Fun in Philly!

OMG as they say! We have had a wonderful time in Philadelphia so far. Let me start at the end and work backwards. We just got back to our hotel on the Delaware River after an absolutely fabulous dinner at an Israeli restaurant in Society Hill called Zahav. It was recommended to us by my Mom's cousin Welthie (more about her later!) and was it ever the best. We enjoyed a Merlot/Cabernet from Galilee, tapas dishes of beets, eggplant, watermelon and feta, okra, challah and egg, and sea bass. The chef came out to say hello when he heard we had ridden nearly 900 miles to enjoy his food. Our day was spent cycling into the city (we arrived at about 11 am after biking 30 miles from Yardley/Langhorne), then we immediately headed to a museum called the National Liberty Museum. Joel thought of his brother Jeff and his wife Anita and their kids, and Holly thought of her friend Joanne as we toured this wonderful place. It is a four story tribute to heroes, tolerance, liberty, freedom, and art. Each exhibit is accompanied by a beautiful and interesting work of glass perfection. The piece de resistance is a 21 foot red glass "flame of liberty" by the artist Dale Chihuly....amazing! As we made our way to Reading Terminal Market to meet my Mom and Dad and Mom's cousin Welthie and her husband Walter for lunch, we came across the Hard Rock Cafe and had to dash inside to see if we could procure a birthday gift for Ervis...success! Lunch was wonderful as each of us wandered around the Market and found the food we desired then met back at a table for a reunion. We haven't seen these relatives for several years, and it was fun to hear what they have been up to recently! They both, along with her daughter, oversee an independant company called Musicology which brings music to the schoolchildren of Philadelphia and the surrounding areas. Very neat! As we walked back to our hotel to regroup for the evening we strolled past Independence Hall, the Liberty Bell, the Mint, several historic neighborhoods, and some very old inner city cemeteries. It all felt very familiar and we both agreed that today was a very good day!