We took the train into Chicago on Friday. The temperatures have been in the teens and it’s been feeling like January. Friday was in the low 20′s, a veritable heat wave. Cities are supposed to be warmer than the suburbs, but I never feel warmer in Chicago! The river runs through the city, adding humidity and there is always wind. Luckily it was only breezy on Friday. The photo on the left shows what us ”locals” look like wandering the streets. This time of year it’s easy to spot the poor tourists who always seem to be under dressed.
We went in for an afternoon performance of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Brass. It was a lovely concert, especially for Peter who was an avid trombone player in school. The crowd was overwhelmingly dressed in red and green with lots of canes and walkers…. Though we were stiff with the cold, we managed on our own two feet!
It seems that we are usually in the city for night-time ballet performances, so it was fun to be there in the daylight. A must see are the Art Institute lions wearing their Christmas wreaths. The sun was sliding below the skyscrapers and the cold was becoming serious as we headed over to the Christkindlmarket. This event has been held for years with vendors coming from all over Germany. The food and hot spiced wine booths were quite busy, as was the heating tent and Santa’s house. There are many booths and tiny shops selling wooden nutcrackers, glass ornaments, clocks and you-name-it! And despite the weather, it was jammed.
The cold always feels less so when you walk, so we hiked off to Michigan Avenue. There’s a restaurant there we like a lot, which happens to be tucked between Ghiradelli Chocolate and Hershey Chocolate parlors! Such a choice after a yummy dinner.
I leave you with a lovely view of the tree in Daley Plaza at twilight on a freezing December night….
