WARNING: Long post with lots of amateur photography. I should probably take a photography class in addition to my drawing class!
Leah took the train into Philly from New York, and to save her another hour's voyage into Wilmington a drove into the City of Brotherly Love and picked her up. Managed to get a pretty (unfocused) view of the city on my way in, too.
Since she had travelled 3 and a half hours to get to "the country," we made a beeline for the Hilltop, one of my favourite spots in town, mostly because it's a redneck biker bar with tons of personality and The Best Steamed Seafood Outside of Maryland.
In addition to the full pound of snow crab legs we devoured, we also managed to consume crab stuffed mushroom caps (Kennett Square farm fresh), crab fries, a spinach salad, and a few beers to wash it all down. The ambiance was typical, with a live band playing covers of songs from the late 90s who looked like that had probably been playing together at the Hilltop since the late 90s.
The next day, to counteract all that grease and cholesterol, we ventured out to Winterthur museum and gardens. And it was a purrrrfect day for strolling in the bucolic Delaware countryside.
I had strolled through the grounds several times before, but it was my first tour through the 175 room house turned museum itself. Far from being a "rich man's folly" built purely in a vainglorious attempt to preserve his own memory, Henry Francis DuPont built Winterthur to house his vast and valuable collection of American interior furnishings. He even forbade his staff from using his name while giving tours, because he wanted people to come for the collection and not for him. And this is not your grandfather's antique collection.
My two favourite pieces were six matching silver tankards made by Paul Revere and the Gilbert Stuart portrait of George Washington in the same dining room. Dupont even found silk wallpaper handpainted in China in 1770 and had a parlour room resized and the ceilings coved so that the wallpaper would not need to be cut.
We lingered at Winterthur, and by the time we made it to Longwood Gardens, the one hour remaining until close did not justify the $18 entry fee. However, we did buy chrysanthemums, and mine has been quietly inspiring me on the kitchen island for almost a week now.
Our perfect Saturday night in consisted of pumpkin pie (another chance to try my mom's wonderful pastry recipe), truffle popcorn, kale chips, and leftover eggplant parm sandwiches, and manhattans. Leah makes the most wonderful manhattans. Will make sure to have rye on hand next time she visits.
Sunday afternoon we finally got to visit Longwood Gardens and see a talented organist play in addition to wandering around the enchanting conservatory.
Well, that about wraps up the lost weekend. Come back soon!
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