Day 010 – Last full day in Chicago
Today the weather wasn’t cooperating. Snowed quite a bit and it was cooooold.
I took a taxi and went out see Frank Lloyd Wright’s home and studio.”www.wrightplus.org” I was early and ended up walking around the neighbourhood in the nasty weather. Frank Lloyd Wright had designed a few homes around there and was very easily spotted as they stood out from the rest of the victorian homes. The houses in the area were nicely decorated. With the snow, they almost looked like Christmas card covers.
While waiting for the tour of his home and studio, I went over to the Unity Temple that he designed as well. Unfortunately the temple was under restoration so lots was covered by scaffolding and clothes. It was interesting to see though.
The tour around his home and studio was very informative. The tour guide was very knowledgeable. The downside was that no photography was allowed inside. Some of the things that he has designed were pretty brilliant. He was a bit dictative as to where things go, and how things should work but the way they executed were just BRILLIANT. My favorite part was where the grand piano for the play room had to be hidden so it stuck out into the stairwell instead. Who would have thought. He seemed to have thought about every little details throughout the house.
After the tour, I came back to Chicago and walked around a bit. Came across the Christkindlmarket at Daley Plaza. It had all the little booths that sold traditional German glass ornaments, foods and other German gifts. Pretty neat and it smelled lovely. In this yucky weather, a nice sweet scent of apple strudels and chocolate was really comforting. There were couple booths that was selling glass ornaments. From little bird shape to beer shape or even devil faces. I also saw a number of different pickle shaped ones.
I learned something new today abot the glass pickle. Apparently the German legend had it that family would hide a glass pickle in the Christmas tree and whoever found it first on Christmas day would get an extra gift.
