02/12/2019 to 04/12/2019 - Washington DC → Philadelphia → Lyndhurst / USA (385 Kilometers)

Philly, lovingly called the city, was our next stop. It is the birthplace of the nation and one of the oldest and most historic cities in the USA. Philadelphia was founded in 1682, was the national capital after New York and before Washington, and at that time the largest city in the USA. On July 4, 1776, the Declaration of Independence was decided and announced here, and on July 17, 1787, the Constitution was also proclaimed. In cold air and bright sunshine, we set off on an exciting discovery tour on foot. At Independence Square, we stood in front of Independence Hall, Congress Hall, and the Old City Hall. The buildings where independence from Britain was declared and the Constitution was written. During a half-hour tour of the courtroom and assembly hall of Independence Hall, the history of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution was explained to us in great detail. From there, we went to the equally historic Liberty Bell. The Liberty Bell was rung when the American Declaration of Independence was read for the first time on Independence Square on July 8, 1776. Today, the bell serves as a national symbol and is no longer rung. The crack in the bell makes it non-functional. After so much history, we treated ourselves to a typical meal from Philadelphia, an original Philly Cheesesteak. This specialty consists of a long wheat roll filled with thinly sliced steak and topped with cheese. After this very delicious meal, we walked through Elfreth's Alley. This small alley with 33 cute houses is the oldest continuously inhabited street in the USA. Just around the corner is the Betsy Ross House. This is where the first American flag was made. Past the statue of Benjamin Franklin, one of the founding fathers of the United States, we went to City Hall. The city hall is located exactly in the center of Philadelphia. With its Victorian style of architecture, it stands out from the surrounding skyscrapers and you can't miss it. A Christmas market was set up in the square in front of City Hall. The residents of Philadelphia understand the concept of a Christmas market. It was a German Christmas market ;-). The Reading Terminal Market is located nearby. We strolled through the former train station hall, past more than 80 stalls. The merchants, including Amish People, advertise their fresh food and delicious looking dishes. We tried different kinds of honey and found an interesting one for our breakfast rolls. Our last stop in Philadelphia was the Philadelphia Museum of Art. But we didn't come here because of the museum, but because of the many stairs that lead to the entrance. Sylvester Stallone ran up these steps in the movie "Rocky". We did it at a leisurely pace and took a last look at the city.

After spending the night, we continued to the city of Lyndhurst, a half-hour bus ride from New York Manhattan. We moved into a small apartment here, where we will be celebrating Christmas and ringing in the new year for the next 4 weeks.