Inquirer.com – Zurich DR

Category: Life

  • A perfect summer weekend on Seven Mile Island | Field Trip

    A perfect summer weekend on Seven Mile Island | Field Trip

    Yes, Memorial Day weekend is the official start of summer, but there’s a pleasant lull down the Shore between then and when kids get out of school. These are the final moments to enjoy the excellent weather and relative serenity of the microseason, and Seven Mile Island — home to the bougie siblings of Stone Harbor and Avalon — has rolled out the white-sand carpet.

    These towns contain some of the most expensive real estate at the Jersey Shore, and in the height of the summer, staying anywhere nice is prohibitively expensive for anyone who is not on a Comcast C-suite salary or whose grandparents didn’t buy a house in 1975. This is another benefit of visiting before July 4. Rates are lower, reservations are easier, and the line at Springer’s is only slightly less insane.

    Start the car.

    Stay: ICONA Avalon

    Situated right in the center of Seven Mile, at the southern end of Avalon, beachfront ICONA has the location edge over the island’s other luxury hideout, the Reeds at Shelter Haven, which is convenient to Stone Harbor’s 96th Street shopping district. Both properties are expensive, but you can still find some lingering June rates under $400 a night. ICONA’s beach is beautiful and peaceful, with a breezy bar and lounge between the property and the shoreline, and Avalon Brew Pub is a popular canteen for locals and Shoobies alike.

    📍 7849 Dune Dr., Avalon, N.J. 08202

    Shop: Pete Smith’s Surf Shop

    The origins of Pete Smith’s Surf Shop lie in Virginia Beach, but the boutique has been part of the Jersey Shore for decades. The Stone Harbor location, spread across two storefronts, stocks men’s and women’s swimwear, woolly shackets for chilly nights, and enough Sun Bum for the entire summer. Pick up a branded T-shirt; Pete’s releases a new design every Christmas.

    📍 285 96th St., Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247

    Learn: The Wetlands Institute

    Whether you’re visiting the Shore with kids or simply marine-curious, the Wetlands Institute, located just before crossing the bridge into Stone Harbor, makes a perfect stop. Learn about the local terrapin turtles, pet a sea star in the touch tank, or walk along the marsh trail and elevated boardwalk for views of an integral Jersey ecosystem that most of us rarely see up close.

    📍 1075 Stone Harbor Blvd., Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247

    Surf: Avalon Surf Camp

    Don’t be dissuaded by the multitude of kids on Avalon Surf Camp’s website. Their instructors teach wannabe surfers of all ages and experience levels through group and private lessons on 12th Street beach at the north end of Avalon. The camp provides everything you need: boards, wetsuits, and a working knowledge of the ocean’s mercurial temperament before ever getting in the water. With a little luck and a little wind, you’ll be up on a board by noon.

    📍 12th Street Beach, Avalon, N.J. 08202

    Relax: 7 Mile Island Massage

    Because surfing is a workout, and because you’re a good person who deserves nice things, book a treatment with 7 Mile Island Massage. This isn’t a spa but a mobile studio that comes to you. Owner and therapist Nik Pattantyus, who’s also a registered nurse and avid stand-up paddleboarder, will set up in your hotel suite, on the back porch of your rental house, or wherever else you happen to be staying. In addition to deep-tissue, reflexology, and other massage styles, he’s recently added manual lymphatic drainage to the menu.

    The fire wood grill cooking various meats at La Portena in Stone Harbor, N.J., on Thursday, June 12, 2025.Tyger Williams / Staff Photographer

    Dine: La Porteña

    Lucas Manteca has been cooking down the Shore for two decades, and La Porteña, a few blocks from his Quahog’s seafood tavern, is his most personal project yet. The menu and family-style format draw from the chef’s Argentine heritage. Every table receives a spread of snacks and salads to share, including Manteca’s famous empanadas, followed by each diner’s choice of entrée: New York strip, short ribs, Iberico pork secreto, and more. At the time of this writing, dessert is dulce de leche rice pudding with compressed rhubarb. Make reservations.

    📍 9426 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247

    Indulge: Springer’s Homemade Ice Cream

    The line stretching from the white-sided front porch of Springer’s Homemade Ice Cream down Third Avenue is legendary. You might run into your college lacrosse coach, the kids you babysat who are now disconcertingly grown and lifeguarding on 88th Street, or the local girl you spent that one magical summer with in 10th grade. Springer’s has been scooping since the early 1900s, and the nostalgia it inspires is as much a part of the appeal as flavors like banana fudge, the slightly salty butterscotch brickle, and Cookies in My Coffee, crushed Oreos veined through dark coffee ice cream. Worth the wait, always.

