Chicago Fall Fever – and Cristoforo Colombo

Yesterday, today and tomorrow, Chicago – a great place to be.

Chicago’s Lincoln Park Zoo, founded in 1868, and open and free every day of the year,  is a perfect fall destination for:

napping in the sunshine

swimming with friends

donning pink for Breast Cancer Awareness Month

and finding every color of the rainbow

as well as colors that only bloom in the fall

Sunday morning, the city opened its arms to the 45,000 runners participating in the 37th Annual Chicago Marathon. Near perfect conditions greeted the runners and as always, Chicagoans lined the course to show their support. I live near Mile 10, and the elite runners passed our house about 46 minutes into the race.

And then there are the slogans –  this one especially good for the non-elites who trudge on long after the official course closes.

Tomorrow, on Columbus Day, Chicago celebrates Christopher Columbus’ historic voyage to America as well as the Italian American culture so vibrant in Chicago. Monday is the city’s 62nd annual Columbus Day Parade, and this year, the parade honors the victims, survivors and Italian heroes of the Holocaust. In 1938, Mussolini instituted very harsh discrimination laws in Italy, and yet it is estimated that roughly 80% of Jews in Italy survived due to the help and support of many selfless and courageous Italians.

Posthumous portrait of Christopher Columbus by Sebastiano del Piombo, 1519. There are no known authentic portraits of Columbus.

Happy Weekend! Hoping yours is colorful too!

Chicago Skyline ©Blogginginitaly.com

Ciao,

Judy

Tags: Chicago Marathon, Christopher Columbus Celebration Chicago, Colombus Day Parade Chicago, Fall in Chicago, Lincoln Park Zoo Chicago