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Me on Holliwell Bridge, Winterset Iowa“This kind of certainty comes but once in a lifetime” Clint Eastwood in the movie “Bridges of Madison County”
Well … I made it to Madison County on May 28th to the setting of one of my favourite movies (Bridges of Madison County). I stayed in Winterset, a small town which was actually the town it was set in. The thing this little town was famous for before the filming of the movie is that it is the birth place of John Wayne. The weekend I was here just happens to coincide with John Wayne’s birthday so there are celebrations happening. Because of this, the only hotel in town has only smoking rooms left. After my ordeal with the last time I slept in a smoking room, I thought sleeping in my car would be better. I didn’t have to do that because there was a state park nearby so I pulled out the camping gear and enjoyed a couple nights of camping. The weather was perfect!
After I set up the tent, I headed back into town and had dinner at the Northside Café. This café was the one where Clint Eastwood (Robert) ate when the town was
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Winterset Iowa shunning Lucy Delaney. It was very quaint and nothing much changed. The food was good and it was cheap … I loved it. I then walked around town but most things were closed. I wandered into the local bar called “Pheasant and Run” which was also featured in the movie as the bar where Robert and Francesca escape to on their day out of town. There were only about 4 people at the bar but I sat down and enjoyed a CC and coke. It was only $2.75 … wow … I really love this town ... cheap food and cheap alcohol …what else could I ask for?
After dinner, it was time to head back to the camp. I settled in my tent with my laptop and enjoyed watching half of “Bridges of Madison County” (only half as that is how long my battery would last).
The next day, after breakfast at the Northside Café, I headed off to enjoy the bridges. I toured around and saw 4 out of the 6 that remain. I took my time and stayed at each bridge a long time and enjoyed the moment. I kept thinking about the “certainty” that
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Roseman Bridge, Winterset Iowa everyone dreams about. I remember after seeing the movie for my first time (and after the tears stopped flowing), I said to myself that I want that “certainty”. I want to share that deep love … it is what I hope for, it is what I dream of, and it is what I expect. After the bridges, I headed back to … you guessed it … Northside Café for dinner.
The evening in my tent was spent the same as the night before, watching the rest of the movie and crying again as usual!
I was planning to stay another day, but I decided against it as my back was just too sore to be getting in and out of a tent. So after I woke and had breakfast at … wait for it … Northside Café, I hit the road for Chicago. I made it as far as Iowa City where I had a coupon for a Days Inn so I decided to stay in cheap luxury for the night. I relaxed, watched a little TV, did some reading and then went to sleep. The next four nights would be in a hostel so I enjoyed my
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Holliwell Bridge, Winterset Iowa last visit to a hotel.
The next day, I was off to Chicago. I arrived around 4pm, settled in the hostel and started to read the travel guide and information on Chicago and planned my visit. They offered a free viewing of the movie “Big Fish” so I joined in and watched.
June 1st was my first full day and it was a beautiful sunny day. The forecast is rain for the next few days so whenever there is sun, I want to be outside enjoying it. I took a walk along the waterfront, through Millennium Park where I enjoyed “the bean”. I actually love that thing. It is simply a giant silver ball that looks like a bean (though the official name of it is “cloud gate”) that reflects everything around it on its surface. In its current location, that is the skyline of the buildings around and the people walking by. I loved how it distorted and bent the buildings … I imagine the “wind” of the windy city blowing the buildings.
At noon, there was a free classical concert in the cultural center that I enjoyed, and then wandered the streets looking in the
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City Park, Winterset Iowa store window etc. I stopped for some Thai food for dinner then I hung in the hostel for the rest of the night. I have been doing a lot of reading lately. I have been reading books about the Camino de Santiago written by Canadians who have done the trail. I finished the book “All the good pilgrims” and I am now reading “What the psychic told the pilgrim”. They are great books at preparing me for my walk this fall in Spain. They are giving me a dash of reality and help prepare me for what to expect.
The next day I walked the Magnificant Mile, visited the Museum of Contemporary Art, checked out the Navy Pier and walked some more city streets. On the way home, I spotted a movie theatre so I went in and watched “Brother’s Bloom”. Again, in the evening I spent it relaxing and reading. My back pain has been excruciating and each day I have uttered the words “Help me God!” and then in the next breath I say … “just kill me and end this pain”. I am not sharing this to get any sympathy. I know you care and wish
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Northside Cafe, Winterset Iowa me speedy recovery but please don’t send me the “I hope you are feeling better” emails. I am sharing my pain with you because it is a big part of my experience these days. It is also the reason that I have decided to head home early. I originally wanted to go t Minnesota and Wisconsin but they will have to wait for another time. One more day in Chicago then it is back to Ontario.
My last day in Chicago was great. It was a nice day, not too hot and the sun came out by the afternoon. I spent the day walking to and around Lincoln Park. I enjoyed the Zoo (which is free!) and walked some of the neighbourhoods. I ended the day by riding the CTA for about an hour. It is an above ground “subway” system. As soon as I arrived, the set of ER that I saw in Hollywood all made sense. Isn’t that wonderful how it all ties together?
My USA journey is now complete. As much as I drove almost 40,000 kilometres, the journey has now made the US so feel small and so close. Whenever I see commercials, TV
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Inside Northside Cafe, where Clint Eastwood sat for "Bridges of Madison County" programs, magazine articles etc ., I can’t help but feel a little closer as I know these places and I have feelings attached to them.
It is now time for me to look forward to my next journey. I plan to walk the Camino de Santiago in Spain in September 2009. It is an 800km trail that crosses the whole country. The average person takes 4-5 weeks walking 25-30 kilometres a day. It is an ancient Christian pilgrimage that hundreds of thousands of people do every year. Each person has their own reason for doing the trail but I think one thing is common … you come away from it forever changed. If you want to know my reason you will have wait for my blogs from Spain. See you in September.
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