Das Boot - May 27

Sunday, May 27

Craig has arranged for us to go on a tour of the spectacularly captured German U-505 submarine, which has its own room at Chicago's science museum. On the way we drive to the 'Fermi National Accelerator', a large-diameter particle accelerator, with grasslands above it and Buffaloes grazing on it. 

Big buffaloes on top of the particle collider. Seemingly docile and used to iPhones snapping pictures of them.

It's my first time in this America's third biggest city, Craig drives us through some run-down neigbourhoods, and finally we are at the museum. It's main purpose seems to be to get youngsters interested in science, of course a noble goal in itself, the current anti-science sentiment taken into consideration. But there's plenty for us grownups, with the U-Boot as the main attraction. Predictably cramped, a guide with so strong a local dialect that I give up listening to her, explains about the amazingly elaborate planning behind the US Navy capturing the ship off the coast of Africa, and then towing it 2,500 miles across The Atlantic to Bermuda in The Caribbean.

The Burlington Zephyr, an art deco train used from 1934 through 1960. Beautiful, and fast too: In 1934 it ran at 112.5 mph (181 km/h), just short of the then US land speed record of 115 mph (185 km/h). 

Dusty Junkers Ju 87 'Stuka' dive bomber in diving position, and a Boeing passenger jet in United colours, cut open for the public to walk through.

(Speaking of United Airlines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5YGc4zOqozo).

German WW2 submarine in specially built basement hall. Take that, Viking ship museum in Denmark.....

Combined torpedo storage and sleeping quarters.

Later we walk around some parks, down one of the main streets, and on the way home Craig makes a point of showing various places connected to the 'Blues Brothers' movie. It was, after all, a Chicago project, everybody up to and including The Illinois National Guard, being in on it. Even today, 38 years later, one can go on Blues Brothers tours.

'The Bean', a very popular, stainless steel sculpture in one of Chicago's parks.

The evening is rounded off with a drive in Craig's 1965 Ford Mustang ragtop, on deserted roads around his home.