Last year at this time, the weather in Chicago seemed practically like summer. It gave rise to theories of global warming. But it was absolutely beautiful weather.
This year, it has come to be very chilly, very suddenly. No global warming this year.
Take this year’s Columbus Day Parade – which actually celebrates Canadian Thanksgiving, but no one has caught on to that. It was downright chilly. At least it wasn’t windy. It was a very grey, urbane looking day, with the kind of sky and sunlight that make Mies van der Rohe’s buildings sparkle. And Chicago has a lot of Mies buildings.
Through the marching bands, the floats, the people and whatnot, what caught my eye were two brand new Fiat 500’s, brought in from Detroit by Chrysler, now owned by Fiat. They may have been shorter than my Mini – quite a feat! Definitely higher, though.
After the parade, as everyone from the Thistle and Heather Highland Dancers sought to collect their odds and ends out of the Mini, a parade of vintage Italian cars passed by. They were the best! Low and behold, what happened to be in the middle of the Italian car parade but… a vintage Fiat 500!
