June 16-June 19                     Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Our return to the boat had been delayed an extra week while David went to Seattle on business.  We were delighted to arrive in Philadelphia in the early afternoon to find that The Bottom Line looked great and the salon air conditioning unit was functioning beautifully.  Barbara and Michael had watched over the boat and made sure that it was not damaged by the debris that washed into and out of the harbor.

After unpacking, we took our rental car and headed for the nearest Costco, across the Ben Franklin Bridge to Mount Laurel, New Jersey.  David is never happier than when he is roaming through the aisles of Costco and this one had many items that we don’t have stocked in our store in Fort Worth.  We were there for almost two hours and spent a sum only slightly less than the national debt.  Afterwards, we stopped at a large grocery store to buy additional items.  We were trying to stock the freezer and pantry for our Fourth of July weekend when Dave, Suzanne, Gloria, Blake, and Amanda will visit us in New York harbor.

The cool weather and occasional thunderstorms were a great relief from the horrible heat and dryness of Texas.  We were in no hurry to rush about and were delighted to spend the following day on the boat completing projects and SGA work.  Saturday, we drove to South Philly and walked the Italian Market, which fills the sidewalks and shops for several blocks.  This unique market is a continuation of the custom of pushcart vendors which served the Italian families in this area for many years prior to World War II.  Many of the shops are owned by descendants of these early immigrants.  We spent over an hour perusing the great specialty food shops and meat markets.

Leaving the Italian Market, we drove through the beautiful Society Hill area and the tourist packed Historical District to Reading Terminal Market to look at more food shops.  Housed in a former train station near City Hall, the Reading Market is open daily and is filled with meat, produce, fruit, and food specialties as well as small booths with all kinds of cooked foods.  One section is devoted to Amish products and foods.  Booths in this area are tended by Amish men and women in traditional garb.  Music was blaring, the aisles were packed with people, and the noise level was great.  We decided to lunch instead at the quieter, more pleasant Maggiano’s across the street.  It was a good choice and we indulged in great fried zucchini before halving a more than ample eggplant parmigiano with a deliciously light marinara sauce.

After lunch, we visited the Pennsylvania Academy of Art, housed in a unique architectural treasure, with an exterior of staid traditional nineteenth century design that belies its fanciful  Moorish designed interior.  The PAA counts as alumni some of America’s most noted artists, including Mary Cassatt and Thomas Eakins.  Its permanent collection includes significant works by Rembrandt Peale, Gilbert Stuart, Benjamin West, and others from the early days of this nation, in addition to paintings by Winslow Homer, Thomas Eakins, and more recent artists.

I wanted to return to the PAA to show David the building and to see The Gross Clinic, a recently acquired painting by Eakins that had been the possession for many years of a medical school in Philadelphia where Dr. Gross had taught.  The school decided to sell the painting and a successful fundraising effort in Philadelphia made possible the purchase which kept it in the city.  The composition and style of the painting is reminiscent of Rembrandt’s great work also celebrating the contribution of a noted physician, The Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Nicolaes Tulp.

Returning to the boat, we met John Jaran, whose beautiful sports fishing boat, Miracle, was docked ahead of us.  John accepted our invitation for happy hour and generously spent considerable time with our charts and cruising guides to show us the best places to visit as we headed northward.  John is originally from New England and has extensive boating experience.  We were delighted to receive his guidance and have the opportunity to visit with him.  He encouraged us to go to Block Island and Nantucket and made David promise he would purchase for me a Nantucket Bucket, a small golden bucket worn as a reminder of a visit to this charming little island.  I am looking forward to it!

On Sunday, we loaded our bicycles into the car and drove to the rental return office, located a little over a mile from the marina.  After turning in the car, we rode bikes through the Historical District and marveled again at the incredible pristine beauty of this part of the city.  Arriving at the marina, David remembered he had left the access card for the parking lot in the car.  The deposit was $100.  I agreed to ride back to the return office and retrieve the key.  In payment for this effort, David agreed to cook dinner and clean the galley.   He did a great job!