Mishmash Melange: monday

our reflections in the bean

On Monday we returned downtown. We parked in Millennium Garage because our first order of business was for Bill to see Millennium Park. I had thoroughly explored and enjoyed this park in June when it was filled with people and all sorts of lovely lush plants. Not quite as impressive in the winter but still enjoyable. Bill used to work in the Standard Oil/Amoco/Aon building and when he used to look out the window of his office he saw a rail yard where this park is now.

It was a very foggy day but warmish day. I like the way the buildings disappear into the fog in this reflection of the skyline in the bean. At least it wasn't raining and I was just so happy to be downtown.

Dinobill

There are some very strange sculptures in this park.

I can't get enough of these glass block ever changing towers.

one of the many bridges across the Chicago River

After exploring the park we decided to slowly make our way to Union Station where we were to meet John and Marie. They were dropping off relatives at the train station and we had made plans to meet them for lunch. We walked along the river on Wacker Drive stopping at Trump Tower and the building across from Marina Towers where Bill worked when he worked for Arthur Young. We thought about going up in Sears/Willis tower but it was so foggy that you couldn't see the tops of the buildings let alone a long distance. I had wanted to check out that glass floored box but wasn't even able to see it from the outside of Willis tower for all the fog. The day before we had searched on-line for a play, opera or production of any kind to attend Monday evening but nothing seemed to be going on on Monday evenings except the Blue Man Group. As we passed the Civic Opera House we decided to go in and found that The Damnation of Faust was being shown that evening. A very enthusiastic opera patron in flannel shirt, jeans and purple Crocs who was buying tickets for several operas latched onto us. He gave us a 20 minute synopsis of the play which he had already seen and was attending again that evening. He let us know that he was a man of means who could afford the best seats several times and hoped that we could fit the price of two tickets in our budget. He really was a delight to talk to though and didn't really have to convince us to buy tickets at all as we were quite excited about the show. I checked out 120 Riverside Plaza where I had worked before we crossed the street to Union Station. I was surprised to find that Carson's was still in the building and the layout of the store was just as it had been when I worked in the building.

Lunch with John and Marie at Fulton's on the River. I had a delish grilled Lake Superior trout salad that kept seeming to multiple as I ate it. Like the loaves and fishes, it seemed I had as much on my plate when I finished as there had been when I started. Gov Pat Quinn was having lunch there as well. He stopped by our table and told us to have a good afternoon.

After saying goodbye to John and Marie, Bill and I walked back towards Michigan Ave. I stopped in Water Tower Place to pick up some gifts. We walked through Northwestern University. We thought about going to the Art Museum, Planetarium or Aquarium but didn't really have the time before we were to go back to the Opera House for dinner at the Bistro and a lecture before the opera. We went into Treasure Island, America's Most European Supermarket where I bought some horrible awful rose cookies and a heavy glass jar of Greek vanilla preserves.

On to the opera house. We had had a late lunch so we weren't really hungry for dinner. The bistro offered light fare. Crystal served me a Champagne cocktail and yummy creamy Tomato Basil soup that blistered the roof the of my mouth. B and I shared a duck salad with creamy cranberry dressing that was out of this world good.
From there we went downstairs to the main floor for a lecture that was eerily similar to the one I received from the opera patron earlier in the day.

Then curtains up and I couldn't stop smiling and smiling as I enjoyed this edgy, witty , devilishly good opera cleverly staged in the 1970s.

We walked back to Millennium garage through the park. I was glad I had my heavy jar of Greek vanilla preserves as it would make the perfect weapon for bashing in the head of any would-be mugger.