    📍 9420 Third Ave., Stone Harbor, N.J. 08247

  • My husband is a new soccer fan and wants to spend $1,000 on World Cup tickets

    My husband is a new soccer fan and wants to spend $1,000 on World Cup tickets

    This week’s question (Have your own? Submit it here.):

    My husband has recently decided to get really into soccer. Of course he has decided he wants to get really into soccer right when the World Cup is here and tickets start around $1,000. Like most people, we can’t really afford that. If he’d been a lifelong fan, maybe I could justify it, but come on. Do I support his new passion or do I draw the line?

    Rosa Cartagena, Arts & Entertainment Reporter

    Well, arguably there’s no better time to pick up a passion for soccer in Philadelphia than right now because we’re one of the chosen few cities hosting the international spectacle renowned for celebrating the world’s most beloved sport.

    I totally understand feeling wary of trying to get into the fray when it’s so prohibitively expensive, but I’ll admit that I’m definitely the person who would say yes to this — I think major live events are (typically!) worth it for the unparalleled experience you’ll have, especially if you can do it together.

    Abigail Covington, Life & Culture Reporter

    Unfortunately, for the reader’s finances, I totally agree with you, Rosa. I’m one of those idiots who paid an ungodly amount for “Eras” tour tickets, and I don’t regret it one bit. I can look back at that once in a lifetime event and say (I’m so sorry for this): it was rare, I was there, I remember it, ALL TOO WELL.

    But enough about T. Swift. This is about your predicament. I suggest getting the cheapest tickets you possibly can. So much of the fun with these events comes from just being there. It doesn’t matter where your seats are. Especially if your husband is a new fan. Set a price limit. Do not allow him to purchase merch. Merch is for serious fans only.

    Rosa Cartagena

    Yeah I’m not gonna disclose how much I paid to see Bad Bunny during his San Juan residency but … I have never regretted it!

    The other thing I’d note is that this World Cup opportunity could be what cements him as a lifelong soccer fan. Ultimately, I’d always encourage folks to support their partner’s passions instead of trying to come up with ways to restrict them. Of course, if you really can’t swing it, there are still fun ways to feel the energy of the World Cup outside of the stadium, from watch parties at local bars or the outdoor Fan Fest.

    Abigail Covington

    For what it’s worth, I would qualify being able to swing it as “I can put this on a credit card and eventually pay it off.” Or, “I can dip into our rainy day savings and make it work.”

    If you have to take out a second mortgage to afford the tickets or, like, sell a kidney, don’t do that. Keep all your organs and go to the bar instead.

    In general though, I’m also in favor of supporting your partner’s passions, especially if, like Rosa said, you guys can do it together. Call me a romantic, but I think you’ll enjoy seeing him in the stadium, geeking out over his newfound fandom.

    Rosa Cartagena

    Ha, yes I agree with you, Abigail — to be clear we are definitely advocating for a responsible way to afford those tickets!

    The only other element I’m curious about is more context around the husband’s history: Has he picked up and dropped expensive hobbies or passions before? Is this a sore spot in the relationship due to some previous impulsive financial decisions? Because then I’d sympathize with wanting to avoid a pricey bandwagon move only for him to lose interest soon after.

    Abigail Covington

    Yeah, like if your husband suddenly got really into hockey ahead of the Olympics earlier this year and is now the proud owner of a pair of ice skates he never uses maybe proceed with caution. But otherwise, go forth and splurge!

  • A Rocky curse, a no-hitter jinx, and a big night for Philly food | Weekly Report Card

    A Rocky curse, a no-hitter jinx, and a big night for Philly food | Weekly Report Card

    The Rocky statue curse claims another victim: A

    An Ecuadorian influencer wrapped his country’s flag around the Rocky statue before Sunday’s World Cup match and immediately learned a lesson generations of visiting fans have learned before him.

    Don’t mess with Rocky.

    After Ecuador lost 1-0, social media quickly concluded the curse had struck again. The poor guy spent the next 24 hours apologizing to an entire nation and explaining that he simply didn’t know the rules. (Another fan also put a custom jersey on the statue.)

    But Philadelphians weren’t content with one curse. Almost immediately, attention shifted to Ecuador fans gathering at the Hard Rock Cafe, prompting comparisons to Commanders fans who famously “took over” the same restaurant before getting flattened by the Eagles in the NFC championship game.

    The Rocky curse has decades of lore behind it. The Hard Rock curse appears to have been invented sometime this week.

    Which is exactly how sports superstitions are supposed to work, right?

    Hawker John Culin sells Surfside canned cocktails during a Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park in 2024. Surfside canned cocktails led the Phillies’ stadium drink sales last year.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Surfside has become the official drink of saying, “Fine, I’ll get one”: A-

    There was a time when a Philadelphia summer meant a soft pretzel, a hot dog, and a beer.

    Now, it apparently means spending $16 on a Surfside at Citizens Bank Park, and somehow doing it again the next inning.

