Chicago: from the river to the sky (X)

Hello arch lovers!

Once again in Chicago, more iconic places to show, the series continues for a little more, especially architecture lovers should not miss this new tour where we will once again admire this unique and amazing city.

We have seen that it is the city of skyscrapers, we have seen them from the street, and also from inside, enjoying incredible views. We have also discovered parks with a modern style and fascinating design structures surrounded by green nature in the heart of the most urban area and in that same environment we have found different fountains, one more classic but elegant and glamorous and another futuristic and surprising. Afterwards we have moved away from the center to simply walk in a relaxed way through residential neighborhoods, where we have been able to browse and see wonderful houses of very different styles but which converged perfectly in the same area. Because in Chicago life is made around architecture and design, everything goes together.

So now we have to see the city from a new perspective, neither from above nor from the ground, but this time from the Chicago River, yes, with the same name, it crosses the city horizontally becoming the main artery that crosses this big urban area until we reach the great Lake Michigan.

And if there is something that I can recommend if you ever visit the city, it is to get a ticket to take a boat ride on the river, they are also themed tours, and the theme is obviously architecture. It is very enjoyable to navigate calmly while they explain everything about the surrounding buildings that we are passing, and you learn so many things that you end up understanding that fascination for those giant structures made of bricks, beams and glass, or other materials. Because they explain everything to you, they tell you the name of each one, because each one is different and each one has its name, when they were built, with what materials and if there is any relevant information or anecdote about them, there is usually always something interesting in their stories.

It doesn't matter what the weather is like, it's hard to get that right in Chicago, it's true, but it doesn't matter, even with some light (and cold) rain the walk is pleasant. Suddenly we find ourselves almost submerged in a sea of buildings that seem to engulf us, we feel smaller, from the river as we look up at the sky.

There are many buildings to look at, some of them we already know... they are the most famous, like the Aon Center (which had problems due to the large pieces of white marble, so heavy that they fell... you see a fact that I remember from that small cruise through the city), the tower of Donald Trump with whose antenna surpassed in height the previous building that went to fourth place among the tallest, the twins that look like ears of corn that have a parking lot at the bottom not only for cars but also for boats at lower levels, in the water, and also a big restaurant.

There are actually several restaurants along the riverbed, in fact there is a lot of life, for example on Saint Patrick's Day they dye their waters green, but especially when the good weather arrives, which also exists in Chicago, although some may not believe it. And on those sunny days everything shines brighter and that setting between the river and the skyscrapers is impressive.

But not all are buildings, we also cross under the characteristic industrial-style bridges, made of maroon iron with rivets, which indicate the streets of the city, where people cross in their daily lives without perhaps noticing that from below many tourists especially look at them. And some of the bridges are opened if they are not high enough for some larger ships to pass, there are schedules but it is not usually very frequent.

And we almost reach the mouth and everything becomes different, are we in the same city? On one side we see the Navy Pier Ferris wheel, the city's leisure park, but we see it from the other side, further north, on the other, even suddenly a small lighthouse and like a fisherman house as if lost in the middle of nowhere, and in the background we turn and there it is again, the skyline of the city, with another perspective because some of its most emblematic buildings do not appear from here but it is still the fabulous city of Chicago from Lake Michigan.

Before returning to the pier, another building, almost alone, with rounded and curved shapes catches our attention as if to avoid the wind or dance next to it, because Chicago is the windy city, don't forget it.

And what else to say! We don't get tired of seeing more and more, and seeing more of the same thing from another perspective. This time a pleasant river walk with an architecture lesson from the river that takes us up to the sky and the spectacular Chicago skyline.