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Published: January 16th 2010
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A few astute observations can be made from our brief 72 hours in the "Windy City". Chicago has the best food of our weekend breaks thus far, the city is not as windy as it is said and December is a bloody freezing time to take a citybreak! As we would be in separate countries for our anniversary we decided to have a nice weekend away prior to Ev's departure for England.
An easy flight from Baltimore and we arrived to Chicago prepared for the freezing weather dressed in our newly acquired long johns! (Having spent the last 1.5 years almost entirely in summer we made an emergency trip our local superstore prior to our departure to prepare for our trip.) Relying on public transport we endured the almost hour long and very frigid ride into town on the Metro.
Our first and main preoccupation became exploring the gastronomic joys within the city limits. Generally upon arriving into a new city we search for cheap and convienient eats within easy walking distance of whatever tourist attraction we happen to be seeing for the day.
Usually this entails a thoroughly disappointing meal in a dodgy part of town, a
sure fire bet that ends up being a greasy spoon we hope to never experience again and perhaps a half decent meal that tends to cost way more than we planned. Happily Chicago gave us a refreshing break from the norm. We experienced a lovely posh meal at a jazz restaurant, cheap fresh eats at a local sandwich bar, hearty German fare at the iconic Berghoff's and a pub recommendation that turned into the best beef sandwich i may ever eat in my life!!
Obsessive food travelling aside, we enjoyed walking the downtown daily, from Millenium Park to the Magnificient Mile to the shores of Lake Michigan and Navy Pier.
We also filled our heads with the random and useless facts that define great travel. For example did you know that the Sears Tower is as tall as 283 Barack Obama's -now there's something they didn't push in the campaign! The city gained its nickname of the "Windy City" from a Chicago Tribune article in the 1850s and was used to describe the local politicians not the amount of wind the city experiences. And this city contains (arguably) the first and perhaps only museum dedicated entirely to stained
glass in America. I know, i know, not the most interesting museum to visit however the windows were beautiful, the museum completely free and being on the pier it allowed us to explore the banks of Lake Michigan without stepping outside into the 0C weather.
Unable to leave the city without enriching our cultural knowledge we took in the great French Impressionists at the Art Institue, heard the sounds of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and ate the most sumptuous European chocolate covered fruit (pardon my food diversion!) at the quaint Christkindl Market.
We enjoyed the ambience and Christmas spirit at Cloud Gate, affectionately known as the Bean, as we watched ice skaters enjoying the fact that winter had finally come to the city. We were in awe at color and light as it passed through the biggest Tiffany dome in the world inside the Chicago Cultural Center. And nerviously stepped out 1,353 feet over the city for a towering glimpse inside the glass box suspended from the 103rd floor of the Sears Tower, now called the Willis Tower.
In short our time in Chicago was enriching, breathtaking, knee knocking, tasty, Christmasy, bone chilling and a yet another
small addition to the addiction we call travelling.
New Years resolution number 556 continue the city breaks in 2010--perhaps next time without long underwear!
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Avril
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The Windy City
Enjoyed reading about your trip, bed you did not get Evan 'hanging out over town'. Lovely sunset. look forward to the next blog