In January this year, I visited
Philly (Philadelphia) for the 6th time in maybe as many years.
Like in the past, I was
here not as a tourist but on work.
However, not all my
trips have I been fortunate to stay in the heart of this grand city. As my
official visits are typically in and around the suburbs, my coming to the city
has been rather rare. Moreover, most of these trips are just about week-long; a
short duration, given the number of hours one spends flying into the US and
nursing the jet lag syndrome.
But this time, I got
lucky! Though the stay was just little over a week, the meetings were scheduled
in a hotel right on Broad Street which is like the city center and to add to
that I had one whole weekend to myself.
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| Broad Street with City Hall right up front |
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| One of the many murals in Philadelphia |
I usually try to explore
the city I visit during free time, either on foot or using local transport. And
savor the unique experiences it has to offer. Some of the moments are captured in below photos.
For instance, on my last visit
here, I had a chance to soak in a rather spooky experience. I did the tour of
Eastern State Penitentiary which was once upon a time the most famous and
expensive prison in the world. Within its high walls, it held many of America's
notorious criminals such as Al Capone. The prison closed in 1969; however, it
remains a U.S. National Historic Landmark. It is now open to the public as a
museum with walking tours. It was a rather unnerving experience as I walked
along the dark prison cells with the audio set perched on my ears. It felt as
if the walls that have been mute spectators to many gruesome sights in the past
were trying to whisper their long-held secrets in my ears. That's when I wished
I was not alone on this tour. Walking in the alleys between the rows of eerie
looking prison cells seemed like trudging along a long dark, never ending road
in the middle of a sultry night. And then, the animated voice over and the
mysterious background music pouring through the earphones accentuated even
further the degree of heebie-jeebies I was already feeling inside my stomach.
Boy that was indeed a unique experience!
So this time as well,
like in the past, I was ready to explore yet another fascinating facet of this
eclectic city. And who better to ask for recommendations than my friends
Sarvesh and Priscilla who have been residents here for many years now.
Over a dinner and many conversations,
the two places which were strongly suggested by them were the Reading Terminal
Market and The Barnes Foundation Museum.
A Market and Museum?! (I
said to myself)
Though I love going to
places which locals would, I was not thinking of these two at all. More so an
art museum!
I don’t have a single
brush stroke worth wielding in the arsenal of my ten stubby fingers (unlike my
sister). Also, the last drawing or painting I drew seemed like a lifetime ago.
And though I appreciate art, I would rather see it in a live expression such as
plays, musical performances or movies.
An art museum,
well….yawn! Or so I thought.
And a farmer’s market.
How different can a market be from any other I had already been to? It will
have the same vegetables, fruits (may be bigger in size given that it was in
the US), meats and desserts and the usual stuff.
However, these two
places felt like seemingly inviting proposition as my thoughts for a few
seconds sauntered back to the prison tour etched firmly in my mind.
I finally decided to
explore these two innocuous options much recommended by the Kulkarnis!
That's how you see my
friends, a Market and a Museum became part of my itinerary on this trip. And
the explorer in me is glad that they happened!
Reading Terminal Market
As soon as I entered
through one of the entrances of this huge expanse of an indoor market, the
kaleidoscope of myriad sights and smells immediately activated my olfactory
system into overdrive.
The delectably bright
colors of fruits and veggies, the rich aromas of steaming hot preparations, the
varieties of meat, the delicious bakery items, the lip smacking snacks on
display, the mouth-watering desserts, all put my sensory organs in a state of
disarray. I was pulled in all directions and looked like a headless chicken
moving in circles. A seemingly easy walk towards the left aisle would get
thwarted by an overpowering delectable sight in the right aisle. And so this
inner confusion as to what seemed more appetizing, eventually made me look a
mendicant who had not seen food for days. The timing of my visit also made my
situation a little weak. It was inching towards lunch time, I had been walking
the past one hour, and my last meal was almost 4 hours earlier.
The local delicacies
here were mostly available in meat form like the Philly Cheesesteak, but I
could choose from a plethora of other exotic cuisines such as the Middle
Eastern, Greek, Chinese, Asian, Mexican and yes, Indian too.
I finally settled on
Mexican Enchiladas and a Greek Spanakopita with a glass of chilled fresh fruit
juice to calm down the rumbling noise in my empty stomach which was now audible
to the lady standing next to me. At least her expression said so!
After deftly wiping off
the last few remnants on the plate, I was more than geared up to explore the
other visual delights the market had to offer. Those that had escaped me so far
in the thronging crowd at noon. As the lunch hour dissipated into an afternoon,
the hungry flash mob of a few moments ago also evaporated into thin air. That’s
when more shops and stalls which were earlier swamped with visitors and
customers suddenly made themselves visible to me.
Located on the Arch
Street and established in 1892, it is the nation’s oldest continuously
operating farmers’ market. This year (2017) the Reading Terminal Market turns
125 years old, and it's still going strong.
The Reading (pronounced
as Reding) Terminal Market houses more than 80 different merchants, three of
which are descendants of original stand holders from when it opened more than
110 years ago. Right in the middle portion of the market are common places to
sit with tables jostling for space. As you finally find a place to sit, one can
be assured of elbow grazing as you eat, and more so during peak hours. Also, a
variety of small sit-down eateries are scattered throughout the market.
