Brotherly Love

Philadelphia from the Benjamin Franklin Bridge

We have ahead of us a 10 day vacation that includes stops in Philadelphia and DC and four days in Staunton, VA for a Shakespeare workshop with Road Scholar.  It was a beautiful ride down.  The wind was fierce, snatching the fall leaves from the trees, tossing and swirling them all around us.  The colors are still vibrant and grew more so as we progressed south leaving the mostly pine covered Massachusetts behind and traveling into the hard woods of the mid-Atlantic.

Our first stop was Philly where we attended a concert at the Kimmel Center.  By the time we reached Philly, the sun was out and the wind had died.  We are in the Reading Terminal Market area, which is teaming with people.  Once outdoor street markets, the city bowed to public pressure and moved all markets to the indoor facility.  Today one can find a more dynamic selection that just produce.  

The Kimmel Center is a large performing arts venue and home to the Philadelphia Orchestra.  Upon entering the Center one finds one's self in a vast space soaring 3 stories with walkways on each floor.  Rich red wood covers most surfaces.  The Verizon Hall is the main performance auditorium, and where we heard our concert.  The pipe organ is the largest in an American concert hall.  We did not hear it this evening, though. Instead we had 3 beautiful and moving pieces by Beethoven, Mozart and Brahms.  I enjoyed the Brahms most, but was also deeply impressed by pianist solo, Seong-Jin Cho, for the Mozart piece.  Specifically we heard Beethoven's Coriolan Overture, Op. 62, Mozart's Piano concerto No. 20, and Brahms' Symphony No 1.  Dinner prior to the concert was at Illegal Tacos, a most inviting little space close to the Kimmel Center.

A few photos are at Flickr.