    Stateside says it sold more than 11 million cases of Surfside last year, has moved into a massive new Center City headquarters, and is turning down offers from major beverage companies that want a piece of the business.

    Not bad for something many people first encountered while standing in line at a Phillies game.

    The annoying thing is that it’s also very good, which makes it much harder to complain about the price (not impossible, just harder).

    At this point, Surfside has joined the ranks of Wawa coffee, Tastykakes, and water ice: a local product that quietly became part of Philadelphia culture.

    The team from Kalaya on stage at the 2026 James Beard Awards with chef Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon (from left): Al Lucas, Nick Kennedy, Greg Root, Jerome Skaggs, and Benjamin Duignan.© Huge Galdones Photography / James Beard Foundation

    Philly’s James Beard haul: A

    For years, Philadelphia food stories came with a chip on their shoulder. The city was seen as underrated and overlooked when compared to New York and D.C. But now, that argument gets harder to make every year.

    This week, Kalaya won outstanding restaurant at the James Beard Awards and Jesse Ito finally captured best chef: Mid-Atlantic after what felt like an annual pilgrimage to the finalist list — he had been nominated for the award NINE times!

    Kalaya has spent years introducing diners to southern Thai cooking at a level that made national critics pay attention. Ito’s Royal Sushi & Izakaya is so sought-after that getting a reservation is almost impossible.

    So these really aren’t underdog stories anymore, they’re expectations. Philadelphia sent seven finalists to Chicago for the awards and came home with two major wins.

    A decade ago, that would’ve been a breakthrough, but now it feels like a normal year.

    Fans reach for a ball that entered the stands during a FIFA World Cup Group E match between Ecuador and Ivory Coast on June 14, 2026, at Lincoln Financial Field. The match marked the first FIFA World Cup game played in Philadelphia.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Philadelphia’s World Cup debut: A

    For months, the conversation centered on everything that might go wrong.

    Traffic, transit, crowds, security, weather — if anyone would actually show up.

    Instead, the first week of the World Cup has mostly served as a reminder that Philadelphia can throw a pretty good party. The city is filled with visiting fans, flags, jerseys, and the sort of international energy that rarely comes through town at this scale. SEPTA has had a few hiccups. The weather has done what Philadelphia weather does. But the city itself has looked good.

    More important, Philadelphians seem to have embraced the whole thing.

    There was always going to be some skepticism, but somewhere between the FIFA Fan Festival, the packed stadium, and thousands of visitors wandering around Center City, the World Cup stopped feeling like something Philadelphia was hosting and started feeling like something Philadelphia was enjoying.

    And we’re only getting started.

    PPA towing residents with permits: F

    Like we just said, the World Cup has gone better than many people expected, which is why this one stands out.

    Fairmount residents were told to register for special parking permits during the FIFA Fan Festival. They registered, but then some got ticketed anyway and a handful even got towed. The PPA says the tickets will be canceled and fees refunded, which is good.

    But “we’ll fix it later” tends to land differently when you’re standing in an empty parking spot wondering where your car went.

    The encouraging part is that the number of mistakes was relatively small compared with the thousands of tickets issued around the festival. But, if you’re one of the people who had to Uber to a tow lot in South Philly to retrieve your vehicle, that statistic probably isn’t very comforting.

    Mike Gansey’s first Philadelphia sports lesson: Never say it out loud: D+

    Every city has its rules, and Philadelphia’s are simple.

    Don’t mess with Rocky. Don’t wear Cowboys gear. And under absolutely no circumstances should you mention a no-hitter while it’s happening.

    The newly hired Sixers president learned that lesson the hard way this week when he casually noted on a TV broadcast that Jesús Luzardo’s no-hitter was still intact.

    Seconds later, it wasn’t. To Gansey’s credit, he immediately did what any reasonable Philadelphian would do: apologize.

    The good news is that Luzardo still pitched well, the Phillies still won, and Gansey appears genuinely remorseful. The bad news is that his first viral moment in Philadelphia involved accidentally becoming the physical embodiment of every fan yelling “shut up!” at their television.

    Welcome to town, Mike!

    The Highmark Mann Center, in Philadelphia, June 15, 2026.Jessica Griffin / Staff Photographer

    The new Mann: A

    For a city that never really got a big Semiquincentennial gift, the renovated Highmark Mann will do nicely.

    Fifty years after opening in 1976, the Mann has emerged from a yearslong renovation looking like the sort of project Philadelphia hoped more places would undertake ahead of 2026. There’s a dramatic new entrance, upgraded sound, expanded public spaces, and a massive digital wall that feels more Times Square than Fairmount Park.

    The Mann opened in 1976, the last time America threw itself a big birthday party.

    It’s fitting that one of the best things to come out of the 250th conversation is a 50-year-old Philadelphia institution getting ready for its next 50 years.

