Some final sightseeing downtown, then home

My last day in the city, but with an early evening flight there was still time to see a bit more of Chicago. After packing and checking out (leaving bags to be picked up later) Isa, Amelie and I went for a final relaxed breakfast at Goddess and the Baker. It was raining, so for the first time we sat inside for our meal.

We then took the El to the Harold Washington Library stop in the South Loop area of downtown, as I’d read that there was some interesting street art around there. It took some searching out, but we liked what we found, even if it was harder to photograph in the rain!

Museum of Contemporary Photography

Given the weather an indoor activity seemed a good idea, so we visited the Museum of Contemporary Photography on Michigan Avenue. Isa is as keen a photographer as I am, and Amelie was more than happy to come along. And we all found plenty to like in the varied exhibits on show. The exhibition was title ‘Love: still not the lesser’ and featured photographers from all around the world including Japan, Canada, the US, UK, Morocco, China, Senegal, Austria. We all enjoyed the installation by Moroccan Mous Lamrabat, and I was moved by the story told in Scottish photographer Alice Bruce’s images, of a community fighting against Donald Trump’s plans to create a golf course.

The museum is free but asks for donations which I felt were more than merited.

Grant Park

By the time we came out the sky was clearing, which was great as we were all keen to see the Buckingham Fountain. So we crossed Michigan Avenue into Grant Park where the first thing that struck me were the two huge sculptures by Ivan Mestrovic. They depict Native Americans on horseback but interestingly the weapons they purport to carry are missing. There is an urban myth suggesting they were somehow removed as a prank, but in fact it was intentional as the artist wanted to draw attention to ‘the bold lines of the musculature of both man and beast, as well as the linear patterns of the horses’ manes and tails and the figures’ headdresses.’

I had mixed feelings about this pair. On the one hand I admired the skills that had created them, but on the other I had to agree with those who feel they over-romanticise the Native American experience. But that didn’t stop me taking plenty of photos!

Buckingham Fountain

We had thought about visiting the fountain at night, after watching the sunset from the top of 875 North Michigan Avenue, but we were tired and no bus was due for some time, so we had given up. But now at least we were able to fit in a visit before we had to leave Chicago.

The fountain was inspired by one at Versailles and is gloriously over the top! For one thing, it is double the size of the original, making it one of the largest fountains in the world.

The centrepiece is a multi-tiered array of jets, cascading upwards and outwards. In the surrounding pool, said to symbolise nearby Lake Michigan, four Art Deco seahorses spout more water. The latter represent the four states that border the lake. In all, according to Wikipedia, there are 193 jets, spouting more than 14,000 U.S. gallons per minute during one of the nightly displays. Even by day though it is very impressive, and we lingered a while, taking lots of photos and getting a passerby to take one of us together.

Michigan Avenue

By now time was getting on so we started to make our way back to the station along Michigan Avenue, enjoying the variety of architecture on show. We popped into the Fine Arts Building, one of the best examples of Art Nouveau in the city.

I was thrilled to pass the end point (or start point) of Route 66 on Jackson Boulevard, even though it isn’t much to look at!

Then it was back to the hotel on the El to collect our bags.

Amelie was on a later flight so we said goodbye to her there, while Isa and I were catching the same flight to Heathrow from where she would continue to Barcelona.

We got to the airport without any problems, but the flight was delayed owing to a technical issue – not something I relish hearing! However they got it sorted and we finally left. We were seated separately and as Isa had a tight connection we said our goodbyes on boarding. I was pleased to get a message from her when on my Tube home to say she had made the connection – just!

So there we are, the end of another super VT meet. Next up will be the Euromeet in Kotor next May/June when hopefully many of us will meet up again.