Scott and Dagmara came to visit over my last free weekend before the start of my grueling spring semester (thanks for coming, guys!). Since Clark had to work all day on Friday, I decided to keep the troops entertained by exploring some of downtown and then trekking ALL the way back to our apartment by foot. It's a three mile walk from downtown back to the apartment, but there was plenty to see along the way, and in reality, the walk didn't even seem that long. Our first stop was Macy's, so Scott and Dagmara could bask in the aesthetic beauty of the building's interior. They even got to hear the WORLD'S LARGEST PIPE ORGAN in action, so that was a plus!
Go point and shoot, stitching together two photos properly!
World's largest pipe organ. YOU KNOW IT.
One of the many beautiful churches in this city. This was taken downtown, at the beginning of our trek back to the apartment.
Making our way back to University City.
Below is the Fisher Fine Arts Library on UPenn's campus. I will soon have an entire post devoted to awesome buildings on campus and row houses around our neighborhood. At the end of December my friend Sheri and I walked around a good portion of University City, photographing really cool structures we've wanted to shoot for months. So, the post will be coming soon and YOU WILL LOVE IT. That is a threat. Kind of.
On the steps of College Hall.
Dagmara and Scott and the red door of The Arch, also on campus.
On Saturday we drove out to (and around) Amish country. I love seeing the horses and buggies on the roads, and I love seeing laundry drying out on clothes lines. It's just so charming and rustic. Just so you know, Clark loves Intercouse. Several years ago when we visited Kyle and Kim (when Kyle was in med school at Penn State) Clark purchased a Shirt that read: I *heart* Intercourse. He hasn't worn the shirt since living in Pennsylvania (probably doesn't want to look like a tourist in his state of residency, but people on the West coast and in Australia sure loved it :)
Though I know the Kitchen Kettle Village is a total tourist trap, I still enjoy walking around the shops, especially the furniture stores where I tend to daydream about owning such fine craftsmanship. I have never had the courage to take photos in the furniture shops as I don't know if it is considered faux pas and I don't want the Amish to think I'm trying to inconspicuously photograph them.
We spent way too much time in the Jam & Relish Kitchen. There were so many different items to try and every single one was so good! The pumpkin butter, lemon curd, and sweet potato butter were all divine. We knew we wouldn't be able to escape Amish country without a few items, so we proceeded to look through other shops before making our purchases.
Everyone checking out the mailboxes.
The horse and buggy mailbox is just adorable.
Clark's window shopping/shopping stamina is rather low so he took frequent breaks. He's got that pissed off look in his eyes, but I'm not really sure why. He wasn't upset, I swear. It just appears that way.
Annnnnnd, here we are back at the Jam and Relish Kitchen. Just too many choices!
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This shop was a taste tester's paradise!
Clark was clearly satisfied with our purchases.
We stopped by the National Christmas Center, but in the end we decided not to take the tour. I find it baffling that ticket prices remain the same even in early January. Now had there been a discount we may have given in. This is definitely one of those things that we may have to do to get in the holiday spirit come Dec. 2012.
Our spoils of a nice Saturday afternoon--besides the obvious opportunity to spend time with family. (PS, this particular lemon curd is actually produced in Scotland, but it was cheaper than the lemon curd produced in PA and we couldn't tell the difference taste-wise. Our little secret.)
Thanks for coming to visit, Scott and Dagmara! We're so happy you were/are willing to have little adventures with us. Love you guys!
