My kind of town Chicago is
Frank may well have been onto something as he crooned those words, though come late fall I would likely prefer someone of a warmer persuasion. This is my second time in the windy city and my fifth time in the US, and I am enjoying the Indian summer that is certainly more welcoming than the rainy UK. Having flown in from Reykjavik, where the buildings are low and solid with little ostentation, Chicago is a palisade of capitalism arising from the lake in gleaming spires. To wander along the shore on a calm sunny day is a slice of aqua vitae for the soul, a balm for the work life beyond. It is to the wary traveller a respite and an eye in life’s hurricane.
As I am here for work this has not been a pure joy ride; rather, it’s a refresher in how to enjoy a city for its own merits. Chicago PD and Fire are two of my favourite shows, and its interesting see the city through their lens then walking the streets getting my own vibe. Granted I am not seeing the nasty side of town, but there is life and lives being lived without a care that I exist. A coffee is just a coffee, not a transcendental tourist experience with any great significance. The food, however, is definitely worth writing home about. Yes, this is America, and yes the portion sizes make the price worth it, yet I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of every meal I have eaten. Heck, I could have the salmon and cheesecake and ice cream…
