2018 - Week Twenty Nine
'Sometimes we are so generous with our love, so willing to give it all away, that we leave nothing behind for ourselves.'
(Michael Faudet)
This was my first full week travelling solo. It has been such a cool experience to have the freedom that comes with no agenda to follow and no time restrictions; I have thoroughly enjoyed chilling out, taking in the sights and basically doing whatever the hell I want! On Monday after a lie in I braved catching a bus to meet a girl who sold me her Lollapalooza ticket (all legit don't worry) which I was really grateful for as I just missed out on buying one before they sold out. Unfortunately for me the heavens opened shortly afterwards and I had to jump in an Uber home as I was wearing a very unrainworthy jumpsuit!
After sheltering back at home catching up on Love Island, in the early evening I walked around the corner to the main Wicker Park shopping area for a browse in the boutiques and quirky bookshops. I managed to pick up a collection of John Donne poetry, a sheet of parchment with circus style typography on for my new bedroom, and an incredible vintage jumpsuit that is a cross between Michael Jackson in Thriller, and a mechanics overalls! That evening I made myself a jackfruit salad, and watched a few episodes of the latest season of The Affair, one of my favourite dramas.
On Tuesday I had a tattoo consult at Revolution Tattoo. Cassandra, the artist doing my piece had drawn up exactly what I wanted based on our email conversations from back home, which made me mega excited to get inked. Afterwards I walked the 606; an elevated 2.7 mile path along a disused railway line that has been transformed into a trail perfect for views of the area, showcasing some amazing graffiti from local artists, and lots of urban architecture. It is similar to New York's High Line, and is actually the longest linear park in the western hemisphere. That evening I rewarded my effort with a few glasses of prosecco on the rooftop at The Beach House Social whilst doing some life admin and tapping my feet to their music playlist (see my track of the week above). I'm definitely getting used to this solo drinking malarkey!
Wednesday was a busy day. I started early with a 'pay what you feel' walking tour around the Loop, including the theatre district, the underground pedway system, and Millennium Park, finishing at the infamous Cloud Gate, a huge mirrored structure known as 'The Bean' that is an artistic gem in downtown Chicago. I then had my tattoo done! It is inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland illustrations, as he is one of my favourite authors, and I was also frequently told I resembled her as a child.
That evening I took Aum out of his camp so we could go for tea together before I took off on my travels. We chose Niu Japanese Lounge, a sushi restaurant that was to die for. The 'Summer in Shanghai' cocktail I had (raspberry & lychee-infused vodka, St. Germain, creme yvette, lychee & lime juice) was a little strong - it is not often I say that! - but the selection of sushi we ordered was divine. We chose a few classic faves such as the crunch roll and salmon sashimi, as well as sampling some newbies. Aum insisted we try the uni (sea urchin) as apparently it is the Marmite of the sushi world; I can safely say I am in the enemy camp, it was VILE!
After sheltering back at home catching up on Love Island, in the early evening I walked around the corner to the main Wicker Park shopping area for a browse in the boutiques and quirky bookshops. I managed to pick up a collection of John Donne poetry, a sheet of parchment with circus style typography on for my new bedroom, and an incredible vintage jumpsuit that is a cross between Michael Jackson in Thriller, and a mechanics overalls! That evening I made myself a jackfruit salad, and watched a few episodes of the latest season of The Affair, one of my favourite dramas.
On Tuesday I had a tattoo consult at Revolution Tattoo. Cassandra, the artist doing my piece had drawn up exactly what I wanted based on our email conversations from back home, which made me mega excited to get inked. Afterwards I walked the 606; an elevated 2.7 mile path along a disused railway line that has been transformed into a trail perfect for views of the area, showcasing some amazing graffiti from local artists, and lots of urban architecture. It is similar to New York's High Line, and is actually the longest linear park in the western hemisphere. That evening I rewarded my effort with a few glasses of prosecco on the rooftop at The Beach House Social whilst doing some life admin and tapping my feet to their music playlist (see my track of the week above). I'm definitely getting used to this solo drinking malarkey!
Wednesday was a busy day. I started early with a 'pay what you feel' walking tour around the Loop, including the theatre district, the underground pedway system, and Millennium Park, finishing at the infamous Cloud Gate, a huge mirrored structure known as 'The Bean' that is an artistic gem in downtown Chicago. I then had my tattoo done! It is inspired by Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland illustrations, as he is one of my favourite authors, and I was also frequently told I resembled her as a child.
