'Vascos por el Mundo' has been in Chicago, colloquially known as “the Second City” or“the City of the Winds”located in the state of Illinois and bathed on its southwest coast by Lake Michigan.
According to the accounts of the 17th-century explorers, the Illinois Indians (Potawatomis) were the first to claim a territory they called "Chicaugou", and that means powerful, strong or large.
The history of Chicago has been decisive in the economic, cultural and political development of the United States . Different events such as The Great Fire of 1871 made it a cosmopolitan city, a thriving center of international commerce and a place where people of all nationalities come to pursue the American dream.
Currently immigrants continue to arrive in the city in search of opportunities, although now from Asia and Latin America more than from Europe. Chicago reaches almost three million inhabitants, but the urban conglomerate known as Chicagoland reaches 10 million.
Today Chicago is still a dynamic and culturally diverse city. An international business center and one of the main tourist destinations in the United States. With our Basques around the world we will know this city, the origin of skyscrapers.
Rachel Artillery
This pamplonesa initially arrived in the city as an exchange teacher, but decided to stay for love. She is still a teacher today, but now she works at the largest institute in the state of Illinois.
With Raquel, we stay at Navy Pear, a pier with a hundred years of history where we will climb a ferris wheel and appreciate the best views of the city. There we take a boat and take a walk along the river to see the importance of the architecture of Chicago. It also takes us to play curling (bowling on ice) and we throw axes. To end this intense day, Raquel will introduce us to her American husband and we will celebrate Thanksgiving at her home with friends and American family.
Yanire Marquez
Yanire has been in this American city for 9 years now. She arrived to study a Master and now works as a Spanish teacher and leads the Spanish department at Dominican University.
We meet Yanire at Lincoln Park Zoo, a free zoo that is in the middle of the city. From there we will make a bike route along Lake Michigan, which by its large extension looks like a sea. We make a stop to eat in the Mexican neighborhood, where he introduces us to his boyfriend, also of Mexican origin, and together we will walk to admire the colorful murals. Yanire discovers a hidden bar where he drank during the Dry Law at the time of Al Capone. We see the atmosphere that is lived in the streets of the city during Black Friday. We ended the day with a plan of 10: listening to blues in the most mythical place in the city.
Xanti Izal and Silvia Traibuenas
This young couple has only been in Chicago for a year. They had been having a distance relationship for several years, and, tired, when Xanti was offered a transfer to Chicago, Silvia decided to go with him. They had to get married in order to live together in the city.
We meet Xanti and Silvia in the center of the city, the 'downtown'; On the river walk. Nearby is the luxury apartment in which they live on the 35th floor with incredible views. It has even cinema in the common areas. Right in front is Willis Tower, the tallest in Chicago. It is mandatory to make a 'selfie' on the glass balcony that gives vertigo. We will eat the authentic Deep Dish Pizza in the pizzeria where it was created. And we will end the day watching from the planetarium the imposing skyline of Chicago.
Joseba Domínguez and Imanol Hurtado
These two friends have been in Chicago for three and four years. Although both studied engineering in San Mamés, it was necessary to go to Chicago to meet. They have finished their studies in the United States, and have also had the opportunity to get their first job there.
With Joseba and Imanol, friends and roommates we will go to Millenium Park, where is the famous Cloud Gate (better known as 'the bean') of Chicago or the auditorium of Frank Gehry. We move to the point where the famous and historic Route 66 begins. After a morning of not stopping, we replenished by eating a Raclette, a cheese sandwich in Daley Plaza where there is a sculpture by Picasso. They will also introduce us to their Chicago koadrila, a group of Basque friends at the Biscay bar inspired by Basque food to drink pintxos and txakolí.
Javier Sánchez
This businessman works as Senior Manager in Labor Relations at the Arcelor-Mittal company in Chicago. He applied for a place in the city within the company and never thought it could happen. He ended up forming a family and has been living in Chicago for eight years.
With Javier, we know the Loop, the financial center of the city. We will see the building where Obama met his wife Michelle. We will move to Michigan Avenue, the most commercial street in Chicago where the water tower is, the only original building in the city that was saved from the great fire of 1871. Javier will introduce us to Karlos Arregi, linguist and professor of Basque at the University from Chicago. We ended up with Javier at his house where we will meet his two girls and his Canadian wife.
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