Day 2 (1/5) - Philly

Seeing Eric off at 5:15am, I crawled back into the comfort zone and kept the eyes sealed until 8am, sun high in the sky.
After a few odds + ends I was off running along the Schuykill for a fantastic cruise past many ‘boat houses’ (for rowing), and under many bridges, among other things. It was, as always, the best way to see the western rim of the urban grid.
As I hadn’t brought proper running attire for the cold air, I used my ski-liner, which was a veritable oven, and I returned as if after a 1hr sauna (yum).
For lunch I was blessed to experience the ‘Parque Bistro’, another fabulous dining experience (and another STARR restaurant), where I indulged in an avocado chicken salad bomb-diggity sandwich with some pommes-frits.
Afterward I worked my way down Walnut St, one of the main E-W corridors of the city, and (I would say) incontestably the most scenic. I was mesmerized by a few little well-crafted shops, including Marimoto, an exquisitely designed Japanese sushi spot (see photo).
Continuing east, I made it to the Liberty Bell Center, to re-learn its history and appreciate its story (it had been 22 years!). Its location caddy corner to Independence Hall was well-framed by the center’s materials (see photo), alluding to its former location.
Independence Hall was truly moving, I had goosebumps nearly the whole time. How amazing it was to imagine George Washington and the founding fathers drafting our country’s future.
I hoofed it back to Domus for dinner at the White Dog Café, another brilliant restaurant with local craft beers and outstanding burgers. A great American meal for send-off!
To round out the evening Jennifer gave me a tour of U Penn’s campus, pointing out some of the great architectural marvels, including a library by Inverness, evoking some of the massiveness of stone from the Early Renaissance.
A cat nap before 11:45pm departure.