Architecture and weather in Chicago

Chicago is home to some great architecture. Sandy and I took an architecture boat tour to see some of it from the Chicago river. It was a great tour, although I would've been very happy without the volunteer commentary. There are great examples of all kinds of architectural styles done up as a skyscraper from gothic revival to international style to post-modern. There appears to be a major riverside renewal with a lot of industrial buildings being converted to homes with river views. Luckily, we took our boat tour in the morning, because while I was having lunch with Pam, there was a major thunderstorm! We saw the rain from the restaurant and it was blowing like crazy and coming in sideways, with lightening and thunder. It was spent by the time we finished eating and the air had that great post-storm feeling-cool relief!

After lunch I met up with Sandy and we walked down Michigan Ave to do some window shopping and to see Millennium Park. This place has been much photographed because of the Anish Kapoor sculpture called Cloud Gate but often called the 'bean'. There is also a beautiful Frank Gehry designed open air theatre with a huge lawn for playing, sitting, throwing a ball. The Cloud Gate was gorgeous. Because the sky was still stormy, its reflection in the mirrored surface was amazing. Just as much fun was seeing how people were interacting with the sculpture. Another major attraction here is the Crown Fountain which is two large glass block rectangles with images of faces projected from inside (apparently via LED lights). Water pours down from the top or from an opening in the images' mouths into a shallow pool. Even on a stormy day, the combination of children and water is irresistible.

After a short rest at the hotel, the evening started at the Vitra party at Japonais, a neat Asian themed restaurant with a lower level lounge and patio looking right onto the river I'd just been on that morning! Next stop was Harry Caray's bar for a light dinner and trying to watch the Dodgers and the Lakers at the same time. It's going to be a very long day tomorrow, and my first experience of the Merchandise Mart.