While I am not sure how many people actually care about or read this blog, I do know that there are a couple of people out there who do check in regularly for news about us and our adventures. This blog is for YOU!
I will begin with our most recent activities and go back in time about a month so keep reading.
On Sunday we joined The Medical Club for an excellent tour of Rembrandt and The Faces of Jesus at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. After our tour we were treated to a delicious French brunch at Bistro St. Tropez as the rains poured down. The view from our table was oddly Parisian in its look, don't you agree? We enjoyed chatting with Joe and Fran D. very much, and we look forward to getting to know them better on future club outings.
On Saturday we travelled out in the country north and west of Philadelphia to the fantastic Goschenhoppen Folk Festival, an event we had never been aware of previously. The people of this farming area come together to showcase the life of 19th century German farmers when they first settled this portion of the Perkiomen Valley. Over 500 volunteers of ALL ages were dressed in the typical clothing of the period and demonstrating all aspects of life from...
the butchering of hog from start to finish (absolutely fascinating!)
to making wheels for their wagons
to blacksmithing, and everything else imaginable. We tasted fresh sausages, sauerkraut, potato candy, chow chow, potato doughnuts, and cucumber salad, all made by hand and just as they were then. Everything was accompanied by a detailed explanation on exactly how it was done or made, and we learned so much. We were only able to experience half of the festival because we had a party to attend, but we will definitely return to the festival next year!
We left the festival at 2 for the 30 minute drive to East Norriton, PA and the home of Christian and Robyn R. for their annual backyard bash. There we joined a crowd of 35 adults and 40+ children ranging in age from 9 months to 12 years for an afternoon of fun, food, drink, swimming, excellent conversation and spirited games of beer pong. Mark and Dale definitely enjoyed the beer pong tournament that went on until dark and rain finally brought it to an end.
Mark and Dale in beer pong action.
Host Christian (second from left) finally grabbing a bite from the abundant smorgasbord of tasty party treats.
Friday evening we joined 30 fellow South Jersey Ski Club members for an Ale and Arts Mural Tour. We met at World Cafe Live for a craft beer or two then jumped on a Trolley to drive around Philadelphia as our spirited guide told us the story behind some of the more than 3000 murals in the city.
This mural of a Tuscan feast on the wall of Marc Vetri's reknowned restaurant, Vetri, is my favorite of them all. Wonder why?
We also stopped for a visit of Isaiah Zagar's Magical Mosaic Garden, also one of the true wonders of this city of surprises.
Our tour finished with a beer tasting at Triumph Brewery in Old City before our trusty trolley delivered us back to World Cafe. The weather was perfect on Friday, and everyone had a wonderful time. Thanks to Diane K. for arranging this fun event.
Dale celebrated his 63rd birthday on August 11, and I planned a couple of special events for him to enjoy. On his actual birthday we won tickets to see the Camden Riversharks play baseball. The Riversharks are an independent team made up of former MLB, Triple A or Double A ball players, and they play all of their home games at Campbell Field just across the Ben Franklin Bridge from Philadelphia. While they are definitely not the Phillies, they play good ball and the games are full of the fun stuff that only minor league baseball can provide. This night was Philadelphia Night so Ben Franklin read The Declaration of Independence, George Washington was in attendance, a group from Valley Forge shot off a cannon and muskets to start the game, and even Rocky Balboa made an appearance! In addition beers were a dollar! The Riversharks beat York, PA in a come from behind 2-1 victory on a gorgeous night, and we really had a lot of fun.
The Campbell Kids welcomed us to the stadium, of course, since Camden is the corporate headquarters of that soup we all loved as children.
On August 9 we enjoyed a birthday dinner at Water Works Restaurant right on the Schuylkill River. We had a fantastic meal at a terrace table. By the time the entree's arrived the weather had cleared, but while we enjoyed cocktails a strong and fast moving thunderstorm kept us entertained.
Dale loved his Branzino with head and tail attached!
Happy Birthday, Dale! May you enjoy many, many, many, many more.
Here ends Part 1. More will follow shortly.
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