Even before setting foot on this side of the Atlantic I had little regard for the metropolis of America. I mean, I have practically grown up seeing the skyscrapers in TV either a Godzilla bursting out of it or a busy office hours. The tall buildings didn't attract me at all. Hence when I saw center city Philadelphia I did marvel at the tall buildings and the engineering but somehow the awe was gone within 60 seconds. I kept nagging myself, where is the character of the city? where does the city come alive? Only during office hours? impossible! there must be the really "Philly" some where out there which I am unable to discover. The 'real' Philly to me is the art galleries, the theatre, the old pubs.
Walnut Street somewhat did quench my thirst (and literally too) with their ubercool pubs and theaters but it was only 2 months later that I bumped into a sun-kissed Old City of Philadelphia. I had visited this part of the city by the river where 'Front Street' start, but I was too cold to take a look at the buildings or the streets. Today when me and Snigdho went for the orientation at Philadelphia Animal Welfare Society of PAWS we got the chance to cultivate the streets ( a small section though) of Old Philly. In a span of 2 blocks we came across almost 7 galleries, 2 theatre, n number of Irish pubs , 2 book and 3 antique stores.
What caught our eyes and nose was the store with both antiques and books. Speaking of books, we already had got "free" books from a bookstore which laid out boxes of books of various subjects outside for people to "take" it! yes miracles do happen! ;) Anyway I am digressing, when we entered this Art-cum-antique-bookstore I felt like entering the treasure trove of Alibaba!! Not just paintings, old paintings, books, boxes, glasses, vinyl, toys, photographs, cameras, plates, mugs, mirrors, chairs, collectibles...what not! you name it and its there. any non-perishable good. the most interesting staff that had caught out heart was old post cards. Letters written almost a 100 years back...lying just like that. We picked up a letter from Paris in which the salutation and ending is written in English...to some "darling bill" from some "with bestest love". Snigdho, with his newly discovered 'Sherlock' gene, had since then got glued to his Google translator trying to decipher this French letter thinking it to hold some dramatic history changing exchanges. For all it may hold a simple letter of a mother asking about his son's welfare in during the tropical storm of 1911. That's also pretty precious.
Nevertheless, when we entered this store he first thing I did was to inhale the "OLD" smell. May be I took in some viruses who cares it was OLD, tattered, peeling off yet so so so attractive that I wished I was a billionaire or at least had a billionaire, tasteful husband.(although later I will be proved that I do have a tasteful loving husband if not billionaire). However, the next moment I was anxious that I may like something madly and would get scolded by Snigdho again for buying impulsively. So I held my breathe ( read "ooh" and "aaah"s and "wow"s) and meandered from shelf to shelf crisscrossing paintings and furniture. I did liked a piece of clay model of a breakfast table framed and the paint peeling off the frame reminding of an old French villa by some lake where you can smell fresh blossom of spring carried in by the gentle breeze of the lake. The nostalgic, old school charm totally swept me off my feet and I realised I am not the only victim my husband too did not flinch and eye against it. Readily agreed to buy. and guess what we got it for $5 !!! That's why I call it a treasure trove. Cheap and AMAZING staff!
What caught our eyes and nose was the store with both antiques and books. Speaking of books, we already had got "free" books from a bookstore which laid out boxes of books of various subjects outside for people to "take" it! yes miracles do happen! ;) Anyway I am digressing, when we entered this Art-cum-antique-bookstore I felt like entering the treasure trove of Alibaba!! Not just paintings, old paintings, books, boxes, glasses, vinyl, toys, photographs, cameras, plates, mugs, mirrors, chairs, collectibles...what not! you name it and its there. any non-perishable good. the most interesting staff that had caught out heart was old post cards. Letters written almost a 100 years back...lying just like that. We picked up a letter from Paris in which the salutation and ending is written in English...to some "darling bill" from some "with bestest love". Snigdho, with his newly discovered 'Sherlock' gene, had since then got glued to his Google translator trying to decipher this French letter thinking it to hold some dramatic history changing exchanges. For all it may hold a simple letter of a mother asking about his son's welfare in during the tropical storm of 1911. That's also pretty precious.
Nevertheless, when we entered this store he first thing I did was to inhale the "OLD" smell. May be I took in some viruses who cares it was OLD, tattered, peeling off yet so so so attractive that I wished I was a billionaire or at least had a billionaire, tasteful husband.(although later I will be proved that I do have a tasteful loving husband if not billionaire). However, the next moment I was anxious that I may like something madly and would get scolded by Snigdho again for buying impulsively. So I held my breathe ( read "ooh" and "aaah"s and "wow"s) and meandered from shelf to shelf crisscrossing paintings and furniture. I did liked a piece of clay model of a breakfast table framed and the paint peeling off the frame reminding of an old French villa by some lake where you can smell fresh blossom of spring carried in by the gentle breeze of the lake. The nostalgic, old school charm totally swept me off my feet and I realised I am not the only victim my husband too did not flinch and eye against it. Readily agreed to buy. and guess what we got it for $5 !!! That's why I call it a treasure trove. Cheap and AMAZING staff!
We hurried out of the store as we were getting intoxicated and had a fare chance of losing out our already dwindling bank balance in one shot. but we promised to go back. The lady, in all probability the collector's wife was a sweetheart by default, who promised us to give us more such old, forgotten post cards if we go back. I was happy to find that my husband too was equally mesmerised by the old school charm and the aroma of the antiques. Finding this book-cum-antique store was no short of a discovery for me. And it became all the more memorable for the lovely wintry sun and the surrounding art galleries which acted like a bougainvillea boulevard adorning the streets.
I am sure like Ali we too will be going back to this treasure trove with "Chi Ching Fnak" in our drooling mouth.
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