The Pony Express - Part 9

The motorists in Philadelphia seem to be short of patience. I've never heard so much of honking. It irritates you to walk along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Lining the Parkway are some of the most beautiful buildings that you come across in this city - the cathedral of St. Peter and Paul, the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Benjamin Franklin (him again) Institute Science Museum, the Moore College of Arts, and the Rodin Museum.

Splitting the Parkway in the middle stands the Logan Square, one of the first four squares to be built in the city, with the beautiful Swann Fountain. The huge fountain consists of three figures, each holding a swan-like bird (hence NOT the name - it was built by Maria Swann in memory of her husband) spouting water. They are bathed from the waters spit out by frogs and turtles that stand at the periphery of the fountain. At 2:30 in the afternoon, children were splashing around inside the fountain. I headed towards the science museum for a photo shot. The place seemed to be a beehive of activity. A couple sat on the sidewalk - the girl in tears, with her lover trying to soothe her with pleasant words. A father was trying hard to compose a picture with a huge camera, at the same time trying to hold his son at bay. The ice cream vendors were having a whale of a time. From behind the columns at the entrance, hung a huge banner, proclaiming an exhibit on Pirates. As I readied my camera for a shot, the sight before me took my breath away. Painted on the steps leading to the doorway, was the huge picture of Darth Vader.

The rest of the Ben Franklin Parkway reminded me of the Champs Elysee. Huge tree-covered pathways run along its side. Music blares from a zillion music players on the sidewalks. There are so less vehicles on the road that you could well have a temptation to jay-walk - a desire amply demonstrated by the youngsters who cavort on the road on the roller skates until an oncoming car honks them out of their reverie. I walked along, looking at the various flags. A middle-aged French woman was busy photographing her national flag, and lo, there flew the Indian tricolour. It was ironic to find it there, fluttering majestically in the wind, when in our own country, a citizen cannot have the liberty to fly the flag. A few feet away, atop the now-famous "Rocky Steps" (courtesy Sylvester Stallone), stood the beautiful facade of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. a huge banner of Frida Kahlo hung from its side, and ironically, she resembled Salma Hayek. The statue of Rocky stood to a side, and there seemed to be more people photographing it than heading into the museum. I walked around it, and headed towards the waterworks on the Schuylkill river, lured by the music emanating from a thousand music players. And sure enough, there was a crowd watching a brilliant display of dancers on skates. Evening was a revelry.

Across the 30th Street Station, on the banks of the Schuylkill stood "2400", the 30-odd storied apartment where Kavitha resided. It was just across the block, and I still had trouble finding it. She kept claiming on the phone that she could see me ambling along. I wondered whether she had binoculars for eyes, until i found the building (of course, it helped that she lived on the thirtieth floor - the view from her window was awesome). She'd said her house was a mess, but it was a garden compared to my room back home. "Is 2400 the address to the place?" I asked. "Yes. It's such a stupid name for an apartment" she relied back. "Well, what do you want? Would you prefer something like 'Mantri residency'??" I quipped back. We kept chattering until lunch was served. It was a quaint little restaurant called "Continental" and we were sitting on, believe it or not, swings. "Do you like chocolates?" she enquired. I couldn't hide my grin. The best was yet to come.

"It's pure unadulterated chocolate" she claimed, and so it was - Naked Chocolate Cafe. The place was full of chocolates. Bars, nuggets and what else. I slurped two cups of hot bittersweet chocolate - mine as well as Kavitha's. Forrest's Mama always said life is like a box of chocolates. I wonder why she limited it to a box...

Picture of the Day: It took me ages to capture the Indian Tricolor, as it fluttered freely in the afternoon breeze. Ironically, this was the only streetlight that was still lit at 3:00 PM.