  • Dear Abby | Keystones of a happy marriage have slowly crumbled

    DEAR ABBY: I’m a gay man who has been married to a wonderful man for seven years (together for 12). Throughout our relationship, my husband has struggled with religious trauma that affects his desire (and ability) to be intimate. We’ve seen counselors, talked through it and addressed the value we place on physical intimacy. Nothing has changed.

    I love him, but I remain unsatisfied with my needs unmet. This, combined with other things — including limited acceptance from his family and from many of those who live in our geographic area — has led me to push aside many of the issues in our marriage as “no big deal.” Until now.

    Two years ago, I started working on a degree with the hope of becoming more self-sufficient and pursuing a career to support my interests. Now that I’ve graduated and am establishing my career, I find my and my husband’s values and goals line up even less. I have also met another man who seems to be more aligned with what I’m looking for in my life, and who has expressed interest. While I don’t want to end my marriage over such a new relationship, the feelings it has brought to light have illustrated how far apart my husband and I have been — and for how long. I’m torn between remaining in a marriage that, despite its issues, has helped me find some happiness, and parting ways after more than a decade together to pursue what I feel is best for me.

    Is this just the seven-year itch, or are these issues enough to part ways? I’m struggling and could use some insight.

    — CROSSROADS IN IDAHO

    DEAR CROSSROADS: It’s time for a long talk with your husband about all of the issues you have written about in your letter — the sexual incompatibility, the family problems, the fact that you are no longer happy living in the geographic area because of attitudes about homosexuality, and finally the fact that you have met someone.

    The two of you have a lot going against you, but you should not end the marriage without first communicating that things have not been happy for a very long time and why.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: At work today, a colleague published a report and disseminated it to my entire organization. In the report, they specifically referenced and highlighted a typo I had made in a previous product. Their comments hurt my reputation and could have been cleared up with a simple phone call. Am I wrong to be upset?

    — HURT IN MASSACHUSETTS

    DEAR HURT: For your colleague to have done what they did was unhelpful and unprofessional. I agree that the matter should have been handled privately. I don’t blame you for being upset, and I don’t blame you for feeling embarrassed. That said, it was only one typo.

    Although computer spell check is quite reliable, nothing is absolutely foolproof. The next time you create a document for publication, ask someone to proofread it before you hit “send.”

  • He’s 102 years old. During World War II, he helped predict the weather.

    He’s 102 years old. During World War II, he helped predict the weather.

    At 102, Cyrus Bloom does not pretend that old age is pleasant.

    “It’s hard,” he said during a recent interview at his Center City apartment. He can barely walk, even with a walker, and he lives with the constant fear of falling. His short-term memory is shot, too. Walking into a room to get something, only to forget what he went there for, is an everyday occurrence. “It’s terrible,” he said matter-of-factly.

    But his long-term memory? That’s a different story.

    Bloom can still recall names, places, and details from more than 80 years ago, when he was one of the 16.4 million Americans who served in World War II. He can rattle off the details of his first assignment as a meteorologist with the Army Air Corps and the names of the bomber bases that dotted the coast of England where he was stationed. He remembers everything about “the very big war,” as he called it, even though he spent most of his life not talking about it.

    Bloom, who was born in Newark, N.J., was a sophomore at Columbia University when he enlisted with the Army Air Corps and began training as a meteorologist. It was March 1943. He received his commission as a second lieutenant on June 6, 1944, the same day the Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy.

    The invasion, Bloom noted, had originally been scheduled for June 5. But bad weather over the English Channel prompted Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower to postpone it for a day. Bloom had no role in that decision; he had only just completed his training. But the delay demonstrated how heavily the Allied war effort depended on accurate weather forecasts.

    Cyrus Bloom, 102, is photographed at his home in Philadelphia on Tuesday, June 9, 2026. Bloom worked as a meteorologist during World War II.Jose F. Moreno / Staff Photographer

    Bloom’s first assignment took him to Bergstrom Air Force Base in Austin, Texas. There, he and the other meteorologists gathered reports on temperature, wind, and air pressure from weather stations across the country. They plotted the information on maps and drew isobars — lines connecting places with the same air pressure — by hand. Those lines revealed high- and low-pressure systems and helped meteorologists predict how the weather would move.

    In September 1944, the Army sent Bloom overseas. Like so many young soldiers, he had never been abroad before. Today, he remembers every step of the journey. He left Washington on a military transport plane bound for Europe. The first stop was Goose Bay, Labrador, in northeastern Canada, where the plane refueled.

    “It was just wilderness,” Bloom recalled, “very rugged country.”

    From there, he flew across the Atlantic to Prestwick, Scotland, then continued south to London. The Army later sent him to the Cotswolds for additional training in British forecasting procedures. He remembers the region for its thatched-roof houses.

