My sister asked me if I’ve spent an evening sipping red wine and listening to Blues here in Chicago. As yet, I have not managed that, but I did see the ‘blues’ a few weeks ago — before the greyness descended — up in the expansive midwestern sky. #1: Shadows on the Drake Hotel On this walk, we wandered through Lincoln Park, down through the Gold Coast, Miracle Mile, and into the Loop. From there, we snaked our way through Millenium Park, into Grant Park, all the way down to the Museum Campus on the South Side of the city. This route took in the notable landmarks of the Hancock Tower, the Tribune Building, the Chicago River, the ‘Bean’, and the Buckingham Fountain. The latter was made famous (for me, at least) for featuring in the opening credits of ‘Married… with Children’. #2: The Tribune Building #3: The ‘Bean’ #4: Buckingham Fountain #5: Field Museum #6: Footpath art #7: Lounging on the grassy knoll outside the Adler Planetarium #8: The view from the Planetarium

The Campus is home to the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, Soldier Field and the Adler Planetarium. We spent an hour or so lounging about on the grass, warming ourselves in the early October sun, watching the city from afar. Boats came and went. Traffic inched along Lakeshore Drive, cyclists breezed past the gridlock on the lakeside trail. We were only a 30-odd minute walk back to the Loop, and yet we felt a million miles away.

#9: The Adler Planetarium #10: Relaxing by Lake Michigan #11: The sailboats return to the harbour in the late afternoon

It’s nice to play tourist every once in a while.