Art Institute of Chicago

After spending the night with Tyler and Lara on Sunday, we woke up early on Monday (it was a school holiday for me). Breakfast casserole (scrumptious), coffee (excellent, as always, from Tyler), and a dazzling sunrise - perfect start to the day. 

Tyler and I took Lara to work, and then headed into the city to enjoy a free day at the Art Museum for a bit before Tyler had to go to work at Intelligentsia at 12:30. I had never been to the Art Institute, so what a fun treat!

We got to the museum by 9, excited that we would have plenty of time at the museum, only to find out that the museum didn't open until 10:30!

Well, downtown at Millennium Park, it doesn't take long to find something to do while we waited!

One of our stops was a new park near Millennium Park. It just opened not too long ago, and it's beautiful (especially the playgrounds for kids)! Maggie Daley Park is a nice addition to Chicago!

A little ways away is the Millennium Park location of Intelligentsia. Tyler has actually worked at this location a few times, so it was fun that he was able to say hello to baristas that he knew. 

Finally, we headed over to the Art Museum, got our free passes, and the exploring began! We only had an hour there, because of Tyler's work, but we enjoyed everything so much. I especially loved the wonderful art from Impressionists like Monet, Cézanne or Pissarro. I still remember the first time I ever experienced (and fell in love with) Impressionism - at the Albertina museum in Vienna, on a school trip with BMA in my freshman year. It was quite the full circle to now see similar paintings in Chicago. 

The light in the whole museum fascinated me too. What a beautiful building, with its big windows and inviting spaces. I will definitely be coming back!

We hopped on the "L" and continued with the rest of the day. It's kind of amazing how much you can do before noon if you try! 

Monday was fantastic.