It’s been nine months since we left Japanand although we did some exploring around Cascadia, I haven’t had much opportunity for travel since Viktoria left for Cairo. Fortunately, a recent work trip took me to Pennsylvania and I stretched it into a weekend in Philadelphia.
I dropped my co-worker for an early flight, which gave me an opportunity to get a jumpstart on sightseeing. I dropped the rental car off at my Airbnb in the historic Italian Market neighborhood, put on my walking shoes and set out on the town. The unseasonably warm November weekend would be full of walking as the transit workers decided to go on strike, but we’ve had experience navigating a transit strike before, so I was good to go!
48 hours and 60,000 steps later, I checked off everything on my Philadelphia bucket list.
The South 9th Street Curb Market, better known as the Italian Market, has been home to produce stands, cafes and shops run by not just Italians, but immigrants from around the globe, since the late 19th century. Today’s market has an increasing Latin American influence.The beautiful Washington Park is home to the Tomb of the Unknown Revolutionary War Soldier memorial. Completed in 1957, a bronze statue of George Washington overlooks the remains of either a Colonial or British soldier.An icon of America, most stories around the Liberty Bell are more myth than fact. The truth is that the bell actually cracked during its first test strike and had to be recast twice. It was finally replaced in 1876.Independence Hall as seen from Independence Square where a crowd gathered for the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776.The Assembly Room in Independence Hall. The “Rising Sun” chair at the front of the room is where George Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention that drafted the United States Constitution.A sign outside the front door of Independence Hall, the birthplace of the United States of America.A view of the Christ Church Burial Ground from a window in the U.S. Mint building. Benjamin Franklin is the cemetery’s most famous occupantThe gravesite of Benjamin Franklin and his wife Deborah in Philadelphia’s Christ Church Burial Ground. Visitors leave pennies in honor of Franklin’s motto of “a penny saved is a penny earned,” but the combination of weather and the penny tosses have caused damage to the gravestone including the large crack.Outside the United States Mint. Photos aren’t allowed inside the largest of the Mint’s four coin-producing facilities. If your coin has a “P” or no letter, it was produced in this building!A statue of a lion squashing a snake in Rittenhouse Square, one of the original five public park spaces planned by William Penn in the late 1600s.Philadelphia’s City Hall was the world’s tallest habitable building from 1894 until 1908. Until the completion of One Liberty Place in 1987, builders in downtown Philadelphia had a “gentleman’s agreement” that no building would be taller than the hat of the William Penn statue atop the City Hall spire.Located across the street from City Hall is the Board Game Art Park, home to an installation of oversized board game pieces called “Your Move.”Since 1892, Reading Terminal Market has been the home to butchers, produce vendors and more. Today you can find Amish specialties and three shops run by descendants of original market vendors.The battle of the cheesesteaks… in this corner, Pat’s King of Steaks!… and in this corner, Geno’s Steaks!The rowhouse has been the domicile of choice in Philadelphia since the 1700s. Even today, nearly 60 percent of Philadelphians live in a rowhouse.Looking down South Broad Street toward Philadelphia City Hall early on a sunny autumn morning.Dilworth Park outside of Philadelphia’s City Hall has been transformed into a community skating rink for the holiday season.The Thinker sits outside Philadelphia’s Rodin Museum. Casts of the statue exist around the world today. We saw the original two-foot tall version in Musee Rodin in Paris during our travels around Europe.Since 1897, George Washington has kept watch over Eakins Oval in front of the famed steps of the Philadelphia Art Museum.The Lion Fighter, cast for the 1893 Columbian Exposition in Chicago, now stands outside the Philadelphia Art Museum.A statue of Rocky Balboa, cast for the movie Rocky III, stands in the shadow of the Philadelphia Art Museum. Several visitors ran up the steps, recreating the inspiring scene from the original Rocky movie.Boathouse Row lines the shores of Fairmount Dam on the Schuylkill River. The boathouses are home to 15 rowing clubs and is considered to be the home of rowing in the U.S.The neo-Gothic Eastern State Penitentiary operated from 1829 until 1971 and pioneered the modern approach of prisoner reform vs. punishment. The gargoyles are not permanent, but placed as decorations for the annual Halloween haunted house event, “Terror Behind the Walls.”A sign on St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church signifies that it was the site where Benjamin Franklin conducted his famous kite experiment, although the Historical Commission oval above it actually pays homage to the nearly 200-year-old church.A ship is moored in the Naval Inactive Ship Maintenance Facility at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard.
