Framedlight

Day 5 was to be our last full day in Chicago before flying back to Orlando. We checked out of our hotel and made our way back to Michael's area of the city before going with him to North Western university where he needed to be at a lecture in the history department. But we didn't need to be there till the afternoon. The hotel was directly opposite the Carbide and Carbon building. An art deco jewel, clad in green granite and decorated modestly with brass. It is now the home of the Hard Rock Hotel. We dropped in to the Cultural Centre. This was built in 1897 to serve as Chicago's first public library but is now used to host exhibitions and events. There was a vary varied show from students around the city. Another by an artist who had painted the doors of a school in a deprived area, and then a rather strange collection of ladders and ropes that was outside the galleries in a courtyard area. The rooms are enormous and one of the glass domes is by Tiffany, (he h...

After we had eaten our tacos we left the market for Chicago's Art Institute. This is one of the oldest galleries in the USA, and the second largest after the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was founded in 1879 and housed in a building dating from 1893 but with a number of additions built to house the increasing collection. The latest extension is the Modern Wing designed by Renzo Piano. We travelled there via the Berghoff Restaurant (unfortunately we did not dine there). This was opened in 1898 and has become a Chicago landmark. It is still owned by the Berghoff family. The sunshine was very bright and contrasty but created a lovely dappled effect on the front of the restaurant. The glass fronted buildings were all reflecting their neighbours and sharp blades of light were cutting through the elevated train track. We arrived at the Art Institute and Mike dropped us off as he was going to collect his sister Emma from the airport. Emma had not w...