2 days in Chicago

  Chicago, Illinois, United States
Saturday, July 12, 2008

 

with Monika & Paul

wake up Nazario!

the train to Chicago is coming!

Last two days we spent in Chicago. We stayed at Monika & Paul's house, and it was a true pleasure to meet them. They got married just two weeks earlier! Congratulations!


Chicago has a very different feel from any other city I've seen. It's very industrial, kind od heavy, old, business type metropolis.

City of Chicago, incorporated on March 4, 1837

Chicago city

industrial Chicago

 

metropolis

the city...

 

Chicago skyline

skyline under construction

 

some history...

some old, some new...

Shedd Aquarium

Field Museum

Adler Planetarium

It's beautiful and I regret we didn't have more time to explore it. We took a free trolley around the city, passing right next to Sears Towers (the tallest building in United States with 1,705 ft / 520 m), Art Institute, Field Museum, Soldier Field Stadium, Adler Planetarium, and back to Grant Park and Millenium Park.

in front of Buckingham Fountain

reflection on existence...

Jay Pritzker Pavilion by Frank Gehry

Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millenium Park

Jay Pritzker Pavilion - an outdoor concert venue

blooming park

The parks are very beautiful, especially the Millenium Park with its Cloud Gate, known also as The Bean. It basically looks like an enormous bean, made of perfectly polished steel. It reflects objects, just like a mirror, but the curves and dents disfigure objects a little. It is however, a magnificent sculpture, one of a kind! It is interesting that the estimated cost of completing the project was $ 9 million, but  complications led to a final cost of $ 23 million! We also adored the water fountains: the traditional Buckingham Fountain, and the contemporary Crown Fountain made of two 50-foot tall glass block towers that project video images of Chicago residents' faces. On top of that it started raining, so it was a really wet day!

The Cloud Gate by Anish Kapoor

The Cloud Gate known as "Joy Bean"

I spy... Iza & Nazar

here we are in the Cloud Gate!

Chicago closed inside the Bean

yummy yummy in my tummy!

Crown Fountain

Crown Fountain in Millenium Park

Crown Fountain designed by Jaume Plensa

Congress Hotel

 

"Agora" by Magdalena Abakanowicz in Grant Park

I was pleased to see an art instalation by the famous Magdalena Abakanowicz in the Grant Park! It consists of 106 headless and armless iron figures 9-feet-tall (3 meters). For some reason they are controversial, and they have their admirers as well as critics, but I found out that Robin Williams donated some $$$ to this project, and I certainly share his admiration! I just love the enigmatic crowd!



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On the second day we decided to visit the Museum of Science and Industry. The most interesting exhibitions were: the "green house" - incredible with very modern approach, the U-505 - the only German submarine captured by American army during World War II, and the Baby Chick Hatchery - with chicks hatching from the egg-shells. Sooo cute!

Enjoy the photos:

parade in town

zaczarowana dorozka, zaczarowany dorozkarz...

stoi na stacji lokomotywa...

Iza's locomotion

King Kong of today

13-head fashion figures

we fit like puzzle pieces

to hatch or not to hatch?...

this is the question...

to hatch!

c'mon chick, there is more of us!

Green Home by Michelle Kaufmann

the back of the house

the patio

the break...

bird's eye view of Chicago

 

King Kong of today

 

German airplane

    

aiplane war

 

U-505 German submarine

 

U-505 had 59 German soldiers on board

 

this one is not one of them!

this one is my soldier!

 

torpedo from U-505

It was sad to leave Monika and Paul, they were such great hosts, but there was more ahead of us, and we had to stick to the schedule...

Tomorrow's destination: Canada!

i.s.