    His final assignment took him to East Anglia, on England’s eastern coast. The countryside was crowded with airfields used by the U.S. Eighth Air Force, which carried out bombing missions over Germany. Bloom was stationed at Bovingdon, code-named Earl’s Court. His job was to brief bomber crews on the weather they could expect en route to Germany. His briefings were based on forecasts prepared at Eighth Air Force headquarters, which was called Pinetree.

    “Everything had a code name,” Bloom said.

    That world of code names, weather maps, and high-stakes forecasts is the subject of Pressure, a new film about the meteorologists who advised Eisenhower in the tense days before D-Day. In the film, a meteorologist stands at the center of a decision that could determine the fate of the war. But Bloom describes his own wartime work in much plainer terms. Asked whether it felt consequential, he said he did not think about it that way.

    “I was simply doing what I was supposed to do,” he said.

    After the war, Bloom returned to college and then attended Columbia Law School. His college roommate was also a veteran. So was almost everyone in his law school class. But none of them talked about the war. Bloom and his roommate didn’t even know what the other one did in the war.

    “Everybody knew that they had served,” Bloom said, “but nobody knew how they served.”

    The silence continued as Bloom built a life after the war. He became a litigator and, in 1962, married Nanette, who is 13 years younger. They raised two sons in South Orange, N.J. But Bloom rarely spoke to his family about his service. His son Josh said they didn’t hear much about it until Bloom was around 90, and they interviewed him about it.

    “It’s funny,” Bloom said of the veterans he knew. “They had the biggest experiences of their lives having been at war, but nobody talked about it.”

    For most of his own life, neither did he. And yet, when asked to name the biggest experience of his century-long life, a period that included the moon landing and the collapse of the Soviet Union, Bloom didn’t hesitate.

    “World War II, of course,” he said.

  • Dear Abby | Son of late friend brings feral kids along for visits

    DEAR ABBY: My husband’s best friend died when we were in our early 30s. His son, “Marty,” recently moved back to the area with his wife and three boys. We think of them as family.

    My husband often needs help with heavy handyman jobs. (I was diagnosed with cancer and am unable to help him.) He frequently recruits Marty for this kind of help, and Marty always brings along his wife and kids. They don’t watch or discipline the kids, and I’m exhausted. Is it really up to me to parent their kids while they are here giving us a hand?

    — BOTHERED IN UTAH

    DEAR BOTHERED: It certainly looks like it. Unless you find the courage to remind the wife that you are not in good health and need the children to “tone it down,” the situation isn’t going to change. If you cannot bring yourself to do that, then consider arranging to “visit a friend” when you know they are coming.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: My wife meets once a week with several other Christian women to discuss various topics. Everyone gets to the meeting on time except one woman, “Florence,” who typically arrives just a few minutes before the meeting is over. The others have tried ending the meeting just as she comes in to encourage her to come on time, but it has had no effect.

    Last week, they had a three-hour lunch party. In an attempt to get Florence there on time, the hostess had told her they were shutting down after three hours as she had other things to do afterward. However, Florence arrived 15 minutes after the party was over. My wife is at a loss about how to get the woman to arrive for the beginning. Should they just exclude her?

    — FRUSTRATED GROUP IN TEXAS

    DEAR FRUSTRATED: What Florence has been doing is consistent and insulting. If she were interested in doing anything more than making a “personal appearance,” she would arrive at the appointed time as the rest of the women do. Yes, because of her rude and inconsiderate behavior, they should scrub her from the invitation list.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: We are grandparents. When our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren visit, we want to do a lot of things and take them places. But I often feel like I am pushing my daughter-in-law. She says her life is hectic with work and activities for the kids. She just wants to sit in my house. I want to get out.

    We are arguing because we can’t come up with a plan that everyone is agreeable with. Is it proper for me to ask her if we could take the kids while she rests at home? I’m not sure she would like that. How can we work this out so everyone is happy?

    — TRYING TO HELP IN THE EAST

    DEAR TRYING: Your daughter-in-law has already told you she would be happy sitting quietly in your home. Tell her this is her vacation as well as the kids’, and there is a way for everyone to be happy if she will allow you and your spouse to take the kids for outings. If you do, you might find that she is not only open to the idea, but also relieved.

  • Dear Abby | Estranged daughter’s return proves bittersweet

    DEAR ABBY: For years, my only daughter and I got along pretty well. Then she stopped visiting or speaking to us, meaning we didn’t see our grandchildren or my son-in-law. That went on for six to eight years. Suddenly, she has responded on Facebook but refuses to tell me what the problem was.

    When you don’t communicate with somebody for this long, it’s difficult because so much has happened in the interim that conversations are now as if I’m speaking to a stranger. I deeply resent this, though I pretend I’m fine because if I don’t, all communication will cease again.

    As I near the end of my life, I don’t want her to know or come to my “deathbed” (whenever that might be) because the only thing I’m going to want to know is “why,” and she will never tell me. It interfered with my relationship with my three granddaughters, so I don’t want to see her.

