When my flight descended into Chicago there was a perfect view of Lake Michigan and the city’s skyline. This was very welcome, as NYC had been misty, gray, and muggy when I departed.
Chicago is a city I know well but haven’t visited in nearly a decade. Without business trips, I didn’t have either a reason or time to go. But I got a great deal on a hotel and flight and decided to visit.
Yesterday, after checking into my hotel, I walked around the Magnificent Mile. I was delighted to see tulips in flowerbeds stretching as far as I could see. The tulips in NYC are long gone. It was like revisiting early spring.
What saddened me is how many empty stores there are, especially on the side streets. Still, the major department stores and many well-known restaurants remain. I had lunch at Giordanos, a Chicago institution.
On my walk back to the hotel I stopped at the cathedral. I’d never been in it. What I found surprising is that in a very traditional cathedral, the stained-glass windows were all abstract (and quite beautiful).
I didn’t stay out late; my writing group is on Tuesday evenings and I didn’t want to miss it.