Nice work if you can get it

About once a year I get to travel for work, but this year our event was in Philadelphia. So, no travel. Then, at the last minute, a room became vacant at the Rittenhouse.

The Rittenhouse! A luxury boutique hotel. I had heard people rave it about for many years. And I would get to stay there for three nights!

What would it be like?

Well, for starters, they gave me a glass of champagne when I checked in.

And yes, the Rittenhouse is listed in The Leading Hotels of the World.

Second, the reception area featured a gorgeous buffet of cheeses, pate, roasted artichokes, etc. I took full advantage.

I was tremendously impressed by the bathroom, which has its own television set in case you don't want to miss the news while you get ready for the day.

That little green frog in front of the TV, by the way, is to place on your bed if you want to be "green" and not have the bed made up with fresh linens (which I used). And I am always impressed when I get the nice thick white bathrobe to use while I visit:

I'm easily impressed.

That evening, we dined at the City Tavern, the site of the original tavern where the founding fathers planned The Revolution, which has been restored by the National Park Service to (they claim) the original specifications:

So, for the first time in my life, I drank from a pewter goblet. My companions and I did not plot any revolutions, however.

Later during the weekend I walked around Rittenhouse Square, where I took these photos of tree sleeves:

I wanted to post these photos for my crochet artist friend (you know who you are).

Well, it doesn't take much - a free drink and the loan of a bathrobe, and I'm duly impressed.

Some days are good days to stand in the yard and look up.

 And to look down:

Twenty minutes from my office

The weather is so beautiful lately - on days like these I love to take walks during my lunch hour. And west Philadelphia has some very interesting places to walk around.

For example, just five minutes away is this street art titled Re:flect, several tall shiny rectangles filled with live plants.

And just past Re:flect, a church that has recently lost its steeple. I don't think they are planning to replace it.

It's an old church, originally built by German worshippers, now home to a Baptist congregation. The little wooden angel still greets everyone who passes by.

It seems as though there is a church on every block, sometimes two or three of them. I pass a few, then come to The Cloisters, one of the most interesting housing projects I've ever seen:

It's a Catholic cathedral that was sold several years ago and turned into an apartment complex for low-income residents. What a spectacular apartment entrance!

The box to the right of the front doors contains buzzers for the apartments.
The neighborhood is not too great, in spite of those elegant cathedral apartments. Mysterious warnings are found:

It's hard to believe that anyone lives in this building, but apparently someone is viewing satellite TV around here:

There are uplifting murals:

But also lots of buildings that have been abandoned for so long that quite large trees have grown through them:

I head back toward the office, stopping once again to Re:flect.