At baggage claim they were met by their tour leader, Declan, then had free time to get breakfast or change into warmer clothes.
At 7:30am we made our way to the airport Amtrak station to catch our 8:32am train to Philadelphia. But a ticket mix-up between United Airlines & Amtrak meant our tickets had to be reissued, so we missed our train & only just caught the next, at 9:56am!
Everybody stayed cheerful though, & we finally arrived in Philadelphia & met our bus & our cheerful bus driver Eric.
We made a quick stop for lunch at a cow-themed restaurant (The Udder Choice!), then began our sightseeing proper. This afternoon we learned about some on the communities that made Pennsylvania their home because of its religious freedom.
First was Ephrata Cloister, where a strict German 'order' established a monastic-style community in the 1720s, working, praying & living together. We get to learn how they lived, what they ate, how much they worked & slept, & what they wore. We even got to enter an 18th century 'sky scraper' - with 5 floors!
Next we visited the Amish House & Farm, touring a real former home to learn how these strict;y observant Anabaptists still live, dress, study & work.
Dinner tonight was a great Amish-style meal, served family-style at long tables.
After checking-in to our excellent hotel for 2 nights there was time for everyone to relax this evening & get plenty of sleep - ready for an early start & busy day tomorrow when we visit Gettysburg & Hershey!
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