City of Brotherly Love

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So I flew back from Athens to Philadelphia on the news of the ill health of Gilda, formerly married to my late father Norman. Spent time with family and friends while awaiting news from the health front, which terminated unfortunately with loss of life, a funeral, and family togetherness.

Evi flew from Athens to Basel, spent time with her parents and friends, awaiting news from the western hemisphere while making some side trips of her own, to Zurich and to Italy, with Rob and Pascal to their home along the Lake of Lugano. (If Evi had a digital camera you would see some of her picture below.)

During this time I walked the historical and modern streets of Philadelphia and collected some photos which I share with you now.

Evi and I will fly home this coming week, and look forward to joining our SF Bay area friends and neighbors after 6.5 months on the road. We had a great trip, visited 12 countries, witnessed amazing sights and met interesting people of varied cultures. Not having to deal with life's daily minutiae was an added plus!

I will assembly my favorite photos for an upcoming travelblog, in coming days. All the best,

Howie and Evi

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Photos

Springtime in Pennsylvania
Scene in southeastern part of the state, just outside Pennsylvania Dutch country. I always like to drive from Philly to Harrisburg, my home town, on the smallest country roads I can find.

William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania
His statue stands atop City Hall, the largest municipal building in the United States. At 37 feet (11 meters) tall, the statue of William Penn is said to be the largest single piece of sculpture on any building in the world.

Streets of Philadelphia
In the old city

Old Candy Store
In Philly

Museum visitor
Pennsylvania Dutch visitor snaps Ben Franklin

Liberty Bell, still Cracked
Located near Independence Hall, where America's early leaders riskily composed and signed a declaration of independence from Britain, leading to bloody war...

Stephanie and Carlo
At their new home - your grandma Gilda was proud of her grandchildren...

Read Between the Lines
View through the glass ceiling of the Kimmel Theater of the Arts, in center city Philadelphia

Frolicking in the Sunshine
College students take advantage of the beutiful spring weather and the scenic beauty of Philadelphia (which looks best from a distance).

Horse and Buggy
The Amish are still living the old fashioned way, with little or no electricity or modern conveniences, speaking Pennsylvania Dutch language, which sounds Swiss German to me...

Fertile Countryside
Pennsylvania is full of farms and forests..

Steam Train
Strasburg Railway in Lancaster County...

Harrisburg Skyline
Pennsylvania's capital city is located on the Susquehanna River which flows from Cooperstown, New York to the Chesapeake Bay.

Dedication
These travelblogs are dedicated to my beautiful family, Evi, Melanie, and Gadiel. I just found this photo, taken in Leysin, Switzerland, in the late 80's...

Comments

[Chods]

Howie loves his family, howie loves his family....
Awesome pictures, pops. As always. I like the composition of the flower blossoms below the Penn Tower in "Springtime in the city". A very realistic viewpoint. That family picture is a classic, if there were a category for most classic family pictures, that one would be in the running. Nice pants too, I enjoy your '80s style. But remember, its no longer the 80s. Except for when this new cold war comes around, then it will be the 80s. Cheers

[Edi]

Thank you for all your blogs you sent us up to now. I wish you happy landing in SF and wish you a good time in San Rafael. I was allways happy to get your blogs !

[DeBora]

Great to read these journals
Howard and Evi, how lovely to visit these countries through your eyes and words. And to read Gadi's - Melanie tells me you will be in CA soon, for G's grad. What a fantastic journey!