Chicago in winter, performs best in cold weather -

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The Cloud Gate in the foreground with me being reflected from the surface of the sculpture — Cloud gate is one of the symbols of the city

Chicago in winter: the windy city

I had always had it in my mind to see Chicago in winter. The metropolis on Lake Michigan, famous for its frigid climate being exposed to Arctic currents, so super cold and very windy. In my head I had the idea of visiting it just in winter. Also because there are not so many modern metropolises at those latitudes; and I am super-happy to have seen it at this time.

Then it is also famous for the skyscrapers, which I especially liked for the glimpse. In fact, I’m not very fond of going up them, although while I was there, I did, of course.

To save a little money I flew on Christmas Eve and arrived via Paris mid-afternoon, just in time to familiarize myself with the elevated subway seen in so many movies and the frigid weather.

On Christmas morning I woke up very early and therefore enjoyed virtually alone the long snow-covered lake; the sun beginning to warm up a little (a little); and the clear sky behind the glittering skyscrapers of Downtown . As is the case with several U.S. cities that have been the site of so many movies, Chicago has many cinematic vistas, and my favorite movie set in the Illinois capital is The Blues Brothers.

Buddha statue partially submerged by snow in a Chicago park — This sculpture representing the Buddha was almost completely submerged in snow

Chicago's largely elevated subway system.

The Metro

Shot in so many films, the Chicago subway is almost all elevated and offers beautiful glimpses

Very cold

But I was aware of it and was equipped, as was the city with snowplows and salt spreaders always on the move

Chicago d'inverno può significare neve e questo é il lungo lago semi deserto

The long lake

I walked there on Christmas morning, semi-deserted.

La monumentale e classicheggiante scalata all'interno della stazione ferroviaria di Chicago; location di una celebre scena del film gli intoccabili

Movie locations

At Union Station (train station), the shooting scene of Brian De Palma’s film The Untouchables starring Kevin Costner and Sean Connery was filmed

The painting called the night owls by Edward Hopper, depicts patrons of a bar visible from outside through a glass window — Rich and unmissable Museum of contemporary art Here Edward Hoppers night owls

Chicago skyline reflected from the surface of the Cloud Gate — Me and the Chicago skyscrapers reflected from Cloud Gate

The skyscrapers of downtown Chicago as seen from the lakefront — Downtown Chicago as seen from the lakefront a nice walk starts right at the Pier which is right there in front

Cloud gate sculpture, looks like a giant silver bean — Cloud gate is called bean so translated bean

Chicago in winter, the problem is in the evening

If by day, walking, you can get around even in temperatures far below zero, but at night, in fact Chicago in winter becomes hostile. But I did not give up.

Not coincidentally, it is also one of the homelands of music and so for 2 nights I braved the -20 (yes I spelled it right) and ice-paved sidewalks to go to 2 historic live music venues. There were few people but still the level and ambiance were super.

Blues musicians on stage at one of Chicago's historic venues — If it werent for the increasing frost outside I would have made morning listening to them

Entrance to the building that houses the House of blues in Chicago. — One of the most renowned venues for live music

Next stop Christmas in New York, the world is small even in NY parties

Home travel Traveling in the USA in the winter

Snowy cemetery in Chicago — Randomly strolling around I found myself here even cemeteries have their own different why when so snowy

Trips taken, travel stories divided by continent

Anecdotes, divided by type in travel narratives

Countries visited in my travel stories

Fabio Viroli

Ho sempre avuto tante passioni, ma da sempre più o meno latenti, le principali sono viaggiare e scrivere. Tra le altre cose ho una laurea in psicologia; ho fatto per più di 30 anni l’allenatore di basket; leggo tanti libri; sono stato molto appassionato di sport e di musica rock; e faccio improvvisazione teatrale

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Chicago in winter, performs best in cold weather