Farmer's Mkt., Lincoln Park Zoo, and La Gondola

You cannot imagine the vastness of the Farmer's Markets in Chicago. First of all, there are fifteen or twenty Farmer's Markets with fifty or more vendors each. There are two Farmer's Markets right down on the Loop.  One is behind the post office on Clark Street, and one is at the Daily Center. One of the Loop markets is on Tuesdays, and one on Thursdays.

Saturday we went to the Green City Market which is just past the Lincoln Park Zoo.

The variety of fresh ORGANIC fruits, vegetables, and homemade everything is uncanny. At least fifteen different kinds of tomatoes. Many of the booths are big squares where you walk around inside and outside. I was delirious with joy.

But would you believe I went and forgot to take my camera with me that day?

When we got to the Lincoln Park Zoo, Lauren remembered she had a phone camera. She didn't get a photo of the Snow Leopard which may have been my favorite animal of those I saw, but Lauren did get pics of some of the monkeys and the flamingos.

The animals can go outside or inside at will. If animals have to be kept in a zoo, this is a good one. There has been every attention to detail to make the environment natural for the animals and even thrilling.

From the inside, the animals are encased with glass, and, as we look at them, and they look at us, it is hard to know which species is the observer and which is the observed.

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Then we went to the La Gondola Restaurant, voted one of the best Italian Restaurants in Chicago. It was right to be voted one of the best! The food was gourmet. Lauren had Eggplant Parmesan. Jacqueline, who had driven in for the weekend, had Gnocchi, and I had  Eggplant Monte Carlo, which was tender eggplant smothered with artichoke hearts and roasted red peppers in a white sauce.

La Gondola, by the way, has only seven tables.

Here is a photo of me at the restaurant with a white hat on.