There is so much to
explore, that when you visit, be sure to allot plenty of time to stroll through
this vast bazaar. You can browse not just fresh farm produce but a lot of
interesting items ranging from hand-made imported crafts, American quilts, soul
food, freshly cut flowers, cookbooks, kitchen knick-knacks and expertly
prepared foods ranging from cannoli and soft pretzels to gourmet South Asian
and organic vegetarian cuisine and more.
At the end of it, all I
can say is that my visit to Reading Terminal Market was worth every moment as
it satiated my desire to explore new sights, smells and gastronomical
experiences like never before.
Barnes Foundation Museum
It was founded in 1922
by Albert Barnes, a scientist and an entrepreneur, who developed and marketed
Argyrol, an antiseptic silver compound which prevented blindness in infants.
Barnes then went into business for himself in 1908, and the A. C. Barnes Company
flourished thanks to Argyrol's popularity.
The fortune earned from
this medicine’s global distribution allowed Barnes to realize his ideals and
create the Barnes Foundation, an institution established “to promote the
advancement of education and the appreciation of the fine arts.”
This building located on
Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Center City Philadelphia was a good 15-20 minute
walk from my hotel. It was 21st January, a day after Donald Trump was
inaugurated as the President of United States of America and what a day it was!
All through the entire
distance that I walked towards the Barnes Foundation building, there were
myriad of women armed with banners, sign-holders, headbands and wearing
T-Shirts with messages proclaiming women’s rights and also many denouncing the
new President. There were women of different colors, young and old, many
walking and some in wheelchairs, some shouting slogans while others were
fiercely pumping their fists in the air, some taking selfies and rest were
vehemently charging their way down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. And it was
down that road towards the Art Museum where the Marchers were to assemble.
Apparently, as many as 20,000 people were to attend this Women’s March as part
of a “sister march” to the Women’s March taking place the same day in
Washington, DC.
So it was all happening
right here in Philadelphia!
And here I was, a mute
passer-by, observing the parade of intense emotions while walking on an
altogether different mission. This ‘’sister’s’’ mission was to march towards
her destination and reach on time so that she gets at least half a day to spend
inside the Barnes Foundation museum. I had read on the website that the
galleries being small, there was a limit to the number of people who can be in
the Collection Gallery at any one time and entrance is staggered. Walk-up
tickets are not always available. So you see my urgency was insurmountable. It
was my only chance to visit the Museum on this trip as next day I was flying
out back home. I was hoping that I was allowed in for the time slot I was
aiming for.
Thankfully, this sister
got lucky!
Mission accomplished. I
entered the gallery at 2 pm. And now this ignoramus could spend the rest of the
afternoon (3 hours before closing) peacefully soaking in the Art which she was
not exposed to, yet. Also, try to understand why the art aficionados out there
made such a big fuss over the collection by Albert Barnes.
A brochure gave me a
perspective of the value of the foundation. The building which is a 12,000-square-foot
gallery space holds one of the finest collections of impressionist,
post-impressionist, and early modern paintings. More than 3,000 masterpieces,
including 181 Renoirs, 69 Cézannes, 59 Matisses, 46 Picassos, 16 Modiglianis,
and 7 Van Goghs, plus lots of other priceless art objects are present here.
And all this is
estimated to be a whopping $25 billion! (as per the sources on the web)
My limited knowledge of
arts made me Google the relevance and importance of ‘’Post-impressionist’’ era
as this word kept popping up when I was reading about Barnes Foundation. It
said that Post-Impressionist was the movement which started in the 1880s (right
up to 1914) and which ushered in an era during which paintings crossed over
from its traditional role as a window onto the world and instead became a
window into the artist's mind and soul.
Rejecting interest in
depicting the observed world, the artists in this era instead looked to their
memories and emotions to connect with the viewer on a deeper level.
Now that’s something
that fascinated me as each artist’s work would be unique given his own
experiences, moods and perspectives he was brought up with.
"Nature is not only
all that is visible to the eye...It also includes the inner pictures of the
soul." Edvard Munch
However, of all the
painters, what struck a chord with me was the story of Vincent van Gogh.
Vincent van Gogh, one of
the most well-known post-impressionist artists, was born in Groot-Zundert,
Holland in 1853. During his brief career, he did not experience much success;
he sold only one painting, lived in poverty, malnourished and overworked.
Van Gogh's finest works
were produced in less than three years in a technique that grew more and more
focused on brushstroke, in symbolic and intense color, in surface tension, and
the interplay of form and line.
In spite of his lack of
success during his lifetime, Van Gogh’s legacy lives on having left a lasting
impact on the world of art. Van Gogh is now viewed as one of the most
influential artists who helped set the foundations for modern art.
As mentioned earlier,
there are only seven paintings of van Gogh in the Museum. However, I could not
help being moved by his story, and I ended up with a postcard collection book
of all popular van Gogh paintings as a souvenir of this visit. Since the Museum
does not allow visitors to take pictures (and rightly so), this memento will
serve as my only recollection of this visit besides the many vivid images
already stored in my memory.
I didn’t realize how the
three hours at the museum just flew by as I moved from one gallery to another,
trying to understand the work, compare the work of one artist with another.
This novice was completely in awe of the work that was on display. It was like
peeping into window of the souls of the artists.
Not that I understand
much about the art of painting, however watching these art displays exposed me
to yet another side of life I never knew existed. Indeed an exclusive
experience that will stay with me forever!
Here are a couple of paintings I drew after I came back to India. These are copies from a collection of postcards (Van Gogh paintings) I had bought from the Barnes Museum.
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