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Finally! It was time to do the sightseeing thing. Once again, our cousin dropped us off by the railway station before he drove to work, and we made our way to Philadelphia downtown.
Our first stop was City Hall where we went on a very nice tour. Naturally, a must see sight in Philadelphia is Liberty Hall, where you can find copies of the Declaration of Independence, and Liberty Bell.
We had a very nice time at Liberty Hall, but the place was rather over-crowded. It can be difficult to enjoy an event or sight when it is crowded beyond capacity, which is why we always try to travel off season nowadays.
What constitutes a Great Country?
In the “declaration of independence” display, there was an incredibly conceited security guard, who kept talking out into the room and imparting specific dates. It may seem to you that this security guard was just trying to give the visitors some extra knowledge, which is also what we thought at first. But the things he was saying were so arrogant, and his tone so rude. He was constantly pointing out to people that America was the greatest country in the world, and that we should be grateful to have been let in. Keep in mind this was over 12 years ago - before Obama and Trump, or any talk of closing borders.
This was not the first time we had heard an American claim that his/her country is the best. We have yet to understand where these people get their statistics, or how they define a “great country”. Many other Europeans find it somewhat juvenile when Americans say that their country is the best in the world… Who are they trying to convince?
We have visited more countries than we can recall during our 12 year exploration, and we can honestly say that there is Beauty everywhere (naturally also in the US). There is however no perfect place, as each country/city/region has its struggles. But depending on your own personal outlook, things can be more or less delightful.
Moreover, every time we re-visit a place - and that usually happens after several years pass in between - we often find that it has improved in some way. To paraphrase an American author: “Each century is better than the previous”... “The world changes, we do not, therein lies the irony that kills us.” - Anne Rice
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Museum of Art is worth a visit
We walked around all over Philadelphia, and towards midday arrived to the Museum of Art, where Dilek just had to re-create the famous Rocky “running-up-the-stairs” scene. Yes, we are aware that all tourists do this.
We really enjoyed the museum (especially the Monet and Rodin exhibitions) and even went on a guided tour. Thereafter, we went to Washington park, visited Benjamin Franklin’s grave, saw the remaining buildings of the first fire brigade, and even took a short detour to West Philly. It was a super packed day, and we had tremendous fun.
In the evening we were invited to dinner with our cousins and their friend at a very nice restaurant. We had not eaten proper food in a long time, so our stay in Philadelphia also replenished our personal reserves.
We had a very pleasant stay in this historic city! Tomorrow we are off to another great city: NYC!!!
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What makes a great nation?
Post in the comments below.
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“Each century is better than the previous”. “The world changes, we do not, therein lies the irony that kills us.” - Anne Rice (different books): facebook.com/Top100Wonders
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