tenchired: Travel articles and stories from the south and beyond

If you can’t do Paris this spring, try   Philadelphia . These two cities could not be more different, but they have many parallels. Culture and food lovers are equally at home in both. Some even subscribe to W.C. Fields’ admonition “All things considered, I’d rather be in Philadelphia.” Philadelphia Museum of Art Philadelphia Museum of Art The   Philadelphia Museum of Art   is no Louvre, but it is one of the finest museums in the U.S., with an impressive set of collections. Currently on exhibit is “Van Gogh Up Close,” a stunning visual treat with over 40 pieces of the brilliant artist’s masterpieces borrowed from museums and collectors around the world. Enter a time warp and see Paris and the south of France from the eyes of Van Gogh, where he created his greatest works of art when he lived there from 1886 until his death in 1890. “Van Gogh Up Close” runs through May 6. Looking towards City Hall from the Philadelphia Museum of Art Just like the   Champs-Élysées