Chicago rocks!

 In all the cities I've been in so far the transit systems have been so easy. Chicago has had me some what puzzled. I'm getting there slowly!  

My first day here I decided that I would have a wandering day, no plans except I would like to get to see Lake Michigan.

So got on the bus to take me downtown and would decide where to get off when I got there.

A not so nice bus driver wouldn't let me have a senior ticket because I hadn't got a card. I made the mistake of asking him if it was a dollar. So I had to pay $2.25. Because of that I decided I would go as far as his bus was going which was Harbour Point. That sounded promising anyway.

It would have been if there were not road works happening. Couldn't get across the highway to the harbour. Never mind...I was near some gardens......

                                        

 This looked promising.

Through the archway it had metal plaques with advice on mental health and physical health. It was obviously a place where down and outs slept! There were two on the first two seats and what a shame it was sadly neglected.  It could have been so pretty. I couldn't decide if this little chap was a tufted whatever or also a down and out! He looked a bit scruffy.

So back into the street, a different story.

 Flowers all the way down the street.

So three ways to go, which one to choose. Towards the city I think. Good choice. I had been looking at a big metal structure so walked towards that which led me to 

  

The metal structure was, I found out, the roof of the Jay Pritzker Pavilion which is a concert venue and can hold 11,000 people. 4,000 on the seats and 7,000 on the lawn.

Off this you enter the Lurie Gardens, specially designed to represent the City in a Garden, a five acre site,which today was looking a bit sad. I've caught it mid season and a lot of the plants are dying. I can tell though that in mid summer it would have been stunning. It has walkways, benches and best of all a man made stream!

A very popular stopping place. People were sitting reading books with their feet dangling in the very cold water!. It was lovely and so refreshing, I sat and watched the little Japanese boy loving it, while I ate my peach and guzzled my water which I've decided I really must drink a lot more of. Don't like it really but I think I've got a little dehydrated from all this sun. It's been very hot here (apart from half a day in Oregon I've had hot sun between 80 and 90 degrees for the past three weeks!) People throw coins in the stream, I bet the down and outs come and collect at night!   After half an hour my feet were getting a bit numb so onwards..... And round the corner to the Bean. This is such a fun thing!

Cloud Gate is it's official name and was designed by British designer Anish Kapoor.  why haven't we got one! It's made of stainless steel and Reflects outside and when you walk through it.

Even brides come here on their wedding day (pink dress)

Better outside!

Heard jazz being played.   Drawn to this I wandered down to the outside restaurant and sat myself down to have a drink and a listen. However, someone had ordered baby ribs next to me and they looked delicious, so I spent a happy, almost two hours eating, drinking my prosecco (mistake I didn't want to move after this) and listening to the group playing Latin jazz. Totally wonderful!

They even had wildlife there, think they must have come over from the gardens.

This butterfly was huge, compare it to the size of the flowers. This guy was really pretty.

Well I had to tear myself away eventually!  I started to head off south. Whenever you ask directions it's always by the compass. You need to go west or take the bus south! You actually get used to it.

I hadn't a clue which bus was going to where I am staying and was looking at the map in a shelter when a voice said, you enjoying your visit?  It was a man I had spoken to on the bus coming in. He had asked me if he could help me with anything when I was reading my street map!  Made a quick getaway!