Eric comes up to find us still getting ready. We have to be quick in order to catch the boat in time. It is an absolutely stunning day; not a cloud in sight. The temperature is a very gorgeous 24C with an expected maximum of 28C. We're all going on a Chicago architectural boat tour. The buildings are amazing here.
Jason is our captain and we have a volunteer from the Architectural Society as our guide. The guide begins talking, the boat takes off, and we disappear under the first bridge, which is very low. The captain makes sure that nobody is standing up and we all look ahead or down to avoid any rust or dirt from the bridge falling into our eyes.
We slowly emerge from the other side and the guide continues his commentary. We can already see the differing architectural styles. One of the most conspicuous buildings that we see first is the Trump Tower. It is impressive that such a bold building can sit in the middle of Chicago and look like it was always there. It fits in so well. For me, it is representative of Chicago in that it accommodates all, no matter what size or style: buildings, people, culture. This is a city that has worked hard to make everything available yet it doesn't blow its own trumpet. It is a city without pretension. It is exceptionally clean, too.
We continue up the Chicago River through to the old industrial part of the city. This river was very busy when the city first started, as it was the major artery for transportation of goods. It was also very polluted and smelly until its direction was reversed and the river cleaned. Today it is wonderfully clean and has a somewhat greenish natural tinge. On the not-so-natural side, the city dyes the river green on St. Patrick's Day each year.
The boat turns around to face southward and we cruise down past some beautifully presented buildings. The guide explains how certain features work of each of the major and some minor buildings. If the architectural feature is great, he has us saying a particular phrase: "this is a time when you would [all chime in:] kiss your architect!" I'm not sure how many architects I've virtually kissed but I hope they're grateful. My lips are chapped. The boat turns east and goes past our starting point to head toward Lake Michigan. It seems Chicagoans had plenty of time on their hands a century or so ago since they not only reversed the river flow but also reclaimed an impressive amount of land on the lake shore.
We've been sitting down for ages certainly not working our butts off but we're pretty hungry now. Eric has local cuisine in store for us: Chicago pizza. Uno's, the pizza place, is busy; very busy. We give our name to the 'front desk' and it should be about forty minutes before a table becomes free. There is a line of people inside and outside the restaurant waiting for their names to be called.
We cross the road to Bloomingdales to take a look. The displays are much more upmarket than Macy's in New York. Then again, we haven't seen Macy's in Chicago yet. Within no time, we need to return to the footpath outside Uno's for our name to be called. We're in and we order a drink and some food. First is deep fried cheese sticks. It is at this point that I realise I am still carrying around yesterday's lunch. What the hell... omg, yum! Our pizzas arrive. Mum has an individual size, the smallest size. Eric and I each have a small pizza. They are more than an inch high! The base takes up a lot of the thickness and now I can see why: it is a biscuit base similar to that used for slices (e.g. caramel slice, peppermint slice). Even just eating the topping, it is all a little too much and I can hardly finish half of my small pizza.We really need to walk this pizza off and head toward the hotel for an afternoon nap. I put the camera battery on charge while we sleep. After the food has maliciously settled itself into our waistline, we wake up and get ready to go out again. Eric is going to take us to the Navy Pier on the shoreline of the lake. It has had many uses over the years but is now a mix of amusement park, boat harbour, museum, and tourist attractions. On the way, Mum asks me to take a photo of a mural under a bridge. I push the camera button, the screen goes black, and then an innocent white message appears on screen: "Cannot record!" Oh no; I took out the camera card and forgot to put it back.
We arrive at the Navy Pier and my first priority is to find a store that sells SD cards. Fortunately, there is one at quite a reasonable price. I start snapping away again. This pier has so much to see. The first thing we look at is the lead lighting museum. Being able to see them close-up reveals so much more work than simply seeing them high up in a church. The way the layers of glass are stacked and swirled to produce different patterns to represent clothing is fascinating.
It's a little stuffy inside so we venture outside into the cooler air. It seems we get to partake in Oktoberfest after all! A tent with beer steins, seated benches, and polka music is all available for those with photo ID. Mum grabs a photo with a local.
We continue to the Ferris wheel and Eric buys some tickets for us. The Navy Pier is all lit up and provides an excellent view when up high. What a gorgeous night!Pics of the day
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