STL DPB ON THE ROAD - CHICAGO NIGHTLIFE

Americans and maybe Canadians know the ubiquitous coffee and pastry chain, Dunkin’ Donuts. Chicago has a harder edge. This place serves local food specialties - Chicago hot dogs are a thing and they would like you to buy three - but also offer a full bar. Sounds like one of those places you would go to at three in the morning.              

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - CROWN FOUNTAIN

 

Crown Fountain is a short distance south of the Bean in Chicago’s Millennium Park. There are two 50 foot / 15.25 meter glass block towers facing each other across a black granite floor. The inner faces have LED displays with rotating faces of Chicago residents. Periodically, water streams out of the mouths for a few seconds.

I told Ellie she couldn’t get all wet because we had to get a car back to the hotel. She didn’t pay any attention. There is a very good discription of the name, design and planning process at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Fountain                      

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - EVERYBODY TAKES THIS PICTURE

Or something like it when they visit Chicago. It’s in Millennium Park, the sculpture officially called Cloud Gate but popularly known as The Bean. Ellie had never seen it, and it got a big WOW out of her.                    

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - WHO NEEDS THE TROPICS?

Playground of the rich and possibly famous, a pleasure boat harbor on Chicago’s near north frontage on Lake Michigan. We took the grandkids to the observation deck on the 94th Floor of what used to be called the Hancock Building, now just 875 North Michigan Avenue, and pointed the lens down. I don’t get this very expensive hobby. What’s it worth to putt putt around on the lake during nice weather? The boats all have to be hauled out for the winter since the costal areas of the lake freeze over.                    

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - WELL EDUCATED GRANDKIDS

All three of them, on the Michigan Avenue Bridge over the Chicago River, expressing their deepest feelings. At least we didn’t have to do any business in that building.                    

STL DPB ON THE ROAD - CHICAGO

In Chicago for a long weekend with granddaughter Ellie, meeting son Andy, wife Claire and the other two grandkids, Audrey and Josie. We took the train this time, which we haven’t done in decades. Three hours late for starters plus other issues that I’ll skip. This is a view of the Tribune Tower (as in the Chicago Tribune newspaper) from our hotel room. Lots going on.                  

NOT A CATHEDRAL

But rather a train station, or it used to be one. Now it’s the barrel vault ceiling of the St. Louis Union Station Hotel, where we are spending the night before our early train to Chicago. There is a light show in the lobby every evening. I’ll add some more detail during our ride on Friday.                        

DRAGON, DON’T EAT THE KIDS!

A Chinese dragon threatens some children at the Red Lantern Night Market. All in fun but the girl on the right looks a bit concerned.

Trip coming up, big flow of new images.                          

A TOP SALESPERSON

How could a buyer resist? This charming young woman was at a tent at the Red Lantern Night Market selling jewelry. The only jewelry I own is my wedding ring so I kept my credit card in my wallet and picked up my lens. She gave me a great deal.                   

GOOD KARMA HYDRATION

It was a typical St. Louis July evening at the Red Lantern Night Market, hot and humid. Time for some hydration with blessings. The dress suggests to me that the figure is female, not the big guy. When I zoom in on the beverage container I see lettering that says Las Vega… S? N? Either one would be interesting.                         

 

JAPANESE CUTE

 

At the Red Lantern Night Market. I don’t think there is a people on earth who do cute as intensely as the Japanese. You could leave the market with more J Cute stuff than could fit in your car (nobody goes by public transport here), and some people might eagerly do so.                             

RED LANTERN NIGHT MARKET

There is an event in St. Louis’ Central West End neighborhood that’s been going on for two or three years called the Red Lantern Night Market. We hadn’t heard about it before but it was featured in the local newspaper and our public radio station (we just increased our contribution, for reasons Americans will understand). All of our East Asian communities came together for a party in a narrow street lined with tents of vendors and throngs of visitors. There was a lion dance and lots more.                  

A STAR IS BORN

 

St. Louis has lots of theater companies. Perhaps the most notable is the St. Louis Repertory Theater, that has been around for decades. They have a summer program for kids called Camp Rep. Granddaughter Ellie finished her session yesterday with the big group show. She says she wants to be an actress. We wish her fulfillment for her dreams but she has lots of other talents.                      

FROM AN AIRPLANE MANUFACTURER

Ever heard of a car manufacturer named Viosin? They made airplanes in France from 1905 to 1946. The company dabbled in automobiles and created this model in 1936. Its lines reflect the company’s main business. That hood ornament, however, could tear someone open.     

ALFA PREDATOR

Another from the Roaring exhibition. This is a 1930 Alfa Romeo racing car. Depending on the engine option, it was capable of 103-110 mph / 168-177 kph. No roll bar or seat belts, let alone air bags. Why bother with headlights? I wonder about the injury or fatality rate of the drivers.               

FINE ART AND A 1928 CITRÖEN

I’m sticking with some of the wonderful cars at the art museum’s Roaring show until something better comes along. This is a 1928 Citroën, repainted by the contemporary Dutch artist, Bernadette Ramaekers. It is said to be in the style of Sonia Delaunay. Some of the visitors around me pronouced the name of the make as sih-TRONE. We don’t have umlauts in English. 

