Setting up 18 studios, Long Eaton, Nottingham

Chicago cont… We purchased a CTA pass giving unlimited travel by rail and bus for $20/week. Bargainous. Bus stops are on every corner of the block so navigating is easy. (2 airports are also served by the trains too). http://www.transitchicago.com/ We also walked. One day the pedometer said 18000 steps. After meandering around the city we walked along the lakeside path from Millennium Park to Navy Pier in the cold and rain. We were pleased to reach our destination which warmed our bodies but offered little comfort to the soul. Navy Pier was full of uninspiring souvenirs and a food court serving the usual. The Art Institute Chicago is free from 5-8pm on Thursdays. We joined the queue 20 minutes early. Memorable pieces included a drawing by Cy Twombly, Bad Times by Philip Guston and one of Lee Bontecou’s complex canvas constructions. Completed the day soaking up the light from Chagall’s stained glass window. Highly recommended. http://www.artic.edu/aic/ Beer in Chicago was a big surprise. Local breweries are crafting beers with personality and names like Krankshaft, Fat Tire and Green Line. I would have tried more but at 5%+ I’m a bit of a light weight. The last day was spent at Art Chicago, the international fair of contemporary art. The range was enormous as Art Chicago shared the same floor as NEXT which represented emerging artists. The scale and range of work left us pleasantly exhausted.http://www.artchicago.com/