Fri,......(Continued from late last night)

After Jeremy returned to his incredible apt. in this....well, I would have to say...ritzy...building.....along the area which could be called the Park Avenue of Philadelphia.....we all enjoyed a glass of wine or two....or, ????.....and then went up to the rooftop to look out over the city, along with enjoying the fabulous roof pool and lounging areas. From there.......we off to a couple of places, including the tapas restaurant where we ate and drank for a few hours, sitting at tables on the sidewalk, with gorgeous weather all around us. The name??? Barbuzzo......and, OMG.....such an amazing place to enjoy an evening!!!!! The food was just excellent, as we ordered about a half dozen different tapas dishes.....and, whew....they were all just outstanding!!!! We had some great wine to accompany these great dishes and it made for a wonderful evening!!!!

From there we parted and they took a taxi back to their apt.....and we took a taxi back to our hotel along the river. WHAT an incredible evening!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cannot say enough positive things about Philadelphia.........so much energy in the city center.....soooo many things to see and to do.....and the food choices are overwhelming!!!! WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FRIDAY:

The 1st Lady and I were up and having breakfast downstairs in the breakfast room by 9am.....and enjoying a very stimulating conversation with an elderly couple from England....about halfway between London and Oxford. They were seated at the same table where we sat.....and it was great fun to compare travel experiences!!!!

Soon, we were off to the Philadelphia Museum of Art.....where we met Anne-marie soon after we arrived. We all spent several hours in the museum admiring and studying the various painters whose works are there in the different galleries of the museum: Renoir, Manet, Monet Van Gogh, Picasso, etc., etc., etc. This is the famous building where "Rocky" ran up the many stairs to the top of the Museum area to raise his boxing fists as champion!!!! Early afternoon, we had lunch at the Museum......OMG, such wonderful choices and such perfectionists quality of all of those varied choices!!!!! Some of the best food I have had at any Museum in the world which I have visited!!!!!

The 1st Lady and I then took the trolly-like transportation.....$5.00 for the day of off/on privileges .......and then went to the shopping area of the city center. We wandered for awhile and then caught that inexpensive transit to Penn Landing, where we then walked to the hotel. We then spent an hour or two and soon were off to Jeremy/Anne-marie's apt.......where we met them for drinks. Then we went down to the street level and enjoyed some tapas and wine at Meritage......a great bar and dinner house not too far from their exclusive apt building. We certainly enjoyed these tapas.....including the favorite: Kobe beef wrapped in grape leaves which were drizzled with a wonderful, very tasty olive oil......ohhhhh soooooo good!!!!!!

We then taxied over across the river to the Unversity of PA area where we enjoyed a most unusual, but very tasty, meal in an Ethopian/Eritrean restaurant. A first for the 1st Lady and myself to eat this very ethnic food , but we had lamb, beef, chicken, lentils, etc., etc. all served on the same round tray with this very strange Injera bread which we tore apart....sort of like a spongy pancake tortilla...and then we took the torn bread and picked up the various meats/veggies/liquids on the tray to consume! This Injera bread was not really to my liking.......but, it wasn't bad....just sooooo damn different!!! The lamb was the best of the three meats which we ordered. Not a bad price....about $100 for the four of us.....but, such a different way of preparing food.

Taxiing back to the city center, we let out Jeremy and Anne-marie and we kept the taxi which brought us back to our hotel along the riverside. She is running into NYC in the morning...by train....to join a friend from her home in Mobile, AL.....for the day and evening, and will return here on Sunday morning.

Soooo, we await the adventures and experiences of tomorrow here in Philly!!!! I just cannot say enough wonderful things about this incredible city!!!!!! I just had NO idea how great it is.......and I realize that I have missed soooo many experiences by not visiting Philadelphia before this time in my life!!!

Can't wait to return.....however,......as always......

LIFE IS JUST REALLY, REALLY AMAZINGLY GREAT!!!!!!!......And, I hope it is for all of you, also!!!!!!!!!