dedicated to Rodin. The pieces were great, but unfortunately not well presented. The light was mostly bad. Still it is necessary to show Rodin's masterpiece: the Gates of Hell. To admire the details, one solution: go to Philadelphia.

Finally, I have not spoken much about American food - for obvious reasons - but let me make an exception here and mention the famous "Philly's cheese-steak". Of course, it is not high cuisine, but it is good nonetheless. Especially when it is made and eaten at Jim's Steak.

Being late with this blog, I thought - although it might not be appropriate - that I would put this picture of Adventure Park in Wildwood, on the New Jersey coast. Since the picture was taken, the hurricane Sandy passed nearby and it is very much possible that this park was flattened out...