To The Hundredth Meridian: DAYS 14,15,16 TUESDAY, SEPT. 3, WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4, THURSDAY, SEPT. 5 CHICAGO IL

So many things to say. Certainly, it must be stated that Chicago is one of the world's great cities. It is inevitable, I suppose, to make comparisons to Toronto, the city we are more familiar with. I have done so several times in the past. Even Toronto's current mayor, Rob Ford, a man for whom I have nothing good to say, often compares his city to Chicago. The sad fact is that Toronto loses to Chicago every time. Toronto could easily be what Chicago is, but is too provincial still in its outlook, too small in its thinking, too satisfied in being dull and unimaginative to ever rival the Windy City.

But enough of the negative comparison. Let's focus instead on what Chicago offered us in the three days we devoted to it. We spent 72 hours drinking in the activity, the bustling noise, the hard working and humourous people and loved it. There is diversity, the kind that Toronto or London or New York or Los Angeles have, but Chicago doesn't have to brag about it, or constantly promote it: the diversity has been there from day one and Chicagoans live it. Laughter, music and food are plentiful and wonderful. There is life in Chicago that is real and vibrant.

If there is one thing that sets Chicago apart from other large cities, it is its architecture. Architecture is celebrated here like no other place I've experienced. It is the home of the skyscraper, and some of the world's most celebrated architects, Louis Sullivan, Frank Lloyd Wright and Mies Van Der Rohe, practiced and created here. Lou and I took in the endless variety on the Chicago River Architecture Tour and were treated to a wonderful melding of old and new styles and designs that not only please esthetically, but perform their functions in a practical and intelligent way. The city evolved according to a plan that was drawn up after the terrible destruction of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, and further augmented by the World's Fairs the city hosted in the final decades of the nineteenth century. Thus, Chicago not only looks beautiful, it gives a feeling that the city makes sense. There is also incredible wealth here, as seen in the luxury condominiums that dot the riverway, as well as the numerous head offices of so many of the world's large corporations. Michigan Ave, the so-called "Magnificent Mile", is a high-end shopper's paradise.

But, to be sure, Chicago is not all good. We did not see first hand the stultifying slums of the south side, but we were made aware that they exist. (In fact, I have been through them on previous trips: the most vivid memory is of a wrong turn that put us into the midst of an urban hell that Dante himself could not create.) I cannot imagine what it must be like to live there, but people do, and they have challenges that are huge and often impossible to meet. There are parts of this city you do not go without running a risk of getting your throat cut. Chicago is not perfect and does not pretend to be. But the area we inhabited was most civilized and most charming. And it is gratifying to see that it is not only the "white" neighbourhood of the city: people of all backgrounds who have achieved success live, work, play and enjoy here.

Chicago is also culture. We spent more than three hours touring the Art Institute of Chicago and barely scratched its surface. The AIC is renowned for its collection of French Impressionists and we wandered the galleries taking in the incredible achievements of these fine artists: Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, Seurat .... the list goes on. And, along with art is music, enough to rival any other city. We sampled the famous Chicago blues at a club called Kingston Mines, and enjoyed the superb artistry of Carl Weathersby and Mike Wheeler. The blues is evocative of the south, and the hard and seemingly hopeless lives of slaves, share croppers and cotton pickers. There is joy in that music, the joy of simply being alive to feel the pain and despair and endless drudgery of that existence. Now, the basic music is enhanced by electric guitar and bass, keyboards and drums, and by trained vocalists ... but the haunting heartbeat of that music lives on. It gets inside of you and grabs you by the soul. Marvellous !

Chicago is also the waterfront. So much green space and parkland along the shore of Lake Michigan. They got it right here. We were only able to sample the amusement park cum shopping mall of Navy Pier, but we could see for mile after magnificent mile upon the huge inland sea of the lake. Boats and water skiers, wind surfers and people walking along the lakefront give further testimony that there was a plan here, and intelligence prevailed in their choice of how their city was to look and to be.

And Chicago is sports. We enjoyed a great evening at Wrigley Field, which is, in my opinion, the finest ballpark in existence. I often say that my view of the afterlife is the pool bar at our favourite resort in Holguin, Cuba. But, if heaven is a ballpark, then Wrigley Field is it. The whole neighbourhood is part of the experience, with numerous bars and restaurants in the blocks around the venerable park. My favourite aspect of Wrigleyville are the brownstones that line up along the opposite side of the street from the outfield, complete with rooftop bleachers for viewing the game: again, the practical and well planned side of Chicago.

All through our Chicago sojourn, the weather was perfect: sunny, warm, nice breeze at the right times. But return in about 6 to 8 weeks, and there will be a different story here. Winters are bad and we were grateful not to have to endure anything close to bad weather.

And so, we end our stay with a fine Italian dinner. Oh yes, the food is unbelievable here, too. Everyone thinks of other cities for cuisine: Chicago can hold its own with any other place on earth for variety, imagination, and skill in the culinary arts.

Do I love the Windy City? Absolutely ! Would I ever live there? Hmmm .... that's another question. But one thing is for sure: it is one of my favourite places on earth to visit and to take in all the pleasures of urban life.