I love perusing local markets whenever we travel—farmer’s markets, craft fairs, bazaars, souks in Egypt, flea markets, night markets. It’s even better if they are happened upon spontaneously. Some of our best meals while traveling have been at outdoor markets in Rome, Bangkok, Tokyo, Taipei, Berlinand Brussels.
While staying with my aunt in Kiev, Ukraine, we went several times to the local bazaars to look for souvenirs, clothes, household items, vegetables, and even wedding veils. It was definitely one stop shopping.
I was reminded that in a lot of parts of the world, people don’t go to a grocery store or a department store to buy the things they need. Going to an outdoor market and haggling for the best price is a daily occurrence and one of the best ways to experience a culture as a tourist.
I liked the texture of these knit shawls. I can’t imagine how much work it would take to make one.Wool gilets and fuzzy slippers. My mom bought wool socks for the whole family and a warm vest for me. I am a crybaby when it comes to the cold. Thanks, Mom!My cousin with me while I tried on a mink hat. It was very warm but… poor mink!Rows of colorful embroidered linen shirts. Some are embroidered by machine and the ones done by hand are more expensive (and rightly so!).My sister is getting married so we checked out the multiple aisles of wedding dresses and accessories. The dresses were about $100.One of the many aisles of the market, thankfully with a roof for the winter weather.Souvenir t-shirts. The ones in yellow and blue say Ukraine and display the three-pronged crest.These meat pies were baked in a clay oven. The dough is thrown against the walls of the oven and sticks to the side as it bakes. This is the first time I’ve ever seen anything like it.Bags and bags and bags of onions. My aunt says that people stock up and keep them in their cellars. This guy’s wife is probably telling him over the phone how many onions she wants.I thought it was funny this vendor had a couch in his watermelon truck.Everything you can imagine, pickled, brined or fermented and for sale!These look like colorful, waxy candles, but they are actually like dried fruit roll-ups.Every variety of shallot and onion imaginable.These winter pears were so juicy. There were lots of signs that said, keep your hands off!Trays of cranberries just in time for the holiday season.Peppers, onions, beets and more for sale in bulk.
Cairo’s most famous market, also known as “souk,” has been around since the 1500s. It’s popular with tourist and Egyptian shoppers alike; though like many “tourist” places in Egypt it was pretty lacking in tourists who looked like me. Come to Egypt, one and all!
Khan (the k is not pronounced) means ruler or king. Khalili refers to Prince Jaharkas Al-Khalili.
Khan el Khalili was on my list of things to see right away. I was interested in looking at the market’s famous gold and silver jewelry. I also wanted to find a Turkish coffee pot. I did a lot of window shopping and didn’t end up buying anything, but I may have to think about making room in my suitcases for some of the unique copper lanterns. The merchants weren’t pushy and let me browse in peace for the most part!
The market is situated next to a large mosque called Al-Hussein. Next to the mosque is a row of historic coffee and tea shops, where I stopped for some mint tea and people watching. Smoking shisha/hookah (water pipes with different flavors of tobacco) is a common pastime here also. It was a busy Saturday and lots of local tourists and families were milling around, making a visit to the mosque and souk.
For my next visit, I would like to come back in the evening. Cairo seems to come alive at night.
Courtyard with Al-Hussein Mosque behind it serves as an entry point for the market.Row of coffee shops on the way to the market. Can you spot the people smoking shisha?Speaking of shisha, you can buy your own pipe to take home with you.The colors and designs of these small bowls are so appealing! Think they’ll survive the journey back to the U.S.?The perforated copper lanterns are so romantic. I’ve got my eye on you…More lanterns lined this wide alley.Candleholders and lanterns. I’ve learned that the Hamsa is a palm-shaped design commonly used in jewelry and wall hangings.Light fixtures and chandeliers.This street featured the gold shops (some were closed) and street food. Do you see the flatbread vendor?Gold and silver street.The other side of the mosque. Can you see the policeman on horseback patrol? Or the woman balancing a bucket on her head?Heading back into the heart of the market. The eye design on the wall is the Eye of Horus, which is a symbol for protection. I’ve seen women wearing necklaces with the shape.Decorative beads.T-shirts, belly dancing gear and figurines.A baladi bread seller appeared behind us with a balancing act on his head!Should I get a necklace with my name in Arabic?Mint tea in front of Al-Hussein Mosque.
