February 2023


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based cook books. We dined at the Dutch Eating Place and enjoyed pancakes, eggs, potatoes and scrapple (a mush of cornmeal, pigs’ heads, hooves, hearts, livers, tongues etc.!). I’ll let you make your own mind up on the scrapple, but it’s considered a rite of passage for Philly citizens. We then made our way to the Barnes Foundation, which houses one of the world’s most impressive private collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and Modern art. The collection includes works from Cezanne, Renoir,


Picasso, Matisse


and Van Gogh. There is currently a special exhibition “Modigliani Up Close” which explores Amedeo Modigliani’s working methods and materials. The exhibition runs to 29 January 2023 and is a unique opportunity to see all Modigliani’s work in one place. NInja Tip –when you are in the gallery,


go to barnesfoc.us on your mobile phone and point it at a work of art; your phone will recognise it and provide further information about it.


Then it was back to Eastern State


Penitentiary which welcomes 220,000 visitors each year! There were no scary monsters this time, but our visit was no less fascinating. Eastern State was once the most famous and expensive prison in the world and its spider-design has been copied by more than 300 prisons worldwide (including the Crumlin Road Gaol in Belfast!). It was operational from 1829 – 1971 and has hosted thousands of lawbreakers including bank robber “Slick Willie” Sutton, Victor “Babe” Andreoli and “Scarface” Al Capone. Initially, “residents” were kept in total isolation in the 8 x 12 feet cells with their own private outside space of roughly the same size. There is an excellent Audio Tour voiced by actor Steve Buscemi included in the ticket price and the NInja would highly recommend it. The tour takes you deep into the prison visiting the prisoners’ cells, the death row cell block, the watchtower and the exercise


multi-award-winning Steaks


came Sonny’s highly recommended


Famous and


didn’t disappoint. Our burger and fries were absolutely delicious, and we’d recommend you include this on any visit to Philly. Our after-lunch treat was a visit to the Mutter Museum. This is one of the most unique and interesting museums in the US, featuring collections of medical oddities, wax models, antique medical equipment anatomical and pathological


specimens,


and more. We got to see preserved Siamese twins, the “mega colon”, the Soap Lady and slices of Albert Einstein’s brain! The museum helps the public understand the mysteries and beauty of the human body, while appreciating the history of diagnosis and treatment of disease.


yard. It provides detailed facts on life in the prison, infamous inmates, the sports played and attempted escapes. The audio tour includes the actual voices of guards and prisoners who talk about their memories of their time at East State. To finish off our visit, we spent some time in the thought- provoking Information Building. You are asked to consider if you have ever broken the law and to make a written confession – be very careful with your answer, in case you are invited to stay a little longer than you intended!


Having made a successful escape from Eastern State, we decided it was time to sample a real American hamburger. The


STREETS OF PHILADELPHIA | 27


We wrapped up our Philly adventure with a climb back up the “Rocky Steps”, but this time we weren’t there for the movie nostalgia. The steps are the gateway to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, one of the US’s oldest art museums and it has long been recognized as one of its finest. The collection of more than 200,000 objects spanning 2,000 years reflects the unique history of the U.S. and the passions of generations of Philadelphia collectors. There are works from Claude Monet, Marcel Duchamp, Pablo Picasso, Paul Cezanne, and they proudly own “Vase with Twelve Sunflowers”, by Vincent Van Gogh. This is a must for all you art buffs! SUMMARY


So would the NInja recommend Philadelphia as a USA City Break destination? Absolutely!


What a fantastic destination for a short


break. We crammed a lot into our three days, but there was so much more we wanted to do, but just didn’t have the time. It was a special feeling to be in a city which played such a pivotal role in the formation of the United States of America. The citizens were friendly and welcoming, and the various (walk-able!) districts and neighbourhoods all felt safe as we walked around them.


Whilst Philadelphia is an absolute paradise


for history boffins, there was so much more to it than that, including art museums, family attractions, iconic landmarks, parks & promenades, fabulous restaurants, vibrant nightlife, endless shopping and of course the world famous sports’ teams #GoPhillies ... ALSO ... it’s a LOT more kind on the wallet than other big USA cities!


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