    I truly feel if she didn’t want any part of me all these years, she shouldn’t bother paying lip service now. When that time comes, I only want to be around people who truly loved and cared about me. I can’t get my son and my best friend to understand that when the time comes, I just want peace. How can I?

    — WEARY IN WASHINGTON

    DEAR WEARY: Tell them the truth — that you maintain contact with your daughter only because you love your granddaughters and don’t want to be further estranged from them. Then explain that when your time comes (hopefully, many years from now), you want at your side only those who showed you love, which does not include the daughter who iced you out for years with no explanation, and you do not want to discuss it further. (From your description of your history with her, she’s unlikely to show up.)

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: I would like to offer some advice to your readers over 50: Think carefully before getting a dog. You may be active and able to care for a pet now, but where will you be in 15 years?

    My husband and I are in our 70s and caring for an elderly dog. When we got our puppy 13 years ago, I figured even if things went wrong, one of my three kids would be able to take the dog. Well, for various practical reasons, they can’t. So, guess who has to take Skip out in the rain and snow, risking life and limb (his and mine) four times a day?

    In addition, traveling — something we always hoped to do in retirement — is difficult to arrange. So think twice, people! Your dog depends on you to care for it until it arrives at the Rainbow Bridge.

    — TIED TO SKIP

    DEAR TIED: I’m sure you love your senior dog despite the hardships advanced age has brought to both of you. Thank you for hanging in there even though it’s not always easy.

    People of all ages take in pets without thinking of the long-term responsibilities involved. An important part of the pet adoption process is considering how you will provide for it when you travel or are no longer physically able to handle it yourself. Skipping this step is unfair to the animal.

  • Philly’s Cathedral Basilica is the canvas for a new immersive light show

    Philly’s Cathedral Basilica is the canvas for a new immersive light show

    If you’re in a church and the ceiling starts pulsating and streaks of lightning splinter down the walls, it’s usually a good sign that more than the homily is about to go down.

    But at Luminiscence, it’s all part of a new immersive experience that uses light to alter one of Philadelphia’s most famous altars — at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.

    On select evenings through August, Luminiscence brings the interior walls of the 164-year-old mother church of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to life with 25 high-definition projectors, 360-degree video mapping, and accompanying performances by a live choir and orchestra on select dates.

    The orchestra plays during the June 11 premiere of Luminiscence at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    This sacred space where two popes have celebrated Mass, countless Philadelphians have been laid to rest, and the remains of a saint are enshrined is now host to a visual and auditory odyssey that tells the history of the cathedral as high-definition lights trace every nook and cranny of its walls.

    Think of it as a laser light show for the digital age and mature palette. Instead of spacing out with Pink Floyd in a planetarium, you’re basking in bright lights with Bach in a basilica.

    “We really wanted to see the building come alive and be featured in ways that it hasn’t ever been seen before, together with music that really illuminates the soul,” said Clayton Ferguson, executive producer and general manager for Banijay Americas Live, the media and production company behind show.

    Guests watch the opening night performance of Luminiscence at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul on June 11.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    ‘Respecting the cathedral’

    Father Dennis Gill, rector of the Cathedral Basilica, said he was approached about hosting the production a little less than a year ago.

    “They were very impressed by our cathedral building and they thought it would be a wonderful place to highlight with light,” he said. “It took some convincing. My primary concern was respecting the cathedral. The primary ministry of the cathedral is the worship of God and I wanted to make sure Luminescence would protect and promote that.”

    Luminiscence events — which are specifically designed for cathedrals and basilicas — began in France, where Banijay Americas Live parent company, Banijay Entertainment, is headquartered. Philadelphia is only the second U.S. city to host a production. The first was held at the Basilica of Saint Mary in Minneapolis last year.

    People watch the opening night performance of Luminiscence on June 11.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    “It’s about sacred spaces, but it is not a faith-driven show, so it is absolutely for all audiences,” Ferguson said. “I wouldn’t say that it’s a secular story or a religious story. I think that it is about beauty and hope and creativity.”

    This isn’t the first time projection mapping has been used to transform an iconic Center City building. For years, Philadelphia’s own Klip Collective brought the exterior of City Hall to life during the holidays with its free Deck the Hall Light Show. But Luminiscence is the first time an immersive experience like this has been done in the Cathedral Basilica, or in any Catholic church in Philly.

    Gill said he had three reasons for agreeing to participate.

    “My first reason was it would highlight the architectural beauty of our cathedral. Second, it would draw people to church, and my third reason was it would bring us some financial assistance,” he said.

    A portion of the ticket sales goes to the Cathedral Basilica, but Ferguson declined to detail how much.

    A purpose

    Last week, entry lines snaked around the building as people packed the pews for the first performance. Prior to the start of the show, the basilica’s domed ceiling was bathed in a dark cerulean light dotted by hundreds of stars. Human silhouettes walked slowly and methodically along the walls high above the crowd.

