Saturday Recap and Sunday Rain

 

Late Saturday evening I took a stroll around the loop looking for some old favorites.  I got to Daley Plaza to see the giant Picasso sculpture.

Just across the street I visited the Joan Miro sculpture.  Those stained glass windows along the wall of the Chicago Temple were nice to see too.

After that, I took a taxi up to Lincoln Park to have dinner with some friends.  They had chosen a wonderful French restaurant called Mon Ami Gabi.  The food was superb.

Sunday morning I woke up to rain.  Such a difference from Saturday's sunny skies.

I went back to the Art Institute to continue my strolls through the galleries. I learned on Saturday that members get in to the museum one hour earlier than the scheduled opening time.  What a blessing that is especially on a rainy day.  For one whole hour, the galleries were quiet making it easy to snap a few photos of some of my favorites.  Things like Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte by Georges Seurat. Strolling through room after room of wonderful impressionist paintings was pure joy.

After that, I headed over to the modern wing which turned out to be another wise move. Not as many people tour that side of the museum so I still had some quiet galleries.  That gave me the freedom to enjoy Picasso's Nude Under a Pine Tree along with a bevy of other famous artists.  It seemed like there was some important work around every corner.  After that it was lunch time so I decided to head back to the hotel.  As I made my way back through the impressionist's gallery, I realized how lucky I was to see those paintings before the crowds arrived.  The galleries were almost shoulder to shoulder when I left.

Later in the afternoon, I walked over to the Chicago Cultural Center to see the Tiffany dome that I had somehow never seen before. 

That was well worth the walk.  Not only did I get to see the beautiful dome, there was also a concert going on underneath the dome.  Music and beautiful surroundings, what a great combination.