Ahoy! Cruising around Chicago

"Where are you now?" I asked.
"Chicago," said the voice on the phone.
It was my cousin Garret from Ireland and he's travelling across the US.

Because he's a civil engineer, Garret is fascinated by roads, bridges and buildings. Last year he went to the Gulf for his holidays just to look at the Burj Dubai, which will be the world's tallest skyscraper when it's completed in September. Because he knows his buildings, Garret's first stop in Chicago this week was the site of the world's first skyscraper, the Home Insurance Building.

Being an engineer, Garret prepares his trips with the same kind of care as he plans his projects, so he contacted the Chicago Architecture Foundation before he arrived in the Windy City. Luckily for him, starting tomorrow, the foundation is offering a 90-minute river cruise around 53 sites, including the Sears Tower. He's promised to send me some photos.

For those of us who can't go to Chicago, here's a tribute to the city, sung by two of today's best young  blues singers, Keb' Mo' and Corey Harris.