'Around the World... ' - #66

Depois de ter percorrido quase 3.000 km em território americano, o livro 'A volta ao mundo em 80 dias' chegou ontem (dia 66 da viagem) à cidade de Chicago, Illinois.
Apesar do céu nublado e do imenso frio (0ºC), Dennis, com a ajuda dos seus amigos John e Darren, aventurou-se a ir para o centro da cidade onde tirou algumas fotos com o livro:

O verniano americano gostaria que a sua primeira visita tivesse sido a famosa Fonte Buckingham, que muitos devem ter visto em Married With Children (Um amor de família no Brasil, em Portugal não tenho informação que tenha passado na TV). Mas, infelizmente, a fonte encontra-se em obras:

Levaram então o livro para a sua segunda paragem, o Auditorium Building de Chicago:

Correntemente na posse da Universidade Roosevelt, este teatro foi o local para O Nobre Jogo dos Estados Unidos da América (The Noble Game of the United States of America) que foi jogado na obra de Verne, O Testamento de um Excêntrico. O edifício, com 17 pisos, foi um dos mais altos do Mundo quando foi inaugurado em 1889.

Seguiram para a impressionante Union Station que, infelizmente, só abriu em 1881, 8 anos depois de Phileas ter passado em Chicago. Na viagem à volta do Mundo, em 1989, de Michael Palin, este fez uma aqui paragem e quase perdia a ligação por estar à espera de um velho amigo.
Os cinéfilos reconhecerão este edifício por este ter servido de pano-de-fundo numa cena de Batman, The Dark Knight:

Muitos também reconhecerão, na foto do seu interior, as escadas do filme de 1987 Os Intocáveis realizado por Brian De Palma:

A próxima paragem foi no Daley Plaza, onde fica uma famosa escultura criada por Pablo Picasso e dedicada à cidade em 1967:

A escultura Cloud Gate, conhecida também por "The Bean" (O Feijão), localizada no Millennium Park, foi a sua próxima paragem. Trata-se de uma homenagem às vítimas britânicas de 11 de Setembro, completada em 2006 pelo artista britânico Anish Kapoor:

A sua superfície cria reflexos fantásticos, prendendo a atenção das pessoas. Dennis não podia deixar a oportunidade de lhe tirar uma artística foto:

Seguiram pelo Rio Chicago para a próxima foto. Esta ponte, vista na foto, também aparece no filme Os Intocáveis na cena em que Kevin Costner (Eliot Ness) e Sean Connery (Jim Malone) se conhecem pela primeira vez:

A sua próxima paragem foi na Water Tower, um dos "sobreviventes" do Grande Incêndio de Chicago em 1871. Phileas e companhia terão passado em Chicago, dois anos depois, durante a sua reconstrução. O incêndio deu a chance a muitos arquitectos de criar edifícios novos para a "nova" cidade; edifícios como o Auditorium Theatre foi um desses casos.

O próximo edifício é o Chicago Avenue Pumping Station e está localizado em frente à Water Tower. Devido a um projecto de reutilização, este edifício está actualmente à disposição do Looking Glass Theatre Company. Na primavera de 2008, esta companhia de teatro estreou a peça Around the World in 80 Days com um guião escrito por Laura Eason.

Para terminar, e também para aquecer, Dennis e os seus amigos, foram ao seu favorito bar escocês, o Duke of Perth, onde beberam um sumo de maça junto a uma agradável lareira.

Amanhã, segunda-feira, o livro será enviado para a Florida, 3ª e última paragem nos EUA, onde apanhará um pouco mais de Sol.

O nosso obrigado a Dennis Kytasaari e aos seus amigos pelo envio das fotos e das muitas informações.
Siga o trajecto no Mundo através do Google-Earth:

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"The book arrived yesterday (66th day) from sunny San Diego, California. Unfortunately it was late in the day when I received it, so I wasn’t able to take advantage of the slightly nicer weather we had yesterday. It is winter here in Chicago, Illinois the temperature when these photographs were taken was freezing (32º F 0º C). With help of my friends John and Darren we ventured out to grab a picture of the skyline:

(1st picture)

I would have liked to taken a nicer picture of the book with our famous Buckingham Fountain, which many of you may have seen in the US situation comedy Married With Children. Unfortunately the fountain is undergoing upgrades:

(2nd picture)

We then took the book over by the Auditorium Theatre building:

(3rd picture)

Currently owned by Roosevelt University the theatre in this building was a center point for “The Noble Game of the United States of America” that was played in Verne’s 1899 novel Will of an Eccentric (Le Testament d'un excentrique). The building, with its 17-story tower was one of the tallest buildings in the world when it was opened in 1889. In 1998 when I obtained my master’s degree from Roosevelt University, I was able to walk across the stage during the graduation ceremony. I returned to the stage in 1999 when the NAJVS had our annual meeting in the Chicago-land area and we took a tour of this historic (and dare I say acoustically-perfect) theatre.
You can learn more about this great building and theatre here.

In there you’ll see that the inside looks nothing like how it was depicted in George Roux’s illustrations for the novel.

We then drove over to Union Station, unfortunately this impressive train station first opened in 1881, 8 years after Phileas would have passed through Chicago. Of course this part of the Fogg tripped was skipped over to quickly get them to New York for the next major stage of the novel. Michael Palin’s 1989 trip did stop here and he almost missed a connection waiting to meet with an old friend.

(4th picture)

The stairs seen in the picture many of you might remember from the 1987 film The Untouchables.