    Joseph Blanch of Havertown watches the opening night performance of Luminiscence on June 11. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Ferguson and Gill offered brief opening remarks, with the latter also offering a blessing.

    As I sat listening in a pew, I tried to think of the last time I was in the basilica. Was it really 11 years ago when Pope Francis was in town? I often visit churches in Europe just for their beauty and architecture, but not those in my own backyard. Maybe I feel like I need a purpose when it’s so close to home.

    Luminiscence at the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul on opening night on June 11. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    “Talking it through, everybody kind of understood how it would really, really help get more people through the doors,” Ferguson said. “I mean, this building is stunning. It’s incredible. How many people have maybe walked past it over all of the years and not even had a chance to walk inside?”

    ‘Goosepumps’

    The show began with a narration welcoming us to “prepare to board on a timeless journey.” Over the next 45 minutes, the basilica was transformed into a night sky, a golden palace, an architect’s drawing board, a stormy sea, stained glass, a garden of falling petals (that defied the laws of gravity and rose upward), a kaleidoscope, a cloudy sky filled with angels, and, for a brief moment, a black-and-white scene that looked straight out of a Tim Burton movie.

    “Wow!” and “Oh my God!” I can hear myself saying on my video recordings (probably should have rethought that last exclamation in a Catholic church).

    “Goosepumps” I wrote in my notebook (hey, it was dark).

    The opening night performance of Luminiscence on June 11.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    The visuals were stunning and the live orchestra and choir of local musicians sounded lovely, even if I only recognized a few of the pieces of classical music being performed, like “Ode to Joy” from Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9.

    I did struggle to follow along with the narration and tenuous storyline though, which mostly focused on the creation of the Cathedral Basilica but also tried to tie in the founding of the United States and Philadelphia. Ferguson called it a “poetic love letter to Philadelphia and the cathedral.”

    Crystal Safford of Philadelphia and Luminiscence executive producer Clayton Ferguson talk after the opening night performance.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    “It’s really about less is more,“ he said. ”We try to use as few words as possible to elevate the senses along the way.”

    God and the church feature prominently in the narration, which perhaps is to be expected, given the setting, but it also makes the program feel less than secular. I didn’t find it off-putting, but I can see how some people may.

    Faith and wonder

    The strength of this show lies firmly in its visuals, which helped me to see one of Philadelphia’s most storied edifices in a new way — alive.

    But it’s always alive, every day, with people and services. That was one of the biggest difficulties Ferguson and his crew faced when setting up Luminiscence.

    The opening night performance of Luminiscence lights up the interior of the Cathedral Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Philadelphia on June 11. Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    “One of the hardest challenges is how do we kind of disappear so people don’t see speakers everywhere,” he said. “So that’s actually our biggest challenge — staying out of the way.”

    If you’ve been staying out of the way of the Cathedral Basilica (or have never visited), Luminiscence is a great excuse to step inside. I’ve felt wonder in grand places of worship over the years — the Sagrada Familia in Spain, the Cao Dai Temple in Vietnam, and the Basilica of San Clemente in Italy — but it’s been a long time since I’ve felt wonder in a church on my own soil. Luminiscence gave me that.

    “It’s a very positive, beautiful, uplifting experience and it’s able to be both about faith and about wonder,” Gill said.

    People watch the opening night performance of Luminiscence on June 11.Elizabeth Robertson / Staff Photographer

    Know before you go

    • Three types of shows are available: with a live choir and orchestra, with just a live choir, and with an audio recording.
    • Adult ticket prices are $29 to $85 depending on the type of show, your chosen seating, and the day of the week. Tickets are available through Feverup.com.
    • Shows start late, with the earliest beginning at 8:15 p.m., to limit external light during performances.
    • For the best views, sit as far back as possible.
    • Do not, like me, bring your leftover dinner from Urban Farmer or you will be forced to throw it away, even if you promise you have no intention of eating mac-and-cheese in a church.
    • You will be looking up a lot, so if you suffer from neck issues maybe bring an airplane pillow?
    • Photos and videos are permitted, but limit yourself for your own enjoyment and for those around you. Nobody wants to watch the show through your phone.

  • Dear Abby | Patriarch’s passing created chasms among survivors

    DEAR ABBY: My husband of 31 years died suddenly five years ago. Our family — four kids, six grandkids — was devastated. We still haven’t recovered. We used to be a happy bunch, spending time at the lake, backyard barbecues by the pool and football games.

    My husband was an integral part of this. With him gone, we now get together only on major holidays. The siblings no longer call each other or me, or spend time together. My oldest son quit communicating with us altogether because I recently remarried, and he doesn’t care for my husband.