That evening I took Aum out of his camp so we could go for tea together before I took off on my travels. We chose Niu Japanese Lounge, a sushi restaurant that was to die for. The 'Summer in Shanghai' cocktail I had (raspberry & lychee-infused vodka, St. Germain, creme yvette, lychee & lime juice) was a little strong - it is not often I say that! - but the selection of sushi we ordered was divine. We chose a few classic faves such as the crunch roll and salmon sashimi, as well as sampling some newbies. Aum insisted we try the uni (sea urchin) as apparently it is the Marmite of the sushi world; I can safely say I am in the enemy camp, it was VILE!
On Thursday I wanted a chilled day before moving on to the next city, so went to the beach for a few hours of lounging around. I felt like a naughty schoolgirl as I took a water bottle with some white wine in to enjoy whilst I sunbathed - it needed drinking before I left Chicago! I followed this with a spot of shopping on The Magnificent Mile, but it is the high end fashion district so sadly everything was well out of my price range.
On Friday I checked out of the apartment at midday. The owners kindly let me leave a large suitcase with the remainder of my belongings in their care until I return in ten days, as I am doing all my internal flights on hand luggage to save some money. I killed a few hours before my flight to Toronto in a couple of lovely coffee shops: Wormhole Coffee which is '80s themed and has a Back to the Future style car hanging from one wall, and Fairground's Coffee, a small cafe chain that felt like a hub for creatives and those working remotely, very cosy and inviting. I arrived in Toronto at gone midnight after a slight delay, so flopped into bed when I made it to my air b&b.
Yesterday morning I dragged myself up despite being shattered to go on the first of two tours I had arranged. It started at 10.30am from the central train station and as I had managed to navigate my way from the airport using public transport, I felt quietly confident getting there via the old-school streetcar system available. The tour guide took us all around downtown, showing us some beautiful buildings, the CN Tower, Yonge-Dundas Square (Toronto's Times Square) the financial district, and ending at the huge Toronto sign in Nathan Phillips Square.
As I hadn't eaten thus far, I walked to Kensington Market and had an omelette accompanied by an apple cocktail for lunch at a place called Bacon Nation (plenty of veggie options despite the name). It was a fair walk, but I had been recommended to go to the market, which is near China Town, so thought I'd tie in getting a bite to eat. Stuffed from the food, I took my time wandering around some shops, stopping for a coffee break before I went on my second tour of the day.
It was a graffiti themed one, which Toronto is well known for. We were told about the different types of graffiti, some of the artists recognised for their work in the area, and taken down the famous graffiti alley, which was stunning. There were so many eye-catching murals, I took far too many photos! The lack of sleep the previous night began to catch up with me mid-afternoon, so I went back to the apartment to relax and have a cuppa before venturing out again in the evening.
One of my friends who did a uni sandwich year in Toronto had told me to make the effort to go across to the islands whilst I was visiting, so that was my night destination. I took the ferry to the main island which was quick and cheap, and once off I walked to the beach area on the other side. I was the only person around, and it was so calm and peaceful I sat on the top of a picnic table and did a 25 minute meditation whilst staring at the sunset above the sea which was blissful. I took some amazing pictures of the lit up skyline on the ferry crossing back, and got a couple of pizza slices and some nibbles for the following day on the route home.
Today has been even more tiring than yesterday! I got back about an hour ago after a jam packed day exploring the breathtaking Niagara Falls. I booked a guided coach trip through viator, which was a bit pricey at 85 quid but it took all the hassle out of planning it myself. It included pick up and drop off from a hotel right near my accomodation, lunch, a ride on the boat and a couple of other stops to see points of interest (including a wine shop with free tasters). It also meant I was with a group rather than being alone, and I'll be honest, it was a welcome change to have some company and people to talk to after a few days going solo.
I think it goes without saying that the falls were spectacular, pictures just do not do it justice! The trip was definitely money well spent; the included food wasn't just mass produced slop but a tasty three course affair of tomato soup, fish with potatoes and carrot cake, we got to skip the (very long) queue for the boat ride, and we stopped at Niagara on the Lake which was just the quaintest most cute town ever - the ice cream joint there was an additional bonus! Now excuse me whilst I collapse from exhaustion.
No comments:
Post a Comment