Chicago, Chicago

I am returned from Chicago, whither I went for my friend Rachel's wedding, which was GORGEOUS and also scrumptious. She had the best hors d'oeuvres: croutes with smoke salmon and croutes with chicken liver pate and compote, balls of fried goat cheese, little berry tartlets with brie; and creme brulee French toast with Chantilly cream and blueberries for the main course, along with bacon and asparagus quiche and chicken mushroom crepes, and a vast three-tiered plate of doughnuts in place of a traditional wedding cake.

Mmm, it was all so good. Chicago as a whole was lovely; I arrived a day early, planning to go to the Art Institute, but it was so beautiful that I couldn't bear to spend the day indoors and walked along the lake shore instead, all the way up to Lincoln Park Zoo, and then cutting across to visit my favorite shops on Clark Street. (I am finally getting a hang of Chicago geography! At least for this very small part of Chicago.) I was very tired by the time I reached the motel.

And now the weddings are done for the year! (Well, I have YET ANOTHER friend getting married, but she is only inviting family because the wedding is happening in Pakistan, and honestly it's just as well because I don't think I could do a a fourth wedding even if it wasn't halfway around the globe.) Just in time for me to start planning for Sae's wedding, which is next June. In Japan!

I am also way behind on The Count of Monte Cristo, because I didn't want to lug the book around Chicago (it is an awfully big book).