Winging It

St Louis. Mo. I'm taking a tour group on Route 66. I don't know why, but I'm having real trouble coping with jet lag. Actually, I do know why. I'm anxious as I don't know my stuff inside out so I try and catch up on my studying at night in my room but usually end up falling asleep. It's my fourth time of doing the trip but I've not done it for two years so I'm rusty.
I was going to bring my monopod with me in an attempt to get sharper pictures, especially when I go to Huntington Beach to photograph the surfers. With luck, I get a free day in Long Beach and I usually hire a car and drive out to the beach. Any how, my case was overweight so the monopod had to go.
I enjoyed Chicago and I'd really like to come back and visit properly with Marianne. One day in town when you are half asleep is not the way to do it, though I do appreciate the chance to be here.
I got up early on the first morning and walked to the Bean, where I was one of only a few people. I love the Bean; it's beautiful to look at and underneath it's like the most complex hall of mirrors you've ever seen. The official name for it is Cloud Gate, sculpted by Anish Kapoor. I'd love to see a copy in London.

Cloud Gate

This is one of the myriad ever-changing views from the underside of the sculpture.

Last night we were in Springfield, the Capital of Illinois and I treated myself to a really nice meal in an expensive restaurant on the top floor of the Hilton Hotel (Known as the Penis on the Prairie - if you saw it, you'd know why). I had a large filet mignon, rare, with fantastic mashed potatoes and asparagus followed by a huge chocolate creme bruleé. Heaven. It came to seventy dollars but it was worth it. It's nice to spoil yourself sometimes. And besides, it's my first dinner of the tour.
So far we've made a side trip to Wilmington to see a Route 66 icon, the Gemini Giant, and we've stopped at the Chain of Rocks Bridge which spans the Mississippi north of St Louis and used to carry Route 66 across the river. It has a twenty-six degree dog leg bend halfway across ( due to having to move the pillars one one side after construction was well under way) it used to play havoc with traffic when two trucks met at the bend.

Tomorrow, we visit the St Louis Botanical Garden which is lovely, followed by the Budweiser Brewery, which is not: it's slick and soulless, rather like the beer.
Once we are done, I intend to get a few photos of the Gateway Arch, maybe slightly different from the ones I've taken before (Chance would be a fine thing). It's an impressive structure.