Stepping out in the city
There's a thing I do in cities which is sort of related to being Fotherington-Tomas going 'hello birds, hello sky', but with rather more edge - striding or strutting down the street to an urban rhythm soaking up the city vibe.
Very conscious of this while walking in Chicago this afternoon/evening.
Words cannot express my delight at the raised flowerbeds all along the Magnificent Mile: I was much less struck by the pervasive bicycle sculptures, but these miniature gardens gave me huge pleasure. I wanted a band with curious tone of cornet, clarinet and big trombone, fiddle, cello, big bass drum, bassoon, flute and euphonium to start playing the Floral Dance (possibly with a touch of R&B) and people to dance around them. (This sounds like something from a potential urban fantasy set-up lurking at the back of my mind.)
I was able to identify a Henry Moore sculpture in the garden by the Art Institute at several paces.
Took advantage of the late opening and free day to pop into the Museum of Contemporary Art (just around the corner from where I'm staying) - nothing that excited me very much. The Terra Museum of American Art (also nearby) is closed, which perhaps would explain why all the links to its own site came up Page Not Found.