Chicago, and The Bean

First of all, a gigantic thanks to the fabulous Sarah Weinman, who graciously offered to house us in her beautiful new apartment despite being hemmed in on all sides by moving boxes. It was a real treat to see Sarah twice in a week, and we really appreciate the comfortable couch and good company.

Now, a few photos from our tourist jaunt through Chicago. Grateful for a morning out of the Volvo to stretch our legs, we wandered through Navy Pier to try to get a glimpse of the tall ship convergence there. I think all I want to say is that Navy Pier is very long, and I am very short. But I liked looking up:

Then we wandered through Millennium Park. It is beautiful.

Justin basks.

And did I mention that we are obsessed with the bean Cloud Gate?

Cloud Gate is one of my favorite pieces of public art in the world. It interacts both with the city's space and with its viewers, which is difficult to do, and I think it's just darned magnetic. I took about ten thousand photos from every conceivable angle and would have liked to have stayed longer just to watch the crowd of visitors wander around this thing, entranced, posing, leaving fingerprints. It's a wonderful homage to Chicago, too, which is one heck of a photogenic city -- you can't beat that skyline against the backdrop of Lake Michigan on a puffy-cloud day.

I also like Chicago because one of its main streets is named after me!

Look closely! Upper left corner! Dearborn street! Get it??

We're at a motel in Ohio, now, and are really looking forward to dinner in Irvington tomorrow with my family -- Matthew, Tommye, Aunt Cindy & Uncle Des included, which is an unexpected treat. We may not be blogging much because of rapid-onset family time tomorrow; stay tuned as we turn our sights toward Australia. We'll be in Sydney early next week.

xox,
Meredith