Last of Philly

We decided to split up for the rest of the afternoon. Brad was going to see an art gallery that was the private collection of a man named Barnes, and Evan and I were going to explore Eastern State Penitentiary. So we got our Uber driver to drop us off separately.

Steve Buschemi narrated our audio tour of the penitentiary. It was the world’s first penitentiary and opened in the 19th century. They believed that solitary confinement was perfect for reflection, so cells were individual (even the little outdoor space) and guards wore socks over their boots to maintain a culture of complete silence. When prisoners were moved, they wore bags over their heads so they could not see anyone. It sounded horrendous! They later changed their practice, but this silent treatment went on for decades.

We also got to see where various movie shoots and music videos were shot once the prison had been decommissioned (1970s) and hear stories from prisoners (some are still imprisoned in Pennsylvania) who were in Eastern State. We also saw a recreation of Al Capone’s cell while he was there. It was pretty swanky!

I thought the penitentiary was creepy, but Evan didn’t think so! The cells were so small and eerie. Nonetheless, it was a very interesting part of history that we got to explore together.

We met up with Brad just after 5 and stopped in at Philly Flavors to try water ice, a Philadelphia specialty. We tried one orange cream and one raspberry. They are a mix between a Slurpee and sorbet, and delightfully refreshing! We ate them as we walked to Love City Brewing. This brewery was bumping! We enjoyed a few beers while playing some games.

Our dinner reservation wasn’t until 8:45, so we decided to walk home. We got to see a lot of Center City on our walk and the rain had cooled the day off nicely, so it was a great evening stroll.

Friday Saturday Sunday was the neighbourhood restaurant we decided to try for our last meal in Philly. We began with grilled octopus with beans, and sweetbread sandwiches with bone marrow tartar sauce. Then we shared three pastas: potato gnocchi with burnt cream; bucatini with mussels; and gemelli with pork sugo. Everything was excellent! (The lighting was too low for any pictures!)

After dinner we walked around the block and back to our apartment. I didn’t know what to expect from Philadelphia, but it is a great city to visit!Read more