FILLES DE LA RÉVOLUTION

 

I don’t think these people are genuine daughters of the revolution, nor do I believe those beverages are rose de Provence. The outfits are un peu stereotypical. Nevertheless, as I have noted, St. Louis loves an excuse to drink in public and what could be a better end to the party than a decapitation (even if fake)?                   

ALLONS ENFANTS!

Happy Bastille Day to our French Friends! St. Louis was founded by French explorers and one of our historic neighborhoods, Soulard, was established by a French couple of the same name. It has an annual tongue-in-cheek celebration of the event with Louis and Marie Antoinette being chased by the mob very slowly through the district, stopping at the several bars. It ends with a mock execution.

Note the sign in the upper left. Some of the mob rode through the streets on golf carts.          

ROARING

Yesterday, we went to a show at the Saint Louis Art Museum called Roaring: Art, Fashion, and the Automobile in France, 1918–1939. There was a stunning combination of cars and clothing. This is a 1939 Buggati, a wedding present for the Shah of Iran and his Egyptian bride for their nuptials in Cairo (hence the Arabic numerals). The reflections on the fenders are from the skylights in the ceiling.

And happy birthday to Mrs. C (b. 1944 and going strong).

                     

THE LONELINESS OF THE CARNEY

The people who work the carnivals must have a lonely existence. Rootless, traveling from town to town, probably without family. They can’t make much money and it’s seasonal work. If there are no customers at the game they are running, there is little to do but stare through the night at the bright colored lights. Or maybe notice a photographer.                         

THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT

Most of us have those “Hey, mister, take my/our picture!” moments.These kids at the carnival were Webster Groves High School students. Well, they aren’t all white. Very clean cut. If you went 5 or 10 miles west, similar kids’ clothes, or at least the shoes, would be a couple of notches more expensive. 5 or 10 miles northeast and the look would be - what’s the right word these days? - urban.                         

PINK SNEAKERS

When I was a kid (50s-60s), sneakers were Converse Chuck Taylor All Stars in black or white. That’s it. By 1989, my then 9 year-old son became the fashion sensation of Paris by wearing Chucks in mismatched colors, one red, one green. (Yes, we were there on the bicentennial, and it was really weird watching the festivities on TV in our hotel). Now, anything goes. When I go to the gym the footwear has more colors than the spectrum of The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine.                   

CRICKET SKILLS

There was a group of young South Asian men at one of the arcade games at the carnival. Off to the right of the frame were shelves of empty glass beer bottles, spaced somewhat apart. Players got three baseballs for their money and were awarded a prize if they could break one or more bottles. This contestant broke one. I showed him this picture and told him he was the best fast bowler in Webster Groves.             

I WANTED TO SEE WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE

Brassy color, harsh lights and dark skies made me wonder what one of the carnival images would look like in black and white. I think it’s interesting.                  

SOME OF THESE ACTUALLY WORKED OUT

Despite my camera technical problems, some of the July 4 fireworks photos worked out pretty well. There are lots of references online about how to shoot fireworks but the general idea is to shoot in raw, manual focus a little back from infinity, low ISO, f8 or 11-ish, and use bulb shutter control to open the lens as the pop starts and close it as the lights fade. I had to turn off the camera manually but I got lucky.                       

SERENDIPITY

I figured out what was wrong with my camera settings. Many Fujifilm cameras like mine have all sorts of retro manual controls. They can give the photographer complete conmand of the details but they can be complicated. Turned out that there was a dial set one place off that I couldn’t see in the dark. But exposure and focus mistakes can lead to interesting results. This looks organic to me, like some kind of spore.                   

BOOM

In addition to the carnival, Webster Groves has its own Fourth of July fireworks show. There is a recipe for photographing fireworks but my camera was giving me a hard time. The Bulb shutter speed setting wouldn’t work and kept setting the time for 30 seconds. I had to turn the camera off manually but still got a couple of usable shots.                   

EMPTY CALORIES

But oh so good. Don’t tell our Health Secretary Kennedy, who will tell anyone who will listen to him (which no one should - he’s a wacko), that sugar is poison. But my father, who spent his career in the sugar industry, would say it’s all just fine. This is, of course, a snack stand at Webster Grove’s Fourth of July carnival.                      

CARNIVAL

Tomorrow is the Fourth of July, Independence Day, the American national holiday. Although there is much to mourn this year, celebrations take place across the country. I live in Webster Groves, one of St. Louis’ older (by our standards), inner suburbs. It is a vibrant community with a big holiday carnival. Not in the New Orleans / Rio sense, but more like what they call a fun fair in Britain and Ireland. It opened last night, a don’t-miss for our granddaughter. 

There are lots more pictures from the Pride Fest parade at https://www.flickr.com/photos/bobcrowe/albums/72177720327261352, and I’ll probably have more still in the album.                 

McPRIDE

McDonald’s employees in the Pride Fest parade. No Ronald, though. That may be a trademark too far. The two characters here are occasionally seen in promotional materials and are called, I think, The Hamburglar and Grimace.                                        

CITY DAILY PHOTO JULY THEME - BUBBLES

Who doesn’t like a big blow of bubbles? This small truck comes to all sorts of outdoor events in St. Louis. Kids love it. I love it. City Daily Photo members around the world show us ephemeral spheres at https://citydailyphoto.org/category/theme-days/ .