(5th and 6th picture)

Our next stop was at Daley Plaza, which features a famous sculpture created by Pablo Picasso for the city that was dedicated back in 1967:

(7th picture)

The Cloud Gate sculpture located in Millennium Park, known here locally as “The Bean”, was our next stop. Created by British artist Anish Kapoor it made its completed debut in 2006:

(8th picture)

The highly reflective surface made for an interesting and artistic photo opportunity.
Learn more about it here.

(9th picture)

We then made a stop along the Chicago River for the next picture. This bridge seen in the picture also appeared in The Untouchables in the scene where Kevin Costner (Eliot Ness) and Sean Connery (Jim Malone) meet for the first time.

(10th picture)

Our final stop was at the Water Tower, one of the few survivors of the Great Chicago Fire of 1871. Phileas and company would have passed through Chicago two years into the rebuilding of the city. The fire gave many architects the ability to create something new as the city rebuilt; buildings such as the Auditorium Theatre came out of this rebirth of the city:

(11th picture)

While the building in picture is the Water Tower, the building seen in the next picture is the Chicago Avenue Pumping Station and is located across the street from the Water Tower. In a reuse project for part of this building, space was made available to the Looking Glass Theatre Company. In the spring of 2008, this theatre company put on a production of Around the World in 80 Days with a script written by Laura Eason. I saw this production and felt that within the confines of the stage environment the story was well represented.

(12th picture)

To warm up we went to my favorite Scottish pub, the Duke of Perth, where I enjoyed a pint of hard cider and a warm fire.

(13th picture)

Tomorrow the book will be put in the post and be one its way to Tampa, Florida, where it should again get to experience some sunshine.

Dennis Kytasaari"

Our thanks to Dennis and his friends for the all the informations and photos.
Follow the book's journey through Google-Earth.

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Après avoir parcouru presque 3000 km en territoire américain, le livre «Le Tour du monde en 80 jours» est arrivé hier (66º jour du voyage) à Chicago, Illinois. Malgré le temps nuageux et l’immense froid (0°C), Dennis à l’aide de ses amis John et Darren s’est aventuré dans le centre ville d’où ils ont pris quelques photos avec le livre:

(1ère photo)

Le vernien américain aimerait que sa première visite soit la Fontaine Buckingham, qui est très connue grâce à Married With Children (merci de nous pardonner car on ne sait pas le nom en français) mais, malheureusement la fontaine subit des travaux ouvriers:

(2ème photo)

Ils ont donc mené le livre à son prochain arrêt, l’Auditorium Building, celui de Chicago:

(3ème photo)

À l’époque de la possession de l’Université Roosevelt, ce Théâtre a accueilli le Noble Jeux des Etats-Unis (The Noble Game of the United States of America) qui a été joué dans le roman vernien Le testament d’un exentrique. Ce bâtiment à 17 étages a été l’un des plus haut à l’époque de son inauguration en 1889.

Ils ont suivi vers l’impressionante Union Station qui, malheureusement, a ouvert en 1881, 8 ans après Philleas être passé par Chicago. Dans Le Tour du monde, en 1989, de Michael Palin, celui-ci y est arrêté et a presque raté la connexion car il attendait un vieil ami.
Les cinéphiles reconnaîtront facilement ce batiment ayant servi de décor pour une scène de Batman, The Dark Knight:

(4ème photo)

D’autres reconnaitront aussi, sur la photo de son interieur, les escaliers du film de 1987, Les intouchables réalisé par Brian De Palma:

(5ème photo et 6ème photo)

Le prochain arrêt a été le Daley Plaza où il y a une fameuse sculpture créee par Picasso et offerte à la ville en 1967:

(7ème photo)

La sculpture Cloud Gate connue aussi par "The Bean" (le haricot) située au Millennium Park a été son prochain arrêt. Il s’agit d’un hommage aux victimes britaniques du 11 septembre, completée en 2006 par l’artiste Anish Kapoor:

(8ème photo)

La surface crée des reflets fantastiques qui attirent l’attention des gens. Dennis n’a pas raté l’opportunité de prendre une photo bien artistique:

(9ème photo)

Le fleuve Chicago a été le prochain chemin a suivre pour prendre la prochaine photo. Ce pont apparaît aussi dans le film «Les intouchables» sur la scène où Kevin Costner (Eliot Ness) e Sean Connery (Jim Malone) se voient par la première fois:

(10ème photo)

La Water Tower a été le décor de la prochaine photo, l’une de celles qui ont survécu au grand incendie de Chicago en 1871. Phileas et ses compagnies y sont passés, deux ans après pendant sa reconstruction. Cet incendie a donné l’opportunité à plusieurs architectes de créer de nouveaux édifices pour la nouvelle ville, c’est le cas de l’ Auditorium Theatre.

(11ème photo)

Le prochain bâtiment est le Chicago Avenue Pumping Station situé tout devant la Water Tower. Dû à un projet de reutilisation ce bâtiment est à la dispostion du Looking Glass Theatre Company. Au printemps de 2008, cette compagnie théâtrale a fait l’étrenne de la pièce «Le tour du monde en 80 jours» adapté par Laura Eason.

(12ème photo)

Pour finir, et pour se faire chauffer un peu, Dennis et ses amis sont allés à leur «pub» écossais, le Duke of Perth où ils ont pris du jus de pomme à cot´d’une agréable chéminée.

(13ème photo)

Demain, le lundi, le livre será envoyé à Floride, 3ª et dernier arrêt aux Etats-Unis où il prendra un peu plus de soleil.

Nos remerciments à Dennis Kytasaari et à ses amis par l’envoi des photos et de toutes les informations.
Suivez l’itinéraire du voyage du livre à travers le monde sur Google-Earth.

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Obrigado mais uma vez ao Edmar Guirra pela tradução para o francês.