In Chicago for a few days, well, two days to be exact and one of those was work. Having come almost directly from Dubai with just a day back in the UK, it was a bit of a shock to the system arriving to 14 inches of snow and temperatures down to something below ridiculous - that's minus 14 celsius in plain speak!

I only got to see a small part of downtown Chicago. Millennium park, where the big bean sits reflecting Chicago night and day, was pretty impressive, as too was the Art Institute nearby. Last stop before heading back to the airport, was the 96th floor of the Hancock Tower for a nice cocktail and baileys, chocolate and something else alcoholic, as bucket of chicken tenders and spectacular views across Chicago from 96 floors high over a setting sun. Very nice and a good way to prepare for a long overnight flight back. Overall, Chicago looks like a mecca for shopping, seems to have great parks, a vibrant arts scene and sits on the (frozen when I was there) shores of Lake Michigan, a lake the size of Wales and then some. I'd go back for a break sometime - maybe in the spring.