    I’m retired now, and I always thought my retirement would be spent enjoying good times with my kids and grandkids, but that seems to be a fantasy at this point. I honestly think they wish I had been the one to die, and it breaks my heart. How can I bring us back together, or is the loss of my family as I knew it something else I must mourn?

    — GRIEVING IN MISSOURI

    DEAR GRIEVING: Of course things changed with the death of your husband, their father. He may have been the core of those barbecues by the pool, the visits to the lake and the football games. That does not mean that you, the kids and grandkids cannot have enjoyable times together now and in the future, but you all will have to accept that they are different.

    I am sorry that your oldest son has chosen to turn his back on you because he can’t accept your new husband. You did nothing wrong by going on with your life. If your son can’t accept that, then you must accept that this was his choice.

    If you haven’t already done it, start issuing invitations to your children and grandchildren to come and enjoy life with you. It won’t be the same, but it could be enriching to all of you. And if that doesn’t work out, please enlarge your circle of friends. Warm friendships can fill a lot of empty space, as I know from my own life.

    ** ** **

    DEAR ABBY: My boyfriend and I recently moved in together, which is great, but he can’t seem to hold a job. I’m working two jobs right now to make up for rent. I also attend school. I don’t know how to tell him I don’t want to be with someone I have to provide for. I do want to be with him as he’s the first guy I’ve actually ever liked.

    Is it wrong of me to stay with him even though he doesn’t bring enough to the table? He doesn’t go to school or anything. His birthday is coming up, and I’m not sure if I should get him anything since we didn’t do anything on my birthday and I spent the majority of the day alone.

    — SECOND THOUGHTS IN CALIFORNIA

    DEAR SECOND THOUGHTS: What you should give this guy are his walking papers. You should NOT be working two jobs in order to feed him and pay the rent because he’s jobless, unmotivated and absent. You may like him, but if you continue with your studies and earn your degree, your chances of meeting someone who will be an equal partner will be better than wasting your time with a deadbeat.

  • The World Cup’s hottest accessory is this free bracelet, prompting hourslong lines

    The World Cup’s hottest accessory is this free bracelet, prompting hourslong lines

    The World Cup’s hottest accessory is free, but it’ll cost hours of your time.

    At the FIFA Fan Festival in Lemon Hill, fans watched Germany beat Curacao, the Netherlands and Japan draw, and Ecuador lose to Ivory Coast on Sunday. Between games, attendees bought snacks or tried their hand at sponsored booths for prizes. Lines ebbed and flowed. But one stretched across the field with seemingly no end in sight.

    A simple customizable charm bracelet has taken off at FIFA Fan Festivals nationwide, including Philly’s. The accessory has prompted wait times rivaling a Taylor Swift merch line, the latest sneaker drop, or John’s Water Ice during a record-breaking heat wave.

    @antonietadice

    The line never got any shorter. We watched the whole game, halftime, and hung around for two more hours… still the same. Maybe next time lmao 🥲 . #fifafanfestival #mundial2026 #philadelphia #worldcup2026 #parati

    ♬ Saxophones getting louder – Sped Up – AntonioVivald

    “Get there early!” TikTokers warned while showing off their new hardware. “I waited four hours,” one user wrote.

    Bank of America is the sponsor behind the giveaway. The company announced in a news release that it was armed with more than 2 million “Fan Bands” and 10 million beads.

    Mimicking a Pandora bracelet, the Fan Bands are composed of a red, blue, or black woven band and an assortment of metal beads that lace through. Available beads include numbers, flags, a FIFA World Cup trophy, and several city-specific designs that pair with World Cup host cities.

    City-specific designs include a cable car for San Francisco, Mount Rainier in Seattle, a yellow cab in New York City, and a lobster in Boston.

    Philadelphia’s city-specific charms include the Liberty Bell, a cheesesteak, the LOVE statue, Rocky’s boxing gloves, and Independence Hall. Visitors can either design a custom bracelet, selecting five beads, or opt for a faster pre-designed bracelet.

    The bracelets are completely free for Fan Festival attendees — no sign-ups or bank loyalty required, either. But be warned: The lines are serious.

    On Reddit, an attendee said visitors ran straight to the Bank of America booth when Philly’s Fan Fest opened and that they waited an hour and 20 minutes to get theirs. On TikTok, users said they waited anywhere from four to eight hours depending on when they arrived and their level of determination.

    The allegiance isn’t limited to Philadelphia. People attending Fan Fests in other cities are also complaining about the lines.

    In Dallas, one attendee noted: “more people [were] lining up for bracelets than watching the match.”

    And if waiting in lines isn’t your thing, Philly has another charm bracelet ready and waiting.

    Artist John Wind launched a collection of Philly charms in honor of the nation’s 250th birthday that feature the LOVE statue, a boxing glove, and even a soccer ball.

    The locally made bracelet, which is a collaboration with the Philadelphia Visitor Center, is $98.